Overview

We are looking for a Senior Ecologist to join our expanding team. DAA is a mutli-disciplinary company, with the in-house ecology unit created in February 2018. Since then the ecology unit has been very successful, and now accounts for 40% of the company’s revenue. Owing to this success we are looking for a highly driven and enthusiastic Senior Ecologist to help deliver the work for our existing client base we have in the areas generally south-west of London.

We have a business culture based around trust and support, with all colleagues feeding back that they love the ‘family feel’ to the business. At DAA you are entrusted to do the work we hire you to do, with no micro-management, but a supportive and collaborative work environment. All of our employees (currently nine of us) are home-based workers, and with that comes a flexible approach to work. Whilst you will need to be comfortable working fairly independently, we use Skype as a means of staying in touch on a daily basis, and meet up regularly.

We believe very strongly in supporting our employees to maximise their potential and as such there is no set cap on CPD budgets; instead we constantly evaluate and discuss employee and business needs and make sure everyone is given the necessary tools and training to be the best they can be and in the process, contribute as much as they can to the business.

Whilst we do have formal reviews, we very much encourage an open and two-way discussion about all matters concerning employee well-being and personal development at all times. We take employee health and safety very seriously and as such there is a cap on the number of evening and early morning surveys we allow our staff to do each week. We also build in paid rest time for before and/or after out of hours surveys, which is separate to the Time Off In Lieu that our staff are also able to accrue.

Responsibilities:

  • Devising, undertaking and managing a wide range of ecological surveys including extended Phase 1 habitat and protected species surveys and mitigation.
  • Carrying out desk studies, consultations, research, data management and analysis and report writing.
  • Prepare quotations.
  • To write and apply for protected species mitigation licences.
  • To advise clients on the implications of the timeframes for surveys and how best to project plan to ensure they have the necessary information when they are ready to submit a planning application.
  • To attend design team meetings and on-site meetings with planning consultants, LPA officers etc as required.
  • To contribute to the ecological sections of Environmental Impact Assessments and Habitat Regulations Assessments.
  • To manage project-based finances including providing the information needed to the accounts department for invoicing and maintaining commercial awareness at all stages of the project.
  • To liaise with internal team members regarding landscape and arboricultural issues and external team members in the wider design team.
  • To assist the Principal Ecologist with corporate marketing initiatives to promote the ecology side of the business.
  • Conduct technical reviews of reports and other work by colleagues within the ecology team.

Essential qualifications and experience:

  1. Honours degree in Ecology or other relevant environmental discipline
  2. Full membership of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM)
  3. Extensive experience working in a similar position in the consultancy sector
  4. Excellent report writing skills
  5. Excellent project management and client liaison skills
  6. Strong commercial awareness and experience of bidding for and winning work
  7. Proven experience in managing and undertaking a range of fieldwork, including habitat and protected species surveys
  8. At least two protected species licences, including at least a level 1 class licence for bats
  9. Be a named ecologist on protected species mitigation licence applications, ideally for great crested newts
  10. Excellent knowledge of current UK legislation and best practice policy
  11. Full driving licence and access to a vehicle for work, with business use insurance

Person Specification:

  • Highly motivated
  • Personable with good client management skills
  • Approachable
  • Good team player, relationship builder

Senior Ecologist​
Home based, South-East
£28,000 – £35,000 pa | Full Time

For further information or to apply by sending a cover letter / email and CV, please contact Claire Munn, Principal Ecologist: claire@daa-arboriculture.co.uk. Please include ‘Senior Ecologist Vacancy’ in the subject heading.