Senior/Principal Ecologist

Dalcour Maclaren; Bicester; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior/Principal Ecologist to join their growing Ecology team. This role offers a unique opportunity to work on diverse projects across the UK, contributing to the delivery of sustainable solutions in the Utilities and Infrastructure sector. The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in ecology, with expertise in UK environmental legislation and project management. You will be part of a supportive and collaborative team, where your skills will help shape the future of ecology projects, ensuring a brighter, sustainable future for the industry. If you are passionate about making a difference and thrive in a dynamic environment, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

Annual bonus scheme

25 days annual leave plus 1 day for birthday

Vitality Health Membership

Flexible working

Pension Scheme

Life insurance (4x Base Salary)

Free on-site parking

Cycle to work scheme

26 Weeks paid Maternity Leave

Employee Assistance Programme

Qualifications

• Hold a BSc and/or MSc degree in Ecology or closely related subject.
• Sound knowledge of the UK planning system and environmental legislation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage complex ecological projects across diverse portfolios.
• Author a range of ecology reports and prepare fee proposals.

Skills

Ecology

Environmental Legislation

Project Management

Communication

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)

Fieldwork

Education

BSc in Ecology

MSc in Ecology

Tools

Biodiversity Metric

Ecological Assessment Tools

Job description

At Dalcour Maclaren, we're key players in the Utilities and Infrastructure industry, bringing the UK and Ireland closer to Net Zero every day. Our land, environmental and geospatial experts work together to unlock the consents needed by our clients to deliver key projects. Our services include land access and assembly, agricultural liaison, planning, environmental impact assessments and geospatial mapping. Join us, and play your part in helping us to achieve our vision; to be the professional services team of choice, leading the Utilities and Infrastructure industry to a sustainable future.

At Dalcour Maclaren our vision is to be the go-to environmental, planning and design consultancy serving the utilities and infrastructure sector. Our Ecology team works across multiple sectors – Water, Power, Telecoms, Transport & Infrastructure - delivering on some of the most exciting, diverse, and unique projects across the UK.

Our day to day work is varied working on permitted development projects through to large infrastructure projects through protected landscapes in some of the most remote parts of the country. DM are one of the largest suppliers of land and property services to the offshore wind market, and currently provide environment and planning services to a range of utilities providers. We work with our clients helping them deliver improved water quality in our rivers and all kinds of renewable energy technologies including solar, BESS, onshore wind, hydrogen and many more - so we can all look forward to Net Zero and a brighter sustainable future!

The variety of work isn’t the only rewarding part of working for DM! Our culture is something worth celebrating too! We work hard but play hard too. We recognise that our people are our greatest asset. We strive to ensure we live and breathe our OneTeam ethos everyday, no matter your role or location we work together to achieve our goals and those of our clients. The supportive, friendly environment that we create allows people to thrive no matter their level of experience or skill set. Our multidisciplinary teams mean you will meet and work with colleagues from different professions and different locations across the country all working together in a happy supportive environment.

The opportunity

Here at DM, we are growing our Ecology team throughout the UK and are looking to bolster our ecology team with a Senior/Principal Ecologist. Opportunities for remote working/ office location can be discussed at interview stage.

You will be joining a small ecology team with big plans for growth, where you will be given the opportunity to develop your career and help shape the future of our ecology team.

The successful candidate will…

1. Hold a BSc and/or MSc degree in Ecology or closely related subject
2. Have, or be eligible, for CIEEM membership
3. Have sound knowledge of the UK planning system and environmental legislation
4. Author a range of typical ecology reports (PEA/EcIA/EIA/HRA/BNG/LEMPs/CEMPs) – EIA/HRA expertise and peer review reports highly desirable for Principal/ Associate roles
5. Be proficient in BNG assessments, and able to interpret and evaluate the Biodiversity Metric to deliver pragmatic solutions to our clients (experience in securing off-site BNG solutions highly desirable)
6. Communicate effectively with clients and colleagues, and lead negotiations with Natural England, County Ecologists, Local Authority planning officers, and stakeholders
7. Contribute to the development of the team through providing in-house training and support to junior team members (line management experience desirable for Principal/ Associate roles)
8. Prepare fee proposals, tender applications, and manage project finances
9. Lead and manage complex ecological projects as part of a diverse portfolio of projects
10. Design, procure and manage a range of protected species surveys and mitigation through in-house ecologists and our sub-consultant network
11. Complete ecological fieldwork to a level agreed based on role/experience – botanical, bat and ornithological survey expertise highly desirable
12. Hold protected species survey licences (great crested newts and bats highly desirable)
13. Be competent in UK Habitat Classification and habitat condition assessments (FISC level 4 highly desirable but not essential)
14. Be able to design and implement ecological mitigation project, and habitat creation/ enhancement for BNG
15. Be comfortable working independently and as part of a small team looking to expand across the UK. Some level of overnight accommodation may be required.
16. Hold a full UK driving licence, insured for business purposes, and be willing to travel for client meetings and site surveys

Benefits:

• Annual bonus scheme
• 25 days annual leave plus 1 day to celebrate your birthday
• Vitality Health Membership (including Private healthcare, subsidised gym membership and other discounts)
• Flexible working through our ‘Flexible Advantage’ supporting working families & your work/life balance
• Pension Scheme via The Peoples Pension
• Life insurance (4x Base Salary)
• Free on-site parking in non-city centre offices
• Cycle to work scheme
• 26 Weeks paid Maternity Leave
• 2 Weeks paid Paternity Leave
• BHN Extras – provides discounted gift cards for hundreds of popular retailers
• Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme (provided by Octopus Electric Vehicles) effective at 1 years’ service
• Sabbatical Policy effective at 3 years’ service
• Professional development – paid study leave
• Military service paid leave (7.5 days per year)
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) plus wider Mental Health & Wellbeing support
• 2 x Company-wide events every year, in addition to multiple office socials throughout the year

Dalcour Maclaren is an equal opportunities employer.