Consultant Ecologist

Locogen is a renewable energy consultancy providing end-to-end development services to our clients across the UK. Our vision is a world powered 100% by renewables. We are a multidisciplinary team of 45, dedicated to doing work that matters. Our team is involved in varied work across the UK including onshore wind, solar pv and battery energy storage markets.

This is a Consultant level Ecology role within our Planning and Environment team, supporting the delivery of ecological services for renewable energy projects across the UK. You will work on a range of projects, mainly across onshore wind, solar and battery energy storage, helping our clients understand and manage ecological risks and opportunities. This role will involve a mix of desk-based ecology work, project coordination, client contact and occasional site visits and survey work. We have a knowledgeable, experienced team who love to teach and enjoy helping people reach their career goals. If you have good communication skills, like variety, learning and gaining different experiences then this would be a great opportunity for you. The role can be office-based from our Edinburgh (Stockbridge) office, hybrid or fully remote. As our survey work in England is expected to grow, we are particularly interested in hearing from candidates based in England who have experience with bats and BNG.

What you'll be doing:

• You will support the planning and delivery of ecological work across renewable energy projects at different stages of development. This will include:
• Undertaking and coordinating ecological surveys, assessments and data analysis, including bat data where relevant.
• Using GIS and ecological evidence to identify risks and opportunities and recommend practical mitigation and biodiversity enhancements.
• Preparing reports and technical inputs for PEAs, EcIAs, EIAs, HRAs, Environmental Statements and planning applications.
• Giving clear, practical ecological advice to clients, colleagues, regulators, contractors and landowners.
• Coordinating ecological subcontractors and survey teams, ensuring work meets agreed quality, programme and budget requirements.
• Supporting project programmes, budgets and resources, and raising risks or issues when needed.
• Undertaking occasional site visits and fieldwork and preparing relevant health and safety documentation.
• Contributing to proposals, fee estimates and scopes of work, while working closely with teams across Locogen.

Who would be a good fit:

We are looking for someone with some professional experience in ecology who is ready to take on more responsibility at Consultant level. You do not need to have worked in renewable energy or consultancy before. If you have a good grounding in UK ecology, experience supporting ecological surveys or assessments, strong communication skills and an interest in renewable energy, we would like to hear from you. We are particularly keen to hear from people based in England with bat and BNG experience, although we do not want this to put you off applying if your experience looks a little different. The role is mainly desk-based, so you should be comfortable working with ecological data and producing clear, accurate written work. There will also be occasional site visits and fieldwork, so you will need to be happy to travel when required.

What skills / experience do you need:

• A degree, or equivalent qualification, in ecology or an associated subject.
• Professional experience in an ecology role.
• Good working knowledge of UK ecology, biodiversity, BNG and relevant legislation, policy and guidance.
• Practical survey experience and knowledge of protected species, survey methods and wildlife licensing requirements.
• Experience contributing to EcIAs, EIAs and planning or consenting work.
• Experience delivering ecological projects to agreed programmes, budgets and quality standards.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to produce clear, technically accurate reports and advice.
• Good organisation and time-management skills across multiple projects and priorities.
• Membership of CIEEM, or eligibility for qualifying membership.
• Experience using GIS software.
• A full UK driving licence.

The nice to haves – you do not need to have these:

• Experience analysing and managing ecological datasets, including bat data.
• Protected species survey and/or mitigation licences.
• Experience of bat assessment or bat-call analysis software such as Kaleidoscope.
• Experience in the development and consenting of commercial-scale renewable energy projects in the UK, particularly onshore wind, solar or battery storage.
• Experience contributing to PEAs, EcIAs or Environmental Impact Assessments.
• Experience coordinating subcontractors or survey teams.
• Experience developing practical mitigation and biodiversity enhancement measures.

What is it like to work at Locogen?

The office is dog friendly and has secure, free parking for cars and bikes. We are a multidisciplinary team of friendly, welcoming and supportive people who are passionate about renewable energy. We are flexible, informal, inclusive and collaborative. Locogen is a place where everyone can grow and develop by working on interesting projects of varying scopes and sizes. We love what we do and believe in empowering and trusting each other to deliver. We learn from our experiences and take accountability. We are client focused and inspire each other to do the best we can. We are a social bunch so there is always something going on whether in the office or remotely, including:

• Company-wide socials, team socials and away day (paid for by Locogen)
• Clubs for remote and in-office people — book club, wordle club, running and more
• Coffee roulette — an opportunity each month to chat to someone different
• A pets channel for sharing pictures of your furry loved ones 🐾

Some of our benefits:

• Fully flexible hours with no fixed core hours
• 25 days holiday + 5 flexible bank holidays + 4 company closure days