Principal Ecologist

The Role

This is an exciting time to join the Highways and Public Realm team at Herefordshire Council.

We’re transforming how highways and public realm services are delivered across Herefordshire, bringing them back under direct Council control for the first time in years. From June this year, we’ll be working in a new way that gives us greater flexibility, more local accountability, and a sharper focus on quality and value for money.

By joining us now, you’ll be part of a team shaping the future of essential services that residents rely on every day from maintaining roads and green spaces to keeping our streets clean and safe.

We can offer the chance to make a real difference in your community, work with a dedicated team, and help deliver improvements that matter. If you’re looking for a role where you can take pride in what you do and be part of positive change, we’d love to hear from you.

What will you be doing?

In this role you will play a crucial role in the delivery of highway design and construction projects through the provision of expert advice relating to ecological effects and mitigation, developing and implementing strategies and plans, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, and collaborating with various stakeholders to protect our natural environment.

About You

As a Principal Ecologist you will:

• Be educated to degree level or equivalent in Ecology or a related field and/or substantial work experience.
• Hold at least two licences to conduct protected species surveys.
• Have comprehensive knowledge and experience of undertaking field survey work including habitat surveys of but not limited to dormice, bats, badgers and crayfish.
• Have the ability to produce high quality, accurate work to tight deadlines, including the completion of Hazard Risk Safety Assessments and Flood Risk Activity Permits.

We Offer

A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:

• Salary range of £46,142 – £50,269
• Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress
• Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum during the request period
• Flexible working: including the potential for job-sharing, part-time hours and agile working.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements)
• Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.

Why Choose Us?

We’re proud and excited to unveil our new recruitment video, a celebration of Herefordshire’s people, places, and purpose. Set in the heart of England and filled with pride, compassion and possibility, the video brings to life what it means to work somewhere you truly belong.

At Herefordshire Council, every role matters and every person makes a real difference for our communities. We’re a team where people feel valued, supported and empowered to grow together.

Herefordshire is big hearted, welcoming and friendly. We have strong and independent communities and idyllic countryside, situated in the South West Midlands and bordering Wales. The county sits between Worcestershire and the Malvern Hills to the east, and Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons) in Wales to the west.

Historically Herefordshire has been the gateway to the Marches. We embrace partnership working. We are a member of the Marches Forward Partnership, which is a cross border collaboration between Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Powys and Shropshire who are collectively working to secure funding to invest in the region.

The council priorities over the next four years are set out in the Council Plan, with four main areas;

People: We will enable residents to realise their potential, to be healthy and to be part of great communities who support each other. We want all children to have the best start in life.

Place: We will protect and enhance our environment and ensure that Herefordshire is a great place to live. We will support the right housing in the right place, we will support access to green spaces and we will do everything we can to recover the health of our rivers.

Growth: We will create the conditions to deliver sustainable growth across the county; attracting inward investment, building business confidence, creating jobs, enabling housing development along with providing the right infrastructure.

Transformation: We will be an efficient council that embraces best practice, delivers innovation through technology and demonstrates value for money.

Don’t meet all parts of the job description?

Herefordshire Council is committed to strengthening a diverse and inclusive work environment which reflects the communities of Herefordshire. If you are looking at the next stage of your career and have a broad base of fieldwork experience, we can provide supportive and welcoming opportunities to help you develop your professional, management & supervisory skills.

Reasonable Adjustments

Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: [email protected].

Creating an inclusive workplace

We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council’s values is a commitment to listen to people’s views and needs.

For more information on our Employee Network Groups please view our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.

Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations

The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:

• Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme.
• Those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
• Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.

We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.

Closing date: 30th April 2026
Interview date: 8th May 2026