Consultant Ecologist – Sussex

About us:

At Arun, culture is everything. We understand that to realise our ambitions we need to create an exceptional and balanced working environment, where our staff feel supported to develop both professionally and personally to achieve their own goals.

We are a small and dynamic team with big ambitions. Our core values and commitment to quality have allowed us to find our own niche within the highly competitive ecology sector. We believe that Arun offers a great opportunity, whether you are just starting out in your career or looking for a fresh new challenge at a company where your voice will be heard and your health and wellbeing is paramount.

We are looking for ambitious individuals who buy into our vision and are determined just like we are to establish themselves right at the top of the ecology sector.

Job Description:

In this role as a Consultant Ecologist at Arun Ecology, you will be integral to the technical delivery of our services.

You will be involved in all aspects of project management including liaising with clients, writing and reviewing technical reports, preparing licence applications and mitigation strategies, as well as leading ecological surveys and site work, where a high level of technical experience is required. There will also be the opportunity to support company Directors in the development of our business operations and technical standards as well as mentoring our assistant ecologists.

If you are currently a committed assistant ecologist or consultant ecologist who has great attention to detail and is looking for more opportunity to demonstrate your talent in an environment that puts your wellbeing first, then this is the ideal role for you.

As a consultant ecologist you will be responsible for leading ecological surveys, completing site work, writing reports under the guidance of senior staff, and assisting with project management responsibilities. As a new business with a growing team this would be an exciting opportunity for someone wanting to shape their position, take on new responsibilities, and grow along with the company.

The requirements

The ideal candidate would meet the following essential criteria:

• Located within commutable distance to our Sussex Office;
• Have a minimum of two years professional experience working in ecological consultancy;
• A degree in ecology or related field;
• Good field identification skills and protected species surveying experience;
• UK botany field identification skills;
• Full knowledge of UK and EU Wildlife Legislation, UK planning policy and best practice survey techniques;
• Demonstrable experience of conducting UK Habitat Classification surveys and Biodiversity Net Gain assessments;
• Good writing and communication skills with experience of writing or contributing to reports, in particular Preliminary Ecological Appraisals and protected species reports;
• A valid (clean) driving licence and vehicle, insured for business use.

Desirable:

• Capable of using ArcGIS, QGIS or AutoCad software;
• Experience completing BNG Metric / Small Sites Metric;
• Specialist surveying and identification skills;
• CIEEM Membership or eligibility;
• Registered to use at least 1 Natural England protected species licence.