Senior/Principal Ecologist Brighton Office Job Sussex area,England UK,Science

Senior/ Principal Ecologist – Sussex (Brighton Office)

We are always happy to hear from prospective candidates and to chat about the role, the team and what CSA may specifically be able to offer to you. We understand the importance of finding a good fit and looking at how CSA may be able to support your career development.

At CSA Environmental, we’ve spent over 25 years helping to create well‑designed places where people, nature and development can coexist more harmoniously.
Join a team doing genuinely ambitious ecology work on the south coast and beyond.

CSA Environmental is an independent, multidisciplinary consultancy of 85 people across five offices. Our Brighton team of 10 ecologists, that form part of a wider team of 50+ ecologist across the business, have built a strong reputation across the south-east for providing clear, reliable ecological advice, and for encouraging clients to go further than the baseline.

We are proud to hold the Great Place to Work certification (2026), independently awarded based on our team’s own feedback. It reflects what we’ve always believed: that good work comes from people who feel valued, trusted and supported to grow.

CSA Environmental is built on collaboration, mutual respect and continuous learning. Our team share knowledge generously, across disciplines as well as within them. Working alongside landscape architects, heritage consultants, urban designers and arboriculturists doesn’t just make projects better. It makes ecologists better.

Role details
Ecology is not about compliance, it’s increasingly the discipline that shapes how development land is planned, designed and valued. At CSA, we take that seriously. We actively encourage clients to look beyond mandatory requirements and to think about what genuine long-term biodiversity improvement looks like on their sites. That ambition runs through our project work, our habitat bank schemes, and the advice we give at every project stage.

As a member of the senior ecology team, you’ll be part of a practice that works this way by design. You’ll work closely with colleagues in landscape architecture, heritage, urban design, arboriculture and master planning, a cross-disciplinary environment that deepens ecological knowledge and produces better outcomes for clients and for nature.

What you’ll be doing

Coordinating and delivering ecological inputs across all project stages, from initial assessment through to implementation and monitoring
Leading and supporting protected species surveys and mitigation strategies
Preparing and reviewing PEAs, EcIAs, HRAs, BNG assessments and related reporting
Delivering BNG assessments and contributing to habitat bank schemes – work that sits at the forefront of how the profession is evolving
Working closely with clients, LPAs and design teams to develop balanced, proportionate solutions
Providing technical input during concept design and planning stages
Mentoring and supporting junior ecologists in the team
Contributing to CSA’s reputation for high-quality, pragmatic advice in the region
Greenfield residential and mixed-use development
Brownfield regeneration and mineral extraction sites
Solar and renewable energy projects
Habitat bank schemes and biodiversity enhancement programmes
Landscape-scale ecological improvement projects
Smaller, bespoke local commissions

This range gives opportunity to gain experience across complex, multi-stage developments and fast-paced local work, with BNG running as a thread through much of it.

About you
We’re looking for a motivated, conscientious ecologist with a practical, solutions-focused approach and a genuine interest in doing ecology well.

Degree in ecology or biology (2:1 or above desirable)
Experience in protected species and habitat surveys, including…

Senior​/Principal Ecologist Brighton Office

Senior/Principal Ecologist Brighton Office