Head of Biodiversity - Net Gain in Manchester

Please note this role is hybrid/flexible on office location, and we will consider candidates from anywhere in the UK.

If spreadsheets, habitats and planning policy all live happily in your head, we should talk.

Biodiversity Net Gain is no longer the “nice idea at the end of the report” — it’s centre stage. We’re looking for a BNG lead who can steer strategy, guide clients, mentor teams, and still enjoy a good debate about habitat condition scores.

This role is for someone who knows their way around the statutory biodiversity metric, understands how planning really works, and can translate complex ecological requirements into solutions that make sense commercially, practically, and ecologically. You’ll be the go-to expert, the calm voice in the meeting, and the person who knows when 10% really means at least 10%.

What you’ll be leading (and occasionally nerding out over):

• Leading the planning and delivery of BNG strategies across a diverse project portfolio.
• Acting as the technical authority for BNG, ensuring outcomes are compliant, high quality and commercially robust.
• Overseeing biodiversity assessments, modelling and metric calculations to define delivery routes and management solutions.
• Providing clear, solutions-led advice to clients, local planning authorities and stakeholders — no jargon fog, no hand-waving.
• Reviewing and quality-assuring BNG and ecological outputs across the wider team.
• Spotting opportunities, shaping new services, supporting bids and tenders, and helping grow BNG in smart, sustainable ways.
• Supporting partnerships with landowners, habitat banks and delivery partners.
• Line managing, mentoring and coaching ecology and BNG colleagues — building confidence, capability and careers.
• Making balanced decisions that keep projects moving, teams supported and clients happy.
• Promoting high standards of health, safety and wellbeing — because good work starts with healthy people.
• Communicating clearly and collaboratively with everyone from planners to policy-makers.

You’ll probably enjoy this role if:

• You like leading, but don’t feel the need to micromanage.
• You enjoy solving problems where ecology, planning and commercial reality collide.
• You can switch comfortably between strategy, detail and people.
• You believe good BNG outcomes come from collaboration, not confrontation.
• You take your work seriously — but not yourself.

What you’ll bring with you:

• A degree in ecology, environmental science or a related discipline (or equivalent professional experience).
• A strong understanding of BNG legislation, policy and guidance and how it works in real planning scenarios.
• Proven experience delivering and managing BNG using the statutory biodiversity metric.
• Solid knowledge of ecological legislation and planning policy.
• Experience preparing and reviewing ecological and BNG technical reports.
• The ability to juggle multiple projects without dropping the important balls.
• Strong communication, influencing and stakeholder engagement skills.
• A track record of building effective working relationships across teams and organisations.

Professional bits (the badges that help):

• Full Membership of CIEEM (or working towards it).
• CEcol and/or CEnv status (advantageous).
• Species survey and mitigation licences and/or postgraduate qualifications (also advantageous).
• Full UK manual driving licence.

Why this role is different:

You’ll be trusted to lead, encouraged to innovate, and supported to build something meaningful. This is a place where BNG isn’t an afterthought, ecology has a seat at the table, and good ideas are welcomed — wherever they come from.

You’ll work with people who care about quality, enjoy collaboration, and understand that the best outcomes come from doing things properly and pragmatically.

If you want to shape how Biodiversity Net Gain is delivered — not just react to it — we’d love to hear from you.

Because nature deserves more than box-ticking. And so do you.