Overview

We currently have an opportunity for a Senior Ecologist within our Clean & Catchment Strategy Team, working alongside a group focused on delivering environmental improvements for our customers.

The team help drive environmental projects from inception and justification within our business plans, through to on the ground delivery alongside internal and external partners.

Every day will be different, and while the focus of the role may mean undertaking surveys everywhere from Wharfdale to Runswick Bay, you may be helping advise on manging orchids growing on service reservoirs in Sheffield through to the impacts of abstractions on otter populations in the Yorkshire Wolds.

The team has a strong evidence-based ethic and a commitment to research, with close ongoing links with a number of universities and the opportunity to help shape our research agenda. We regularly collaborate on topics such as novel ecological monitoring (e.g eDNA) and as a team supervise several PhD and MSc students.

The company and team have a strong drive to achieving a positive working environment and the ability to shape the direction of the role will be in your hands, be it practical or strategic.

Salary: £28,649 to £35,811 dependent on experience + quarterly bonus + car allowance + pension + 25 days holiday

Location: Buttershaw with the option to work flexibly across other YW sites and home

Purpose of the role

With an increase in the scale of Yorkshire Water’s commitments to helping conserve and enhance the natural environments in which we operate, we have a unique opportunity to help make a difference to Yorkshire’s wildlife and landscapes.

You will be working across the region and throughout our estate to help us understand the value that nature is providing for our operations and customers, and make sure we are investing the right amount in the right places to sustain and grow it.

You will need a strong ecological background with experience in habitat mapping and restoration, together with a passion for collaborative working with a variety of internal teams and external partners.

Your primary focus will be helping deliver our habitat mapping programme across our c. 70, 000 ha estate. This will provide the evidence base to underpin our company decisions around future conservation investment and land management, as well as helping ensure we can fulfil and exceed our biodiversity net gain commitments as a business. You will be helping ensure nature across our operations is protected and conserved and helping create new areas of high quality wildlife habitat across Yorkshire.

This AMP cycle (2020-2025) we have an exciting programme of ecological enhancements to deliver, in excess of £12m. Within this, you will be identifying key partners across the region to help us deliver our conservation commitments, help monitor outcomes, and help develop our future environmental commitments for our next cycle.

Depending on your skills and passion, there is the opportunity to become more involved in helping us achieve a net gain to biodiversity, through working closely with our construction partners and land managers.

You will be working with colleagues in our Land and Property team to help safeguard and improve the habitat value of our rural farm estate and moorland SSSI land. The role will also have a strong component of collaboration with key strategic stakeholders, particularly regulators such as the Environment Agency and Natural England, and others such as Catchment Partnerships and the regions Wildlife and Rivers Trusts.

You will help analyse and manage our spatial ecological data. You will also assist in responding to ecological queries from the wider business.

Knowledge and Skills Required

Essential:

  • Ability to plan and undertake habitat mapping at a variety of spatial scales.
  • Good ability to undertake surveys to nationally recognised standards (e.g NVC, UK Hab) and working knowledge of key indicator species and priority habitat types
  • Experience in practical conservation management in a variety of priority habitats
  • Strong ability in planning and phasing surveys, commissioning surveys and other monitoring, and data analysis and interpretation
  • The ability to organise and deliver landscape scale conservation outcomes
  • An enthusiasm for working in partnership with the NGO sector and other statutory bodies
  • A UK Driving licence

Desirable:

  • Experience in undertaking Biodiversity Net Gain condition assessments
  • Competence in GIS
  • Experience working in SSSI sites
  • Experience in agri-environment surveys/advice
  • CIEEM membership and/or a degree or postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline
  • Protected species licensing

The role will be based in Bradford, however there is a network of Yorkshire Water offices across the region that can be utilised, and the nature of the role means working from site and home can be a common occurrence, and flexible working can be accommodated.

If you feel this opportunity is suitable and you match the skills required, then please apply online and complete the application process. If you could also, please upload an up to date copy of your CV outlining your relevant experience for the role.

Advert End Date: Sunday 14 June 2020

What’s in it for you?

Career enhancement and development, colleague well-being and a genuinely positive work experience for all are key priorities. We are continuously evolving and improving our ways of working and you will support us in achieving our vision of ‘taking responsibility for the water environment for good’.

If you feel this opportunity is suitable and you match the skills required, then please apply on line and complete the application process.

Kelda Group 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.

If successful for the role, you will be required to undergo a Basic Disclosure Check, through a Third Party Company prior to commencing employment.

The Kelda Group provides water and sewerage services to domestic and business customers across the UK, managing the following subsidiary companies: –

Yorkshire Water, is the main subsidiary company providing water and sewerage services to 4.7 million people and 130,000 businesses in the Yorkshire region. Its activities are regulated by the Water Services Regulation Authority, Ofwat
Loop Customer Management Ltd specialises in delivering customer service support to Yorkshire Water that includes billing, debt recovery and incident management. Employing more than 600 people, Loop have built up an impressive list of industry awards and achievements since being created in 2000 and is currently listed in the Sunday Times Top 100 list as being one of the best companies to work for.

Kelda Water Services (KWS) manages Kelda’s non-regulated water and waste water contract operations. It is now the second biggest player in the UK market for outsourced clean and waste water services.

Kelda Water Services Retail offer quality, integrity and partnership but it is never just about the technologies behind our solutions in water. It is about the structure, delivery and even the financing of those solutions, and about giving our customers a level of convenience they never knew was possible.

KeyLand Developments Limited (KeyLand Developments) is responsible for managing, developing and disposing of the group’s surplus property assets, either on its own or in partnership with outside organisations.

Kelda Group values equality, diversity and inclusion we believe that everyone should be treated with respect. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of gender, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, religion or belief and trade union membership.

Kelda Group 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.