Principal Ecological Consultant

• Permanent, Full Time
• £46,890 to £55,164 per annum

Place Services is a traded service within Essex County Council and at the forefront of environmental consultancy in the public sector, supporting the Council, Local Authorities and other public bodies with technical specialisms. The growth of our commercial practice means we are now looking for a resourceful, confident and professional principal ecologist to join our growing multidisciplinary team.

We are seeking a skilled and authoritative Principal Ecological Consultant to co-lead our ecology team and take responsibility for the delivery and development of our ecological services, which include development management and planning policy advice, and habitat and protected species surveys and mitigation. You will be an effective leader, with line management experience and a career history covering a broad range of ecological work streams.

Experience of ecology on all sides of the planning system, including Habitats Regulation Assessment, would be an advantage, and a sound understanding of protected species legislation, survey, and mitigation will be expected. You will have significant consultancy experience with demonstrable commercial awareness and good account management and client relationship skills.

We offer a competitive salary, a generous benefit and training package, and a truly varied workload. You will have the opportunity to co-lead a team of 16 ecologists with two other Principals, working on a wide range of exciting projects focused on ecological survey and assessment, planning policy support, and delivering sustainable development. We are a people-focused organisation looking to build and retain a team of professionals able to perform sustainably at a high level, and so we take the health and wellbeing of our people very seriously.

All applicants should have Full membership of CIEEM and the ability to respond pragmatically and creatively to challenging deadlines and a varied workload.

To apply,

For an informal discussion about this opportunity please contact Neil Harvey, Natural Environment Manager at

Please see our website for further information about the team and the work we undertake.