Ornithologist

The Opportunity

Ocean to Earth Recruitment is working with a growing multidisciplinary environmental consultancy to recruit an Ornithologist for its York team.

This is an excellent opportunity if you are passionate about ornithology and want to build your career around this specialism, while continuing to develop your wider ecological consultancy experience.

You will work across a varied portfolio including renewable energy, major infrastructure, residential, commercial and strategic land projects. There is a particularly strong pipeline of energy work, including significant solar and battery storage developments.

You will join a collaborative ecology team and work alongside specialists across the wider environmental, planning, design and engineering disciplines.

The Role

As an Ornithologist, you will help design, coordinate and deliver ornithological surveys and assessments, combining technical work, field surveys and report writing.

Depending on your level of experience, you will have the opportunity to take increasing responsibility for projects, from survey design and delivery through to assessment, reporting and providing ecological advice to clients and project teams. More experienced candidates will also have the opportunity to support and mentor junior ecologists.

This could be a particularly good opportunity if you already have practical bird survey experience and are looking for a position where you can deepen your technical knowledge and establish ornithology as your long-term specialism.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Undertaking and coordinating ornithological survey programmes
• Delivering breeding bird, wintering bird and species-specific surveys
• Interpreting survey findings and contributing to high-quality technical reports
• Preparing or contributing to ornithology chapters for Environmental Statements
• Developing appropriate mitigation, compensation and enhancement strategies
• Providing ecological advice across planning, design and construction
• Working with clients, planning authorities and statutory consultees
• Collaborating with ecologists and other environmental specialists
• Depending on experience, managing projects, programmes and budgets
• Supporting junior colleagues through field training and technical guidance
• Contributing wider ecological skills such as UKHab, protected species surveys or botany

About You

We are interested in speaking with ecologists who have a genuine interest and developing specialism in ornithology.

Ideally, you will have around three years’ ecological consultancy or equivalent professional experience. However, we would also encourage applications from earlier-career ecologists who can demonstrate strong, relevant ornithological field experience and are committed to developing their career in this area.

You will ideally bring:

• Practical experience of bird surveys, particularly breeding and/or wintering birds
• A good understanding of UK wildlife legislation and ecological best practice
• Strong written communication and report writing skills
• Good organisation and the ability to manage competing priorities
• Confidence communicating with colleagues, clients and other stakeholders
• A relevant degree in Ecology, Zoology, Environmental Science or a related subject
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel for fieldwork

CIEEM membership would be beneficial, as would Schedule 1 bird licences. Experience across renewable energy, solar, infrastructure or NSIP projects would also be welcomed but is not essential for every applicant.

If you have a secondary ecological specialism, such as botany, UKHab or protected species, this would be an additional advantage.

The Company

You will be joining an established and growing multidisciplinary consultancy where environmental considerations sit at the heart of planning and design.

The wider business brings together expertise across ecology, EIA, planning, landscape architecture, arboriculture, GIS, heritage, sustainability, engineering, transport, water and flood risk. This creates a genuinely multidisciplinary working environment and exposure to a broad range of projects and technical specialists.

There is a strong emphasis on professional development, collaboration and giving people clear opportunities to progress as their technical expertise develops.

Location and Flexibility

The role will ideally be based from York, with hybrid and flexible working available.

Both full-time and part-time applications will be considered, with some travel to project sites and other offices required.

Benefits

The package includes:

• Enhanced annual leave
• Hybrid and flexible working
• Protected CPD and professional development
• Professional body membership contribution
• Enhanced company pension
• Structured career progression and promotion opportunities
• Private medical insurance following probation
• Healthcare cash plan
• Employee assistance programme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Loyalty leave
• Company growth bonus scheme

Interested?

If you are an ecologist with bird survey experience who wants to develop a genuine specialism in ornithology, we would be very happy to hear from you.

You do not necessarily need to tick every box. If your experience is slightly below the level described but you have strong practical ornithology experience and the ambition to develop, please get in touch for a confidential conversation.

Please send your CV to vicky@oceantoearth.co.uk