Senior Ecologist

Overview

We are seeking enthusiastic, skilled and highly motivated Senior Ecologists to join our award-winning consultancy, based in either our Haywards Heath or Portsmouth office. You will work across a diverse portfolio of projects involving habitat creation, river restoration, natural flood management, Biodiversity Net Gain assessment, ecological impact assessment and protected species surveys. Working closely with engineering, geomorphology, heritage and landscape specialists, you will help deliver nature-based solutions that restore natural processes, enhance biodiversity and build resilience to climate change. As an employee-owned organisation, we invest in professional development, encourage innovation, support collaboration and empower staff to deliver high-quality technical work that benefits clients, communities and the natural environment. In joining our team, you will contribute to purposeful, environmentally driven projects and help shape positive outcomes for future landscapes.

You will be joining an award-winning environmental and engineering consultancy which puts innovation, sustainability and resilience at the heart of its work.

Your role

As a Senior Ecologist, you will lead ecological inputs across a wide range of project types and scales, working from either our Haywards Heath or Portsmouth office with flexibility for hybrid working and regular site-based activity. You will take responsibility for designing, planning and delivering ecological surveys, providing technical direction to project teams and ensuring that ecological considerations are fully incorporated into wider environmental and engineering workstreams. Your role will involve close collaboration with colleagues across engineering, geomorphology, hydrology, landscape and heritage disciplines to develop effective, evidence-led solutions.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Designing, organising and delivering ecological surveys across a range of habitats
• Leading health & safety planning and ensuring high fieldwork standards
• Undertaking habitat and protected species surveys
• Analysing ecological data and preparing high-quality technical reports
• Producing PEAs, EcIAs, HRAs and BNG assessments
• Providing technical review, support and quality assurance across the team
• Mentoring early-career ecologists and supporting skills development
• Managing projects, programmes, budgets and client communication
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships
• Supporting tender preparation and wider business development activity.

This role offers the opportunity to take ownership of ecological decision-making, influence the direction of complex projects and contribute to innovative, nature-based design. You will play an important part in shaping high-quality environmental outcomes and supporting the continued growth and development of our ecology team. You will also help strengthen our technical capability, contribute to internal knowledge sharing and collaborate in refining our approaches as we continue to expand our portfolio of environmentally focused projects across the region.

The team member we’re looking for

We are looking for someone who brings strong technical ecological expertise, sound judgement, and a collaborative approach to project delivery. You will thrive in a fast-paced consultancy setting, enjoy problem-solving, and be confident working independently as well as within multidisciplinary teams. You should be proactive, organised, and committed to producing high-quality outputs. We value individuals who communicate effectively, support team development, and take pride in delivering evidence-led solutions that benefit ecosystems and communities. A passion for nature restoration, a willingness to innovate, and enthusiasm for helping shape a growing team are all qualities that will help you succeed in this role.

We are principally seeking to recruit into our Haywards Heath and Portsmouth offices. However, for the right candidate, there may be opportunities in our Exeter office.

We are seeking candidates with:

• A BSc and/or MSc (or equivalent) in Ecology or a related environmental discipline
• Full or eligible membership of CIEEM, with chartership desirable
• Solid experience in ecological consultancy across varied project types and sectors
• Strong technical field skills across multiple taxa and experience applying recognised, up-to-date survey methods
• Ideally at least one protected species licence, such as for bats or water vole, enabling you to lead specialist surveys
• A thorough understanding of UK wildlife legislation, planning policy, the Habitats Regulations and national best-practice guidance
• Proven experience producing robust technical outputs including PEAs, EcIAs, HRAs and BNG assessments across different project stages
• Ability to work independently, collaborate within multidisciplinary teams and manage competing priorities across project workloads in a fast-paced environment.

Essential attributes include:

• Strong ecological field skills across relevant taxa, with confidence applying established and emerging survey techniques
• Experience designing, coordinating and managing ecological surveys across a range of project types
• Ability to analyse data and produce clear and robust technical reports
• Demonstrated experience developing, implementing and managing ecological mitigation measures on complex projects
• Strong project management and business development capability, including planning, budgeting and client liaison
• Effective communication, coordination and problem-solving skills, with the ability to support colleagues and contribute to project decisions
• Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary project teams and adapt to changing project requirements
• Ability to undertake sometimes physically challenging fieldwork
• Willingness to travel for fieldwork and stay overnight when required.

Desirable experience and skills include:

• Aquatic, estuarine or coastal ecology experience
• Understanding of the Water Framework Directive and its relevance to ecological assessment and catchment-scale management
• River restoration or nature-based solutions experience, including familiarity with fluvial processes and natural river function
• Habitat creation and restoration knowledge, with the ability to support the design of targeted enhancement measures
• Ecological Clerk of Works experience, including site supervision and implementation of ecological mitigation measures
• GIS capability, with experience mapping habitats, constraints and opportunities
• Practical understanding of wetland and riverine systems and their associated biodiversity
• Ability to contribute to ecological design and mitigation
• Strong problem-solving and stakeholder engagement skills, supporting clear communication and collaborative working
• Confidence contributing specialist insight.

For further information or an informal discussion about this position, please contact Glenn Langler on glenn.langler@jbaconsulting.com