Overview

We are looking for an experienced Senior level Aquatic Ecologist, to join our team of ecologists who sit within our diverse and highly skilled environmental service sector.

About Ricardo

Ricardo Energy & Environment is a leading sustainability consultancy combining energy, climate change, environmental and chemical risk expertise with strong IT and economics capability. Operating across the world, we work in partnership with our customers to help transform the way they work, empowering business leaders with award winning consultancy advice. With unrivalled sector insight and a reputation for producing innovative solutions, we offer a stimulating and rewarding environment in which to work.

The Water & Environment practice of Ricardo Energy & Environment offers a comprehensive range of specialist services within the environmental consultancy sector. Nationally and internationally recognised for our expertise in planning and overseeing complex and sensitive projects, our skills have been utilised by a wide range of clients within the public and private sectors including the European Commission, government, water companies and developers.

Ricardo are committed maintaining and developing a positive and encouraging environment for our staff to thrive in, providing regular company wide and team specific communications, actively seeking feedback from our employees and our customers and encouraging staff to provide regular feedback to their colleagues. Our passionate HR team develop and assist with numerous schemes aimed at improving our employee health and wellbeing as well as their ability, motivation and flexibility to undertake their role to the best of their abilities. At Ricardo, we are acutely aware of the importance of our roles in safeguarding and enhancing our environment and fully believe in our mission to create a world fit for the future.

Our environmental team have worked tirelessly to support key clients with essential work throughout the Covid-19 outbreak following a smooth transition to home-based, and where necessary, flexible working patterns. Our ecology team are looking to re-enforce and grow our dynamic and experienced team, as we look to support clients entering periods of significant investment in environmental services.

The Opportunity

Our Water & Environment practice has a strong project portfolio and we are looking for an experienced Aquatic Ecologist at Senior Consultant grade to join our team. You will join colleagues in providing technical support on a variety of water management and ecology projects, across a wide range of clients in the water, developer and public sectors. You will be expected to contribute as part of a wider national team, working closely with colleagues in Manchester, Bristol and London in particular.

The position offers a diverse role, supporting projects and clients across the UK, and occasionally beyond, carrying out projects encompassing a hydro-ecology focus.

Your role will involve project management and implementation of ecological assessments, plus the coordination of associated surveys, consultation and mitigation in support of our clients’ proposals and operations. You will be involved in managing the technical work of more junior staff and sub-consultants and (depending on experience) managing projects and their direction too. There will also be team leadership opportunities, as the team expands.

The nature of the role provides a wealth of opportunities to explore your interests and carry out a range of tasks and functions within aquatic ecology, as well as a range of related disciplines. There is also a degree of flexibility over which facets of the role you become most invested in: be it a more technical focus; project management; developing bids and tenders; or, a more generalist role. Conversely, there will be times where you need to be adaptable and open minded regarding the work you undertake, particularly during busy periods of large projects or bids.

There is also the opportunity to take on a range of management, technical and pastoral roles within the team and the wider company. For example, we recently took the opportunity to train volunteers in each of our offices to undertake roles as mental health first aiders, to support the wellbeing of our staff throughout the company.

The key competencies and experience plus desirable experience for the role are listed below. The list is not necessarily exclusive and we are willing to discuss applications from candidates who are particularly strong in certain areas, but who may not meet all the criteria. Ideally you will already be working at a senior level, with experience within commercial consultancy. As such, you will ideally have experience of undertaking business development, preparing quotes and tenders, and building client relationships. You will be a technical expert and capable of writing accurate and concise technical reports.

Key Competencies and Experience:

A first degree in a relevant subject, such as ecology or other biological sciences, and/or a relevant postgraduate qualification;
Good knowledge of UK and EU Wildlife Legislation, planning policies, licensing requirements and best practice survey techniques;
Capable at undertaking WFD assessments, in particular the biological metrics and indices that inform ecological status;
EcIA and WRMP options appraisals and the development and implementation of mitigation on site;
Leading, planning and co-ordinating field surveys, analysing and interpreting survey results and planning and co-ordinating ecological mitigation works;
Demonstrable specialist ecological knowledge, such as fisheries, macroinvertebrate skills and/or survey skills for one or more protected species;
Membership of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM);
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; be able to produce meticulous and accurate technical reports as well as communicate confidently with clients and stakeholders; and
Be organised with proven ability to multi-task and handle several projects simultaneously.
Ideally you will also:

Have experience of leading and motivating a team of both site and office based staff;
Have a proven work winning track record, experience of preparing bids and tenders and generating new business opportunities;
Mentoring junior colleagues;
Building client relationships and generating opportunities;
Preparing bids and managing project budgets; and
Collaborating with our multi-disciplinary teams within the region.
About You

You will be a self-starter, as you’ll be part of a small and very busy team. Excellent team working skills are therefore essential together with strong communication skills, sound understanding of ecological impact assessment and a close attention to detail.

Whilst fieldwork skills are needed for this role, there will be a large component of office-based coordination, data analysis, client contact and report writing.

What we can offer you

This is a fast-paced and challenging environment offering you the opportunity to make your mark. You will have support from the wider business for your career to develop into a wide range of future opportunities within Ricardo Energy & Environment.

In return for your commitment, drive and enthusiasm, we offer an attractive benefits package, a personal development plan, and the opportunity to make a difference in a challenging and rewarding field. Our pay bands are typically broader than other consultancies, so a Senior level role can take you through to an equivalent Principal level consultancy role and associate pay grade.

Ricardo Energy & Environment is an equal opportunities employer.