Senior Ecologist

Key Talent Solutions; Cork; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Key Talent Solutions seeks a Senior Ecologist to lead delivery of ecological contracts across renewable energy, waste management and infrastructure. You will guide surveys, assessments and reporting, ensuring quality and compliance with Irish legislation.

Lead expert witness duties may arise; you will mentor staff, manage budgets, and grow the ecology practice while maintaining strong client relationships and cross‑team collaboration. Hybrid role across Cork/Dublin/Carlow.

Qualifications

• Degree in ecology or a closely related discipline and professional registration.
• 10+ years in environmental consultancy with senior project delivery.
• Membership of CIEEM/CIWEM or comparable body required.
• Experience acting as an expert witness and leading multidisciplinary teams.
• Deep knowledge of Irish wildlife and conservation legislation relevant to development.
• Strong report writing and management of AA/NIS/EIAR biodiversity outputs.

Responsibilities

• Oversee ecological contracts from scope through monitoring and delivery.
• Provide senior ecological advice to clients and design teams.
• Plan, conduct and supervise ecological surveys with safety and quality focus.
• Lead or review AA/NIS, EcIA and EIAR biodiversity outputs.
• Prepare and oversee CEMPs, mitigation plans and related commitments.
• Support construction-stage ecology with surveys, licences and audits.
• Produce high-quality technical reports and project deliverables.
• Act as expert witness at hearings and respond to scrutiny.
• Manage budgets, resources, subcontractors and client communications.
• Mentor ecologists and contribute to proposals and tenders.

Skills

Client relationship management

Technical leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Mentoring

Report writing

Project management

Public speaking / expert witness

Education

Degree in ecology

CIEEM/CIWEM membership

Chartered Ecologist or equivalent

Tools

GIS

Job description

Senior Ecologist - Hybrid - Cork/ Dublin/ Carlow

Lead the delivery and technical quality of ecological consultancy contracts across renewable energy, waste management and civil infrastructure projects, while strengthening client relationships, supporting team development and contributing to continued growth of FT’s Ecology practice.

Core responsibilities:

• Oversee ecological consultancy contracts from scope and survey strategy through assessment, planning, construction and monitoring.
• Provide senior ecological advice to clients and multidisciplinary design teams across terrestrial, freshwater, marine and coastal environments.
• Plan, conduct and supervise ecological surveys and fieldwork, ensuring appropriate methodology, seasonality, health and safety and data quality.
• Lead or technically review Appropriate Assessment Screening reports, Natura Impact Statements, Ecological Impact Assessments and Biodiversity chapters for EIARs.
• Prepare, review and oversee implementation of CEMPs, ecological mitigation plans, invasive-species plans, biodiversity management plans and related commitments.
• Support construction-stage ecology through pre-construction surveys, ECoW oversight, licence compliance, monitoring and contractor engagement where required.
• Produce and approve high-quality technical reports, figures, constraints outputs and project deliverables.
• Act as an expert witness at oral hearings and provide clear, evidence-based responses to statutory, client and third-party scrutiny.
• Manage technical quality, deadlines, budgets, resources, subcontractors, scope change and client communications across assigned contracts.
• Build strong relationships with clients, planning/design teams and consultees such as NPWS, Inland Fisheries Ireland and local authorities.
• Mentor and support ecologists and survey staff, improving technical consistency, professional development and delivery standards.
• Contribute to proposals, fee estimates, tenders, repeat business and growth of FT’s ecology service offering.

Mandatory experience and qualifications:

• Degree in ecology or a closely related discipline.
• At least 10 years of post-graduate experience in environmental consultancy.
• Membership of CIEEM, CIWEM or a comparable professional body.
• Proven experience acting as an expert witness and participating in oral hearings.
• In-depth knowledge of Irish wildlife and nature-conservation legislation and its application to development projects.
• Strong technical report-writing and review capability, including senior delivery of AA/NIS, EcIA and EIAR biodiversity outputs.
• Demonstrated experience preparing and overseeing implementation of Construction Environmental Management Plans.
• Evidence of successful multidisciplinary teamwork, client communication, organisation and project management.
• Full clean driving license and willingness to travel for surveys, sites, hearings and client meetings.
• Full CIEEM membership, Chartered Ecologist, Chartered Environmentalist or equivalent senior professional standing.
• Deep experience in Irish onshore/offshore wind, solar, grid, roads, greenways, waste or major infrastructure consenting.
• Technical specialism in ornithology, bats, aquatic ecology, botany/habitats, mammals, marine ecology or invasive species, combined with broad assessment leadership.
• Protected-species and derogation-licence experience, statutory consultation and practical mitigation design.
• Construction-stage ECoW, habitat creation/restoration, translocation, monitoring and planning-condition compliance.
• GIS capability, ecological constraints mapping, digital survey/data workflows and familiarity with biodiversity enhancement or natural-capital approaches.
• Line management, technical mentoring, resource planning, quality-system ownership and improvement of templates or standards.
• Commercial contribution through tenders, framework bids, fee proposals, scope change, client development or repeat work.