Ecology Officer (Planning)

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Highland Council’s Environment Team, a small team of specialist officers that advise the Council on issues affecting the Scottish Highland’s exceptional countryside, heritage and natural resources.
Highland Council is the largest Local Authority in the UK with the longest coastline and home to many of the country’s most important and iconic habitats and species. The successful candidate will deliver significant biodiversity enhancement improvements across the region and shape biodiversity policy.You will have a degree in ecology or a related discipline and an excellent knowledge of Scottish biodiversity and the issues that affect its management. You will have practical experience of working on planning and related ecological casework and a proven ability to take a proportionate and balanced view on ecology matters and competing interests in a planning context. You will have up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, strategies and policy/guidance and experience of applying these in practice.As part of a small team of ecologists led by a Senior Ecology Officer, you will provide advice to the Planning Authority and developers on a range of development proposals, focusing on major applications. You will secure appropriate mitigation, compensation and biodiversity enhancement. You will monitor ecological work to ensure compliance with planning conditions and assess and approve specialist/technical reports, ensuring development delivers positive improvements for biodiversity.
You will provide pre-application advice and attend the Council’s major pre-application advice meetings and input into Local Development Plan and policy making.You will also work with the Senior Ecology Officer to progress key projects, including the mapping and delivery of Nature Networks and Local Nature Conservation Sites.The successful candidate will be a team player comfortable working with a wide range of people, including fellow officers and Council managers, developers, agents, consultants, elected Members and the public. You will be self-motivated and comfortable using your own initiative and able to manage a large workload with competing deadlines. You will have a degree in ecology or a related discipline and be a Member of a relevant professional body (or have the commitment to work towards such). As part of this role, there will also be opportunities for you to assist and support colleagues in the Ecology Survey Team to undertake a wide range of ecological survey work across the Highlands.
Visit MyJobScotland for more details, including how to apply and benefits of working for Highland Council.
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