Operational Ecologist BNG

Your new company

A specialist ecology, land management and arboricultural consultancy based in the East Midlands, working in tandem with other wildlife trusts across the East of the country.A wholly owned subsidiary of a Trust, all profits are gift aided to the Trust to support nature conservation. Over the last 30 years, they have gift-aided over £1m which has been used to fund habitat conservation work across nature reserves and other wildlife conservation activities and campaigns.This association ensures that they play a key role in the circular economy of delivering advice that meets the needs of developers, planners, utility companies, local authorities, government agencies, but also helps conservation by securing re-investment in other habitats that need protection.

Your new role

You will work under the guidance of a Senior Ecologist, assisting them in the production of Route Biodiversity Action Plans (RBAPs) and Habitat Management Plans (HMPs). You will gather baseline information to allow the production of these documents. They will then conduct on-site monitoring to determine whether the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) detailed within the documents are being met.Further to the above, the post holder will monitor Vegetation Management teams to ensure their activities are in keeping with biodiversity interventions within the Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) and Sectional Plan (SP).

Responsibilities:

• Carry out European Protected Species ecological surveys (individually and as an assistant) on the project and produce associated reports
• Technical Quality Assurance of reports from other external consultants who undertake
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA), using UKhab
• Oversee fieldwork carried out by others
• Assist in the development, delivery and management of Route Biodiversity Action Plans (RBAPs), Habitat Management Plans (HMPs), Vegetation Management Plans (VMPs) and Sectional Plans (SPs)
• Undertake desk studies and GIS mapping
• Liaison with local records centres and other stakeholders
• Ground truthing of data within the Biodiversity Inventory received from external stakeholders
• Prepare licence applications and manage licences throughout the process
• Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) and remote assistance, providing technical advice to teams on the ground that are implementing Habitat Management Plans and Vegetation Management Plans
• Undertake Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) calculations
• Upload data in line with the Data Storage Plan including to GIS systems
• Communicate ecological risks
• Ensure that the project database is updated to facilitate production of management information.
• Ensure, through liaison with the Consultancy Manager (and NWT operations team as required), that all HR procedures are followed.
• Ensure that H&S systems are followed and undertake any compulsory training required.
• Maintain records to support the compliance with Business Management Systems (ISO 9001 & 14001) including contribution to regular audits and annual compliance visits as required.
• Ensure that internal Resource Management software is kept up to date.
• Provide updates on activities to staff meetings as required.
• Other responsibilities as required.

What you'll need to succeed

• BSc in Environmental Science, Ecology or similar - MSc desirable
• Survey licence for (or working towards) one or more protected species.
• Experience of ecological survey and assessment
• Experience of nature conservation advisory work and habitat evaluation using UKHab
• Knowledge of habitats and species typical of the East England region
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant conservation legislation and practice
• IT applications including word processing and spreadsheets, knowledge of GIS.
• Good species identification skills
• Excellent inter-personal and communication skills
• Good report writing skills (routine and standard reports)
• Efficient administration and organisation skills, including ability to prioritise workloads and meet tight deadlines
• Ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people
• Negotiation skills and conflict management

What you'll get in return

• £28,000 - £34,500 p/annum DOE
• Flexible working options and a healthy work-life balance encouraged
• Annual leave and pension plans
• Health payment plan
• Personalised Development programme designed to enhance your knowledge and progress your career
• Payment of professional membership fees
• Opportunity to work on high profile projects with nationally significant clients, and on smaller scale conservation-focused projects
• A close-knit, friendly and supportive team, with a relaxed office atmosphere
• The majority of our projects are within an hour of our office. Overnight stays are infrequent.

What you need to do nowIf you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.If this job isn't quite right for you but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion on your career.

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