Overview

Reference Number – 12951
Salary – Competitive
Location(s) – Belfast
Contract Type – Contract

Passionate about ecology? Looking for your next opportunity to join an expert multi-disciplinary
team?

As a consultancy of c.1,600 staff, we are large enough to work on high-profile schemes in Northern
Ireland, such as the pioneering Strule Shared Education Campus project, the Giant’s Causeway
Visitor Centre and the award-winning Stoneyford wastewater treatment works – now recognised as
a leading example for integrating wastewater treatment into a local ecosystem. We also deliver
smaller schemes such as St. Comgall’s Primary School and enjoy a strong working relationships
with a varied client base in the private and public sector.

Our national ecology team has doubled in size over the last five years as we continue to go from
strength to strength, and this year we have been recognised by CIEEM with a Commendation in
the Large-Scale Consultancy of the Year Award Category. With continued success in the NI
region, we are searching for a confident, proactive Assistant or Consultant Ecologist to join our
thriving and friendly team. Based in Belfast, you would work with our expert ecologists across the
UK to deliver a wide-range of surveys, mitigation and ecological advice.

We are particularly keen to hear from candidates who are excellent communicators, are skilled
in authoring ecological reports and have consultancy experience of one or more of the
following: ornithology, bats, Ecological Appraisal/Phase 1 and Ecological Clerk of Works.
Any protected species/development licences, project management or GIS skills, SC-level security
clearance and membership of CIEEM are also desirable attributes. A relevant degree, full driving
licence and legal entitlement to work in the UK are essential for this role.

This position is permanent and flexible working arrangements can be considered for the right
candidate.

We also understand how ecologists think and work and have introduced specific measures to allow
the team to fulfil their potential:

• With over 60 permanent ecologists across 12 offices, we work hard to operate as one
cohesive team to minimise time away from home, maximise bespoke training and support from
our in-house experts regardless of location. This helps the best people to work on the projects that
interest them and deliver them to the highest standards.
• We encourage the development of well-rounded ecologists who can talk about all
stages of a project rather than a niche area. We don’t automatically pigeon-hole ecologists and
instead encourage diversification of skills and the passing on of knowledge to fellow ecologists.
We recently held our annual all-ecology get-together over two days where our in-house experts
provided training, licensing and technology updates to help us all operate to the same standards
• Given that all grades of ecologist complete site visits and meetings, we provide cars or
car allowances to every member of the team, including for personal use.
• Our bat handling licence incentivisation scheme thanks those ecologists who spend
time and effort in achieving their licence – we know it’s not easy! And to show our support for

personal development, we award a significant financial bonus to anyone achieving Chartered
Environmentalist status through CIEEM.
• We work closely with many other WYG teams, including Geo-environmental Consultants,
Planners, Landscape Architects, Masterplanners and Engineers. With a culture of openness, there
is always someone within the business who can provide advice and support for almost any query.
• We also have an established Time-off-in-Lieu system which allows ecologists to
manage their time to suit their specific personal needs, alongside the seasonal demands of the
role.

If the timing’s not quite right for you, please do still to get in touch as we will always consider
bespoke working arrangements or a deferred start date to attract the best talent.