Senior Ecologist

Senior Ecologist

3 months, Inside IR35

Somerset

About the role

The Senior Ecologist will provide professional ecological advice to the Council on planning and other ecological matters and ensure statutory duties under international, national and/or local legislation and policy are maintained. The position holder will assist the Principal Ecologist in the day-to-day management of the team and provide vital mentoring to junior Team members.

The Senior Ecologist will be a key advisor and assessor to at least one Planning Area of Somerset on all relevant environmental legislation and shall also regularly partake and occasionally lead on ecological field work.

Responsibilities

• Assisting the Principal Ecologist in the day-to-day management of the team, support the supervision as well as mentoring and the review and approval of work undertaken by Team members.
• Review planning applications, proposed plans, e.g. Minerals, Waste, Transport, Local, Neighbourhood, etc and provide professional ecological advice to the Council and ensure they maintain their statutory duties under international, national and/or local legislation and policy. Review submitted ecological information and assessed ecological impacts of proposed developments and plans against legislation, policy and best-practice guidance and appropriate planning conditions and recommend alterations to policies as necessary.
• Undertake Habitats Regulations Assessments and Ecological Impact Assessments (in accordance with Regulation 9 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 as amended) of plans, e.g. Minerals, Waste, Transport, Local, Neighbourhood, etc and projects, e.g. planning applications or Council schemes where required
• Assess the ecological impacts of plans and projects alone and in-combination upon the integrity of European and Ramsar sites and their qualifying features and in-combination upon the 'Favourable Conservation Status' of populations of European Protected Species (which are not a qualifying feature of a European site), eg impacts on species populations and their habitats, and ecologically support factors such as soils, air/water quality and landscape connectivity and structure.
• Recommend alternative strategies to projects or alterations to policies for plans as a result of the assessment.
• Consult with and obtain agreement from Natural England.
• Develop baseline environmental data, indicators, and targets for monitoring ecological impacts of plans or projects including innovative systems such as baseline modelling and ecological mapping to support Habitats Regulations and Ecological Impact Assessments.
• Develop procedures and processes as part of pilot projects for Government departments.

Qualifications Essential

• A degree in Ecology or a related subject or equivalent experience
• Holder of at least one Protected Species Licence, or able to demonstrate that they are working towards one.
• Professional membership of CIEEM or equivalent

Experience

• Significant experience in the Ecology industry, specifically in consultancy and Local Government.
• Experience using QGIS, MapInfo, MAGIG, Ordnance Survey Maps, The Natural England and Joint Nature Conservancy Council website and others.
• Analysing, scrutinising and evaluating a range of ecology reports.
• Experience undertaking a range of protected species surveys.
• FISC Accredited and experience in undertaking habitat surveys based on UKHab definitions.

If interested in the role, please contact me at (url removed)