Senior / Principal Strategic Ecologist

Senior/Principal Strategic Ecologist – Any English office (Manchester preferred)
Ref 2025-15

About the role:

LUC is actively contributing to nature recovery in the UK. And it’s never felt so vital. As a
consultant to a range of government, LPA, charitable Trusts and private clients, our Strategic
Ecology team is at the centre of this important work, creating a bridge between our ecology,
landscape and planning disciplines.

Our clients understand the importance of considering ecological opportunities from the outset
of their strategic landscape-scale or policy projects, hence; demand for our support has
increased. We’re seeking to appoint a Senior or Principal Ecologist with a
strategic mindset to further develop and support our committed team. Based within, and
supported by, our existing Strategic Ecology team, the successful candidate
will have an established background in ecology, be highly collaborative with a positive outlook
to work across the practice and bring their ecological knowledge to strategic projects.

Our Strategic Ecology team frequently collaborates with our planning and landscape management
colleagues on the delivery of truly integrated, landscape-scale assessments, strategies and
supporting management plans for a range of public, private and third sector clients. Current
examples include the preparation of Local Nature Recovery Strategies, Local Wildlife Site
Reviews, Nature Recovery and Biodiversity Action Plans, Landscape Recovery Monitoring, Green
Infrastructure Studies, policy reviews including Protected Site Strategies and biodiversity
more broadly, Strategic BNG Studies and support to Green Finance Studies. Consultation and
collaborative working with other technical disciplines form a common thread through all.

Our work is varied and collectively the team holds a broad range of skills. If some of the
‘experience and qualifications’ listed below resonate with your skills and passion, we’d love
to hear from you.

Reporting to our Strategic Ecology lead, the role will include:

• Management and delivery of ecological evidence-base assessments to achieve nature recovery
  within land use planning at a range of spatial scales.
• Developing innovative project methodologies founded in strong science in response to land
  planning and management challenges.
• Applying ecological knowledge to challenges for climate change resilience as well as wider
  ecosystem services.
• Management of projects – both field and office elements – to meet our highest quality
  standards.
• Contribute to project-specific consultation and engagement with technical stakeholders.
• Supporting growth for you and the team through new project opportunities and innovation.
• Mentoring of colleagues, including contribution to training initiatives.

The role includes the opportunity to share and participate actively in the management and
ownership of the business through the Employee Ownership Trust, which places full ownership of
the company with the employees.

This role is strongly preferred to be met in Manchester but will be considered in any of our
English offices.

A full-time role is based on 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday). However, LUC has a strong
track record in flexible working. We have been recognised for our working culture, so we are
happy to discuss a range of flexible working options for this role, including part time hours
(minimum 30 hours per week) if desired.

Salary range: £32,500 – £46,000 FTE, depending on experience (excluding London Allowance).

About you:

The role will allow you to join LUC as we continue to raise our game in addressing the delivery
of nature recovery and climate change resilience through our exciting project work. The
successful candidate will complement our existing enthusiastic and dedicated ecology team. You
will share our commitment to high quality science and be motivated to help develop our staff
and our business, as an equal partner.

Applicants from a range of relevant backgrounds are welcome across public, private and third
sectors. Relevant experience (see ‘About the role’) is necessary but we understand that this
may be found working within teams developing nature or landscape recovery strategy and action
plans, habitat management and biodiversity monitoring, Local Plan evidence, and so forth. In
this role you will expect to develop your career through actively contributing to LUC’s
award-winning portfolio with diverse and challenging projects.

Experience and Qualifications

Essential

• Strong understanding of the challenges facing nature recovery in the UK.
• Strong working knowledge of UK ecology (generalist or specialist).
• Working knowledge of relevant emerging policy and legislation (local / regional application
  included).
• Proven project management skills.
• Appropriate professional qualification at a relevant level.

Desirable

• Experience in the development and/or delivery of strategy and action plans for nature or
  landscape recovery (range of scales may apply).
• Experience in the design and/or delivery of habitat or broader land management plans (range
  of scales may apply).
• Experience in the application of biodiversity and/or environmental metrics – this includes
  strategic landscape scale application as well as site-specific metrics.
• Understanding of the application of green finance more broadly.
• Demonstrable knowledge of ecosystem services and/or natural capital (generalist or
  specialist).
• Familiarity with the use of strategic datasets.
• Experience of stakeholder engagement and collaborative problem-solving.
• Demonstrable work-winning and business development skills.

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

LUC is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and we actively encourage applications
from under-represented groups. We value the differences, needs and contributions a diverse
workforce represents, and we strive to embed equality, diversity and inclusion in all our
people related activities.

About LUC:

LUC is an award-winning environmental consultancy that aims to make a difference. With nearly
60 years of experience, we want to make an impact: delivering better futures for nature,
people, and places.

Our holistic services support clients in tackling complex land use problems on projects at
every scale. Our expert teams collaborate across disciplines to create cities, towns and
landscapes for a more sustainable future.

We are employee-owned, which means we invest in our people and operate with kindness. Our
creative, forward-thinking professionals are passionate about addressing the climate and
biodiversity crises.

We’re leading the way in driving lasting and positive change.