Senior Ecologist

Senior Ecologist About The Role

Location:

Home-based, office-based or hybrid working, with offices in Castle Donington (East Midlands) and Birmingham (West Midlands)

Salary: £47,500 - £55,000 per year, depending on skills and experience

Contract Type:
Full time, permanent, 37.5 hours per week

Holiday: 34 days' paid holiday each year, including bank holidays, increasing by one additional day for every completed year, up to 40 days in total.

Elton Ecology is an independent ecological consultancy specialising in Ecology and Biodiversity Net Gain. We work primarily across the Midlands, with a growing focus on major residential, commercial and renewable infrastructure. Our clients include developers, house builders, planning and design teams, and public bodies.

We provide technically robust, proportionate advice that helps clients navigate the planning process while protecting and improving biodiversity. Our work includes Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, UKHab and habitat condition assessments, Biodiversity Net Gain, protected species mitigation work, Ecological Impact Assessment and support for larger EIA projects.

We are growing and are looking to appoint two Senior Ecologists for our pipeline of work primarily across the Midlands. This is an opportunity to take ownership of interesting development-led ecology projects while helping shape the technical standards, systems and future direction of an ambitious independent consultancy.

You will have the autonomy to lead your own work, access to support when you need it, and the opportunity to develop a portfolio of work around your expertise and professional interests.

You may already be working as a Senior Ecologist or be an experienced Consultant ready to take the next step in your career.

We are building a senior team with complementary strengths. We are therefore interested in candidates with broad ecological skills, and/or ecologists who have specialised in botanical and habitat survey skills, biodiversity net gain, bat expertise, or a combination of these.

• Scope, plan and deliver ecological projects, including fee proposals and survey design.
• Lead or oversee PEA, UKHab, habitat condition, BNG, protected species and/or EcIA work, dependent on your area of expertise.
• Produce and review clear, technically robust and defensible reports for planning.
• Provide confident, proportionate advice to clients, design teams, local planning authorities and other stakeholders.
• Manage project scope, deadlines, budgets and ecological risks with appropriate commercial awareness.
• Mentor less experienced ecologists and help maintain practical, consistent technical standards.
• Contribute ideas that improve how the business operates and the outcomes we deliver for clients and biodiversity.

• Demonstrable expertise in at least one of the following areas:

• Botanical and habitat survey work, ideally including FISC Level 3 or above and UKHab experience; or
• Bat ecology, including holding a current Natural England bat survey licence at Level 1 or above.

• Relevant professional experience within a UK ecological consultancy. Four or more years would be typical, but demonstrated competence matters more than a rigid number of years.
• The ability to manage standard ecology projects and client relationships independently, with support available for more complex cases.
• Practical experience of development-led ecology, including PEAs, protected species surveys and planning-focused ecological reporting.
• Strong technical writing, professional judgement and attention to detail.
• A sound understanding of wildlife legislation, planning policy, survey guidance and professional standards in England.
• Competence using GIS software, ideally QGIS.
• Strong…