Ecologist​/Botanist

Botanist with FISC Level 4 or above – all grades throughout the UKSLR has an excellent opportunity for botanists to join our Ecology and Biodiversity team in the UK. Ideally the candidate will have Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) Level 4 and above certification or consider themselves able to obtain this level if undertaking a FISC test. Opportunities are available across multiple grades, from experienced field botanists to technical leads.

The role can be located across any of our offices throughout the UK. You will play a lead role in undertaking, contributing and delivering high quality habitat surveys, botanical assessments, and subsequent reporting across a range of projects and sectors, particularly including Power, Mining and Minerals and Built Environment. This role presents an exciting opportunity to be responsible for the delivery of ecology inputs to large and complex projects, which now represent an increasingly large proportion of our work.  

While the advert focuses on botanical expertise, we do not pigeonhole our ecologists. If you hold additional ecological skills, whether in protected species, ornithology, habitat regulations assessment etc – we actively encourage you to continue developing and utilising those competencies and we will ensure the range of work and training available to you enables you to do so.

We believe strong botanists often bring broader ecological insight, and we are committed to:

Supporting multidisciplinary skill development

Providing opportunities to diversity your project portfolio

Encouraging CPD and progression into specialist or leadership roles

To follow career pathways that reflect your full expertise, not just one specialist if that is your preference.

With a structured career framework putting staff in charge of their own progression and a team of over 200 permanent ecologists, SLR Consulting leads the way in providing exemplar ecological advice and services. We have a real passion for what we do and due to continued commercial success and a very healthy work pipeline for several years ahead, we have fantastic opportunities for an experienced botanist to become part of the SLR team.

The role:

Duties will be varied but will include:

Undertake detailed botanical surveys including UKHab, NVC, baseline ecological walkover surveys, specialist habitat assessments and botanical surveys

Shape and deliver habitat creation projects, providing botanical expertise to ensure ecological integrity and long-term sustainability

Record and manage survey data to a high professional standard using our dedicated in-house data recording apps and equipment

Contribute to technical reports, habitat condition assessments, management plans and habitat creation documents

Provide botanical expertise to multidisciplinary projects teams

Mentor junior ecologists and provide training to National team where required

You will be expected to liaise with other SLR technical teams on a variety of subjects including planning, landscape, hydrology, noise and air quality whilst working closely with senior members of the team. The key aspect of the role will be the management and delivery of ecology inputs to a range of potentially large and complex projects across our business sectors.

Liaise with clients, stakeholders and regulatory bodies as required

Depending on skills and experience, and the specific goals of the successful candidate, the role may also include staff management

The role will involve working with other team members located across the UK and may require short-term travel across the UK and potentially overseas, depending on client/project sites.

About us SLR are global leaders in Sustainability Solutions, helping our clients achieve their sustainability goals. We are a consultancy with 4000+ employees across 6 regions in over 125 countries. Our ‘one team’ culture is at the heart of our business, providing a collaborative and supportive environment for professional development.

Along with competitive salaries, our staff enjoy a comprehensive benefits package with a company pension plus excellent healthcare offering, travel and life insurance and a structured career…