Consultant Ecologist

Binnies is recruiting for a Consultant Ecologist to play a key role in our Chester
-based team within our growing Ecology team (a CIEEM Registered Practice). The role focuses on high quality survey and assessment combined with biodiversity enhancement and restoration across various sectors including flood, coastal and maritime, water utilities, transport, renewable power and natural capital projects. The successful candidate will be involved in projects across England and Wales, supporting systems such as BNG and solutions via blue-green infrastructure.

The position supports the national Environmental team, working with ecologists, landscape architects and specialists to drive survey quality across diverse projects including new reservoir development, river restoration, catchment management, SSSI assessment and coastal management.

Will support wider ecological assessment, design and survey work. Report writing to industry guidelines, including methods, results, Preliminary Ecological Appraisals.

The role requires frequent site attendance across West of England and Wales. Seating at Chester office as full time or hybrid.

Binnies is an Ecological Registered Practice (CIEEM) and Landscape Practice (Landscape Institute) and holds the IEMA EIA Quality Mark.

To support Binnies in our ambitions for our Ecology team, the role would involve:

• Working with the Binnies ecology management team to deliver high-quality ecological surveys and reporting, alongside supporting the development of more junior team members.
• Providing advice on survey requirements to clients and internal project management teams.
• Discussing proposed survey protocols and site-specific survey plans with internal project teams, including the writing of site and task specific risk assessments.
• Leading survey teams for specialisms you are qualified and/or licensed in, including the management and analysis of recorded data.
• Authoring technical reports or report sections for work you have undertaken.
• Authoring Preliminary Ecological Appraisals and contributing to Ecological Impact Assessments and Habitats Regulations Assessments (with support from more experienced colleagues).
• Working with our BNG, Nature Recovery, GIS and Digital specialists to maximise use of technology to optimise surveys and reporting.

If you would like to discuss the role in advance of making a formal application, please contact our Ecology Team Leader Owen Peat.

• Ecology professional with several years experience, working toward full membership of CIEEM or equivalent.
• Ecological/environmental related degree.
• Experience undertaking habitat survey of non-complex sites, preferably using UKHab (or Phase 1 in Wales).
• Experience working under statutory survey licences.
• Competence in using standard survey guidance, techniques and appropriate equipment.
• Competence in developing risk assessments to suitable standard.
• Experience delivering Preliminary Ecological Appraisals for non-complex sites.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Enjoys innovation and embracing advances in technology and ecology.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Protected species survey licence.
• Data analysis software experience.
• Field survey data collection app experience (e.g. Field Maps, Survey
  123).
• Ecological Impact Assessment experience.
• Protected Species Mitigation licensing experience.
• Ecological Clerk of Works experience.
• Previous consultancy experience.