Senior Ecologist - 12 months\' maternity cover in Bristol

About us

At Environment Bank, we’re working together to help restore natural habitats across England. With thousands of acres of new habitat creation already underway, our projects are delivering biodiversity gains and helping vital ecosystems to recover and flourish. Our diverse team includes ecologists, land managers, habitat specialists, geospatial analysts, planning advisors, account managers, digital creatives, legal experts, and more. From our habitat specialists to our sales and marketing teams, everyone at Environment Bank is a champion for our values, working towards our goal of reversing biodiversity loss. Environment Bank is a market-leading organisation in a sector that’s experiencing rapid growth. We’ve already built a highly skilled team of experts and we’re actively looking to expand our team in the coming months. We’re incredibly proud of all we achieved so far and we’re still growing. If you’d like to be part of a driven organisation that’s making a real difference, find your next role with the team at Environment Bank.

About the role

As a Senior Ecologist, you will lead on securing, creating and monitoring EBs network of sites across England with a particular focus in your defined geographical region. This will involve a wide range of responsibilities supported by EBs team of ecologists, land managers and the wider project delivery team. You will progress and manage all aspects of creating large scale nature recovery projects - Habitat Banks. We are looking for someone to cover a 12m maternity contract, with the chance of becoming permanent at the end of the contract. We are specifically looking for candidates to live in the Bristol to Oxford to Buckinghamshire corridor - anywhere around those areas could work well.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage Habitat Bank projects from initiation to creation and beyond, ensuring adherence to project timelines, budgets, and objectives.
• Undertake ecological survey work including site walkovers, UK Habitat Classification, habitat condition assessment and more specialised botanical survey work as necessary.
• Analyse ecological data, interpret findings, and prepare Biodiversity Net Gain assessments and calculations utilising the Statutory Biodiversity Metric.
• Lead on habitat design and creation of Habitat Management Plans and associated strategies with technical support from the wider team as needed.
• Digital mapping and presentation of habitat baselines and habitat creation proposals using GIS.
• Liaison and relationship building with landowners and other stakeholders throughout the Habitat Bank process.
• Lead on organising and undertaking monitoring surveys for existing Habitat Banks and liaising with landowners and land managers to discuss and adapt management plans, with support and supervision from senior staff as appropriate.

EDI & Belonging

At the heart of Environment Bank are the people, who make it all possible. We employ individuals, who share the same passion to live our Environment Bank mission and values. At Environment Bank, we believe that fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace makes us more innovative, dynamic, and competitive. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and experiences. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone is valued and respected, free from discrimination based on race, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected status.

Qualifications

• A minimum of a bachelor's degree in ecology, environmental science, biology, or a related field.
• A postgraduate degree in ecology or a specialised area of study is desirable.
• CIEEM Full or Associate Membership.
• FISC Level 4 – or equivalent botanical skills as per the Botanical Field Skill Pyramid.
• Proven experience conducting ecological surveys and assessments for Biodiversity Net Gain, use of the Statutory Biodiversity Metric and GIS tools.
• Solid grounding in knowledge of UK ecology, including species identification, habitat classification, and conservation issues.
• Experience in practical habitat creation and management techniques within an NGO or agricultural setting e.g. conservation grazing or forestry management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret ecological data and provide evidence-based recommendations.
• Valid driving license and willingness to travel to various project sites across the UK.

As an organisation, we believe that work should be fulfilling, inspiring, and balanced, so we’re creating a space where our team can thrive, both personally and professionally – providing flexible working arrangements, mental wellbeing support, and more.

We offer…

• Performance-based annual bonus up to 10% of salary
• Pension scheme with employer-matched contributions at 6% of salary
• 30 days of annual leave, plus paid bank holidays, birthday, and wellbeing day
• Option to purchase 5 additional days of annual leave after probation
• Remote and hybrid flexible working options
• Regional and departmental team co-working days
• Expenses-paid whole company meet twice a year
• Team fundraising and charity events
• Ongoing career development with training and mentoring
• Medical cash back scheme to cover everyday healthcare costs
• Employee assistance mental wellbeing support
• Enhanced sickness pay allowance