Community Ecologist

Location: Hybrid working.  Mix of home, site and office working throughout Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: 37.5 per week.  Seasonal field surveying or client-related events may require occasional unsociable hours of work.

Job purpose                          

The role of Future Nature Wildlife Trust Consultancy’s Community Ecologist is to provide expert advice and practical support to clients across a range of sectors, including Community & Volunteer Groups, Parish Councils & Local Authorities, Neighbourhood Plan teams, Education, Businesses, Developers, Utilities and any organisation who wants to take action for Nature’s recovery, by engaging positively with their local community.  The services we provide will be chargeable, with profits reinvested back into the Wildlife Trust.

The Community Ecologist will provide a range of practical services, including field surveys and ecological assessments, bespoke ecological plans for sites and habitats, protected species advice and mitigation measures, supervision and training of working groups, advice on health and safety good practices, Ecological Clerk of Works services for community-linked projects, habitat creation and aftercare, species monitoring and progress reporting. 

The role will help organisations to connect and co-operate within communities, such as educational projects, youth engagement, events, shared green spaces initiatives, livestock grazing, interpretation methods, long-term monitoring, and business staff and stakeholder activities.  The Community Ecologist will also advise groups and organisations on where they can apply for funding to support their work, for example community orchards, tree planting, pond restoration, species-rich hedgerows and road verges.

Reports directly to the Principal Ecologist.

No direct staff reports on arrival.  Potential exists for management responsibility as a part of future personal development in the role.

Responsible for monitoring time and material costs when managing projects.

Skills and experience

·       Experience in a community and/or volunteers engagement role, delivered in an environmental or ecological capacity.

·       Ecologist experience, in either an environmental, conservation or consultancy setting.

·       Track record of planning, organising and managing events, activities and consultations with a range of public and stakeholder groups.  Able to educate, motivate and enthuse.

·       Have excellent interpersonal skills, able to communicate clearly and confidently with members of the public from a wide range of backgrounds, as well as colleagues, clients and contractors.

·       Be confident in a role which requires clients to agree to pay fees for our services, and requires business development activities to generate new opportunities and convert those into delivered projects.

·       Evidence of practical field survey work, including at least one of:  protected species surveys, breeding bird surveys, preliminary ecological appraisals, habitat condition assessments.  Relevant protected species license accreditation would be an advantage.

·       Broad knowledge of UK fauna and flora, with good identification skills, and current UK wildlife legislation, all to a sufficient standard for managing engagement activities.

·       Knowledge of the ecological Mitigation Hierarchy and its practical application for protected species.

·       Able to produce high quality, accurate and well-written reports, proposals and assessments, including an up-to-date record of projects on-going and completed, and the outcomes there for communities and nature.

·       Organised self-starter with ability to manage own workload and deadlines with minimum supervision. Excellent organisational and administrative skills.

·       Currently hold, currently working towards, or be keen to progress to, CIEEM accreditation.

·       Well-developed IT skills with a working knowledge and understanding of MS Office and experience with GIS.

·       Flexible approach to the demands of seasonal field surveying or client-related events, that may require occasional unsociable hours of work.

·       Full UK driving license, car, and able to travel.

·       Ability and willingness to demonstrate the BBOWT behaviours of Connect, Grow, Lead by Example, Positivity and Conscious Inclusion.