Ecology Team Lead | Bristol

Salary: Competitive, according to skills and experience

Waterman Group Plc is a leading international multi-disciplinary engineering and environmental consultancy, providing sustainable solutions to meet the planning, engineering design and project delivery needs of the property, infrastructure, energy, and environmental markets. Waterman Infrastructure & Environment are currently recruiting for a National Service Line lead to head our Ecology team.

Role

This is an exciting opportunity for the chosen candidate to work within a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team on a wide range of high-profile UK projects that include strategic residential and mixed-use development sites and infrastructure projects. Our work involves early engagement at the due diligence or feasibility stage, with a focus on pre-planning protected species surveys, assessments and mitigation design through to post planning works. With a requirement to meet the needs of our local clients and to support colleagues in other disciplines a key aspect to the role will include regular co-operation and inter-office working in line with Waterman’s ‘One Team’ culture.  We are looking for the team leader to build on current successes to grow the team in order to take full advantage of the market opportunities.

Requirements and skills

Candidates for the role will be degree qualified ecologists with a demonstrable track record in consultancy.  Candidates should:

• Have at least 15* years’ commercial consultancy experience and have Full Membership of CIEEM and/or Chartered Ecologist status.
• Have experience of people and project management.
• Ability to lead and develop a local team and interface with the national team.
• Understand the Southwest market and opportunities for growth.
• Have a working knowledge of ecological legislation and the planning process in the UK.
• Demonstrable knowledge of a wide range of ecological taxa, survey methods/ assessment types (including a working knowledge of Biodiversity Net Gain and Ecological Impact Assessment) and protected species licencing.
• Demonstrable knowledge of the EIA and HRA process.
• Ideally Public Inquiry expert witness skills and experience.
• Experience in directing large scale survey programmes, digital data collection, and validation.
• Experienced in financial management, business develop and marketing.
• Ideally have experience in both linear infrastructure and property development projects.
• General working knowledge of health and safety requirements, with specific reference to those associated with rail infrastructure work.
• Experience in a variety of planning mechanisms, including the Transport Works Order Act, Development Consent Orders, and the Town & Country Planning Acts.
• Be able to work autonomously with excellent communication (including technical report writing) skills and an ability to prepare fee proposals/tenders.
• Be able to provide pragmatic, commercially aware ecological advice to our portfolio of major clients.
• Hold a full UK driving licence.

All interviews are currently being carried out online to ensure the continued safety and welfare of our staff. During the current and ongoing pandemic our employees continue to work from home, where they are able to do so; and our offices remain open and covid secure for circumstances where remote working is not feasible and this is reviewed on a case to case basis.

To apply, please send your CV and covering letter to careers@watermangroup.com or complete and submit the form below.

All applications will be treated in confidence.

Waterman is an equal opportunities employer and values diversity.

*where a level of experience is indicated, this is a guideline only and represents the amount of time we would usually expect a candidate to accumulate the requisite level of experience. This does not preclude applications from candidates with more or less experience.  Apply to email address above (careers@watermangroup.com)