Senior Ecologist | Cardiff

Do you want to work for a company whose purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes, and to transform businesses, communities, and opportunities for its employees?

We are an employee-owned company with close-knit regional teams that work together on some of the UK’s biggest projects and are looking to recruit a senior ecologist to join the Welsh Team based in Cardiff. We are working on varied projects across the public and private sectors covering infrastructure, commercial, residential, and energy, that are interesting and technically challenging. Our ecology teams across the UK are highly experienced in their fields and are proactive when working together imparting knowledge. Our team sits within the Environment and Social division and work alongside our colleagues in nature-based solutions, ecosystem services, natural capital, GIS, planning, EIA, social, archaeology, air quality, noise, and landscape.

Our Environment and Social division hold environment forums and numerous knowledge-sharing webinars on a range of topics such as biodiversity net gain and climate change, bird surveys, environmental impact assessments and development consent orders, and floating wetlands for water treatment amongst other topics. Through our corporate social responsibility work we aim to make a positive difference and staff are supported to participate in activities to support their local communities. We pay our ecologists in line with their engineering colleagues with the ability to earn performance-based bonuses throughout the year.

We support our staff to create a work-life balance that works for them and welcome candidates looking for career flexibility. The role can include a combination of site, home-based, and office work. We are open to discussing flexible working at the interview stage. We are seeking to recruit a senior ecologist to join our ecology team in South Wales; and, although based in Cardiff, there are opportunities to work all around the UK and particularly across Wales.

In collaboration with ecology colleagues and other environmental disciplines, you will be responsible for supporting a variety of multi-disciplinary projects for a range of clients, with a key focus on leading a range of ecological surveys, managing field data, and the delivery of technical reports. Project dependent, the role can span all stages of a project’s life cycle, from design conception to implementation; giving opportunities to positively influence scheme design. Mott MacDonald is committed to sustainable approaches that protect biodiversity and we actively encourage our clients to do the same.

No day is the same in Mott MacDonald, we thrive to give our ecologists a mixed experience of projects and tasks and challenge you to achieve the best of your ability. This ensures that we maximise your opportunities and training that develops your skills and our business. Whether it is on site or in the office, you will be working as part of our team and working with ecologists covering all levels of experience and also working with our environmental and engineering colleagues which will help you further understand our consultancy and construction business.

This opportunity is not a one-way street as we will give you an exciting space in which to develop both your technical and leadership/management skills. You’ll have the opportunity to support the development of the Cardiff team with space for line management and training / mentoring junior ecologists. Whether you are an experienced senior ecologist looking for fresh opportunities or an ecologist looking for that step up to a senior position, we would be pleased to discuss with you what interesting roles we have in the Wales ecology team and how these may assist your career goals and aspirations.

If you meet most of what we are looking for, please apply. We understand not everyone will meet all the requirements, but you might have the skills we didn’t know we need.  We would also consider experienced ecologists looking for a step up.

Essential:

• Experience in the UK ecological consultancy market, with a strong external-facing, client-orientated approach.
• A degree in Ecology (or a directly related subject).
• Full member of CIEEM or equivalent body (or at least eligible).
• Strong knowledge and experience in the interpretation of wildlife legislation, key policy, and guidance, to advise clients and manage ecological projects.
• Experience in overseeing the design of, and leading, ecological surveys including Phase 1 habitat surveys and protected species surveys.
• Proficiency in report writing skills, displaying high standards with attention to detail and ability to write accurate and concise reports,
• Experience in writing preliminary ecological appraisals, impact assessments, technical notes and method statements.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Willingness to mentor and develop junior staff.
• Willingness to travel throughout the UK.

Desirable:

• A masters or higher degree in Ecology (or directly related subject).
• Experience in people management and training / mentoring junior ecologists.
• Quality assurance of reports from colleagues/peers.
• Experienced in the production of Ecological Impact Assessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment reports.
• Natural Resources Wales protected species licence(s), ideally for dormouse and / or bats.
• Experience in using the UKHab classification and the DEFRA biodiversity net gain metric plus any experience of the Net Benefits for Biodiversity approach in Wales.

We are actively recruiting a diverse workforce that is reflective of the communities we serve. We recognise that differences in ability, skills and experience are a strength and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds