Ecology & Biodiversity Consultant

Ocean to Earth Recruitment is partnering with an award-winning, independent sustainability consultancy in London to grow its Nature team. The business brings together specialists across biodiversity, net zero, climate resilience, circularity and social value, working collaboratively to help clients create places that are genuinely more sustainable.

Their approach to ecology is particularly refreshing. The ambition is not simply to minimise ecological harm or meet the minimum requirements of planning policy. The Nature team looks for opportunities to actively enhance biodiversity through development and land management, creating better outcomes for nature alongside commercially successful projects.

The Role

We are looking for an Ecology & Biodiversity Consultant who is ready to take greater ownership of projects while continuing to develop technically.

This is not a role centred purely around seasonal surveys. You will have involvement across the project lifecycle, combining field ecology with BNG, GIS, technical reporting, client engagement and project management.

You will manage your own ecology and biodiversity projects, while also contributing specialist input to larger multidisciplinary schemes. Because you will be working alongside colleagues from across the wider sustainability team, there is scope to understand how biodiversity interacts with broader environmental objectives within planning, design and development.

Your work will include

• Managing ecology and biodiversity projects from inception through to delivery.
• Undertaking and leading UKHab, PEA and protected species surveys.
• Producing Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments, BREEAM Ecology Credit Assessments and protected species reports.
• Completing BNG calculations using the Statutory Biodiversity Metric.
• Using QGIS for habitat, survey and BNG mapping.
• Working directly with clients, consultants and external stakeholders.
• Attending project meetings and providing practical ecological advice.
• Collaborating with colleagues across the Nature team and wider sustainability disciplines.
• Supporting proposals and contributing to the successful commercial delivery of projects.

What will make you a strong fit?

You do not need to know everything. What matters is that you have developed a solid grounding in ecological consultancy and are becoming confident delivering work independently.

You should ideally be able to undertake PEAs independently on straightforward to moderately complex sites, lead protected species surveys including bats, and have a good understanding of UKHab and common plant species.

Experience with BNG and QGIS is particularly relevant. You should be comfortable taking field survey information and translating it into the Statutory Biodiversity Metric, as well as producing good-quality habitat and survey mapping.

Experience of BREEAM ecology assessments would be valuable, alongside another area of ecological expertise such as EcIA or HRA. Bat identification skills, including analysing common species using bat call identification software, would also be beneficial.

A relevant degree in ecology, biology, environmental science or similar is expected, with an MSc desirable. Associate membership of CIEEM or ISEP is also sought.

Why this consultancy?

For us, this is what makes the opportunity stand out.

You are joining a business that has been built specifically around sustainability, rather than a traditional multidisciplinary consultancy where sustainability has been added as another service line.

The team describes its purpose as enabling the delivery of resilient places through leadership, innovation and collaboration. Its expertise extends across the full sustainability spectrum, meaning you can work alongside people approaching the same projects from different environmental perspectives.

There is also a clear emphasis on culture and professional development. The consultancy offers opportunities to contribute to professional working groups and industry initiatives, alongside structured training and development.

For an ecologist who wants to understand the wider sustainability context of development, while still building strong technical ecology and biodiversity expertise, it offers an interesting alternative to a more traditional ecology consultancy.

What you'll receive

The package includes a competitive salary and discretionary bonus, alongside 23 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, enhanced pension contributions, hybrid working and enhanced family policies.

There is also the option to work from abroad for a set period each year, two paid volunteering days, training and development, a cycle to work scheme and a wider health and wellbeing package including 24-hour GP access.

Interested?

Ocean to Earth Recruitment is managing applications for this position.

If you would like to understand more about the team, the type of projects you could be working on and whether the opportunity fits where you want to take your ecology career, please get in touch.

Send your CV to vicky@oceantoearth.co.uk