Overview

We have an exciting opportunity for an Ecological Data Officer to join the Environment Team at Yorkshire Water and be a part of helping Yorkshire Water to provide the best service to our customers. Could this be you?

Location: This role will initially be based in Bradford but we’re moving our office to Leeds Valley Park in spring 2026, so you’ll be based there in the future – Hybrid Working

Work type: Permanent. 37 hours per week, Monday – Friday.

We’re looking for an Ecological Data Officer to provide specialist expertise in the management, assurance, and application of ecological and hydro-ecological data. This is a critical role supporting delivery of key regulatory programmes, including WINEP and our Biodiversity Performance Commitment, ensuring that high-quality evidence underpins decision-making across the business.

You’ll sit within a multidisciplinary environmental team, working closely with technical specialists, GIS professionals, and external partners. By improving how ecological data is managed, processed, and shared, you’ll help unlock better outcomes for biodiversity, regulatory compliance, and sustainable water management.

As our Ecological Data Officer, you will

  • Take ownership of ecological data management across the Environment Team, ensuring datasets are accurate, consistent, and accessible.
  • Lead on quality assurance of YW supplier ecological data and the conversion of externally provided data to YW storage.
  • Support delivery of the Biodiversity Performance Commitment, ensuring robust data underpins reporting, forecasting and audit requirements.
  • Provide specialist support to WINEP delivery, processing and interpreting complex hydro-ecological datasets to enable effective project delivery.
  • Integrate Yorkshire Water ecological datasets with external systems such as Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS), Local Environmental Records Centres (LERCs), and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) frameworks.
  • Develop and maintain data systems and processes that enable the business to understand and manage environmental risk, including protected species, invasive species, and sensitive habitats.
  • Collaborate with external partners including Rivers Trusts, Wildlife Trusts, and CaBA groups to align data standards and avoid duplication of effort!
  • Support the transition and ongoing management of ecological data within ESRI systems, working alongside internal GIS teams.
  • Report data to internal and external stakeholders using the most appropriate software for example Power BI or ESRI Dashboard.

What skills & qualifications you will need:

  • A degree in Ecology, Environmental Science, GIS, or a related discipline
  • Experience managing and processing ecological or environmental data, including spatial datasets.
  • Strong working knowledge of GIS platforms (e.g. ESRI) and data management principles
  • Understanding of habitat classification, protected species data, and ecological survey standards
  • Experience working with large or complex datasets, including hydro-ecological or monitoring data.
  • Ability to assure data quality and translate technical data into clear, usable outputs.
  • Experience in presenting large datasets to various audiences using the most appropriate software.
  • Experience working collaboratively with internal teams and external stakeholders.
  • Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities, particularly in time-critical reporting environments.
  • Full UK driving licence.

You will also benefit from having:

  • Knowledge of environmental regulatory frameworks (e.g. WINEP, WFD, BNG, LNRS).
  • Experience in developing, implementing, and managing multi-disciplinary GIS based systems.
  • Experience in using dashboards for project level reporting and analytics.
  • Experience in working in a regulatory environment and being subject to external audit.
  • Experience in utilising and interrogating publicly available data sets i.e. EA fish and ecology explorer.
  • Experience in ecological survey guidelines such as UK Habitat Classification and the BNG metric with habitat condition assessments.

We reserve the right to close this position before the published closing date, should the need occur. We therefore advise that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible.

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