County Ecologist (Biodiversity Net Gain)

Worcestershire County Council is recruiting a County Ecologist to increase the capacity of our Ecology and Environmental Policy Team and to take a lead on our Biodiversity Net Gain work. Now that Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is national planning practice, the team need additional capacity to develop and implement BNG monitoring, habitat management and reporting systems. You’ll also advise and train WCC colleagues and help to prepare local BNG policy and guidance.

BNG offers us an exciting, improved opportunity to achieve ecological betterment via development, and your work will lead to real, long-term environmental gains. Alongside desk-based work on BNG policy, advice and administration, there are opportunities to undertake field surveys for land with potential for use in BNG off-setting, and ultimately to monitor sites which provide off-set biodiversity units. Within the wider Ecology and Environmental Policy Team, we also undertake a wide range of environmental projects and wildlife surveys (e.g., preliminary ecological assessments, surveys for bats, badgers, amphibians, reptiles, roadside verge nature reserves etc) and the County Ecologist will be able to support these, where time and interest permit. We’ll also support your Continued Professional Development, to help develop your ecological skills and knowledge. Ecology and Environmental Policy is a small and friendly team with a wide range of specialist interests; we're looking forward to welcoming a new ecologist and widening our nature conservation work.

For more information, please see the attached job description and person specification, or contact the team at ecology@worcestershire.gov.uk