Role: Senior Consultant - Terrestrial Ecologist

Location: Manchester – Hybrid/Commutable 

Salary range: £35,000 - £50,000

Role ID: 2024 - 2260

Our vision is to create a safe and sustainable world.

We are currently looking for a Senior Consultant to join our Ecology team within the Water Practice. The position offers a diverse role, supporting projects and clients across the UK, and occasionally beyond, carrying out projects encompassing a mix of terrestrial and hydro-ecology projects. 

We are currently looking for a Senior Terrestrial Ecologist to join our Ecology team.

Key responsibilities

• Your role will involve project management and implementation of ecological assessments, plus the coordination of associated surveys, consultation and mitigation in support of our clients’ proposals and operations.
• You will be involved in managing the technical work of more junior staff and sub-consultants and (depending on experience) managing projects and their direction too. There will also be team leadership opportunities as the team expands.
• The nature of the role and the dynamic of the team provides a wealth of opportunities to explore your interests and carry out a range of tasks and functions within terrestrial ecology, as well as a range of related disciplines.

Key competencies and experience

• In depth knowledge of UK and EU Wildlife Legislation, planning policies, licensing requirements and best practice survey techniques. 
• Capable at leading PEA, EcIA and HRA; WRMP options appraisal understanding and/or experience would be an advantage.
• Experience of working on large infrastructure or development projects. 
• Leading, planning and co-ordinating field surveys, analysing and interpreting survey results and planning and co-ordinating ecological mitigation works.
• Multiple protected species survey licences (ideally in both England and Wales).
• Experience of applying for and holding licenses for protected species mitigation/conservation  
• Experience of writing thorough and complex reports and assessments, such as HRA stages 1 - 4 and Environmental Statement chapters.
• A track-record of successful project management.
• Experience in the preparation of ecology proposals and tenders.
• A chartered member of a professional body (e.g., CEnv or CEcol).
• Membership of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; be able to produce meticulous and accurate technical reports as well as communicate confidently with a variety of clients and stakeholders. 
• Be organised with proven ability to multi-task and handle several projects simultaneously. 

Skills and behaviours 

• A self-starter, as you’ll be part of a small and busy team. Excellent team working skills are therefore essential together with strong communication skills, sound understanding of ecological impact assessment and a close attention to detail.
• Whilst fieldwork skills are needed for this role, there will be a large component of office-based coordination, data analysis, client contact and report writing. 
• This is a fast-paced and challenging environment offering you the opportunity to make your mark. You will have support from the wider business for your career to develop into a wide range of future opportunities within Ricardo Energy & Environment. 

Desirable

• Have experience of leading and motivating a team of both site and office-based staff.
• Have a proven work winning track record, experience of preparing bids and tenders and generating new business opportunities.
• Mentoring junior colleagues.
• Building client relationships and generating opportunities. 
• Preparing bids and managing project budgets and collaborating with our multi-disciplinary teams within the region. 

Working with Ricardo 

You will be warmly welcomed into our workplace where every voice matters. We are diverse thinkers and doers, coming together to create a culture of inclusion. We will support you to find your place. 

We will encourage you to use your passion and expertise to make a positive impact through the projects you work on. Your knowledge and desire to bring about change will be invaluable in helping deliver innovative solutions that support communities across the globe in becoming safer and more sustainable. 

Work life balance  

We offer flexible approaches to work, whether that is working from home, being in the office, or as a hybrid worker. We're happy to discuss flexible working arrangements. Wellbeing is at the core to our culture, allowing employees to flourish and to achieve their full potential.

Benefits 

We want you to know how much you are valued. Your remuneration and benefits package will reflect that. You will receive a range of benefits which include support for your physical and mental health.

Our core benefits include 25 days' annual leave, plus 8 flexible bank holidays, a competitive company pension scheme, life assurance and professional subscriptions reimbursement. We also offer a wide range of flexible benefits to suit your lifestyle. 

Next steps 

Once you have submitted your application a member of our Recruitment Team will be in touch. Please be aware that the timing can vary dependent on the volume of applications that we receive for each role and in some cases, we may start to review applications prior to the closing date.

Ricardo is a Disability confident employer please advise the recruitment team via recruit.ee@ricardo.com if you require any adjustments to support you throughout the recruitment process. 

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion statement 

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person's potential, and we'll help you reach yours. We have an ambitious diversity, equality, and inclusion approach as explained here. We value diversity; recognising that a more diverse workforce creates a richer and more varied working environment. Diversity also drives innovation, by allowing us to offer our clients the best consultancy service that we can. As part of our commitment to engage positively and pro-actively with all our employees and to ensure an inclusive culture, we are a recognised as a 'disability confident' employer.

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