Principal Ecological Consultant

Freedom Professional Services (Land management team) continues to grow and welcome new opportunities, we have an exciting and rewarding new post to fill! We're looking for an experienced, forward thinking and dedicated Principal Ecological Consultant to oversee projects resulting in tangible benefits to biodiversity.

You will be Home based, with office options available, with occasional travel required throughout England and Scotland.

The Principal Ecological Consultant will be a key part of the strong delivery team, working closely with the Senior Partner, providing technical lead and oversight and delivery of environmental land management activities across multiple work streams. 

The successful candidate will have a degree in Conservation Management, Ecology or a relevant subject and preferably a full Member of CIEEM / IEMA / CIWEM or equivalent, or capable of achieving.

The key responsibilities will include:

• Provide environmental land management & ecological technical support to enable Freedom to meet the technical and delivery requirements of their contracts. This requires a good knowledge and experience of practical delivery of environmental land management and ecological activities.
• Project management of multiple work streams, including individual technical call off projects covering a wide range of topics and utilising a range of specialist internal consultants and sub-contractors.
• Scheduling of priority activities and deliverables and managing or coordinating environmental site teams.
• Leading and/or contributing towards bids, tenders, pricing, budget and project finance management.
• Provide high level technical advice on environmental land management and ecological requirements.
• Attend site meetings nationally to coordinate delivery and support consultants and sub-contractors delivering local work programmes.
• Attend monthly contract reviews and provide rolling forecasts for contract delivery.
• Overseeing and reviewing high quality ecological and environmental reports and outputs, including Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA), Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA), protected species surveys, BNG assessments, site land management plans and Construction and Environment Management Plans (CEMP).
• Obtaining and ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, planning conditions, consents and associated documents.
• Presentation, and interpretation, of data to contribute towards survey, monitoring and management reports.
• Data gathering and mapping using GIS, including QGIS
• Understanding, writing and reviewing risk assessment and method statements (RAMS) for safe site work.
• Guiding and supporting junior team members and technically assuring their work

Skills, Experience and Qualifications required:

• A degree in Conservation Management, Ecology or a relevant subject
• Full Member of CIEEM / IEMA / CIWEM or equivalent, or capable of achieving (Desirable)
• A protected species licence (Desirable)
• CSCS Card holder (Desirable)
• At least 6 years of demonstrable consultancy experience (or equivalent within the industry) reflecting the elements listed above
• Hold an in-depth knowledge of ecology, legislations and survey techniques
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills with the ability to produce accurate technical reports
• Experience and knowledge of land-based industries (Agriculture, Land Management, Forestry, Ecology and Landscape)
• Practical understanding of habitat creation, maintenance, restoration, ecology and ecological mitigation.
• A good understanding of current wildlife and environmental legislation, policy trends, standards and established ecological guidance
• Ability to work under pressure in a heavily regulated compliance driven environment
• Good commercial acumen
• Budgeting and maintenance of financial information
• Ability to prioritise works, amongst a demanding delivery schedule
• Accurate information gathering and record keeping
• Understanding of health and safety management and its application in the context of construction and rural land management (Desirable)
• Ability to build and maintain relationships internally, and with clients and stakeholders
• Client focused approach to delivery
• Full UK driving licence.
• A positive, ambitious, determined and pragmatic outlook

Benefits

• Very Competitive Salary on offer
• Car or Car Allowance
• 25 Days Holiday, Plus Stats
• 2 Volunteering Days per year
• Pension
• Private Medical Insurance
• Death in Service
• Further Training Available
• Plus lots more Additional Benefits available