Principal Ecologist

Principal Ecologist

Job reference: PLPE0239

Starting salary: £38,296 p.a.

Location: Castlewood, Clevedon

Contract: Permanent – Full Time

North Somerset has a landscape of huge nature conservation value, with a significant number of designated sites including: four Special Areas of Conservation, 56 Sites of Special Scientific Interest, two National Nature Reserves, 13 Local Nature Reserves, the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and 204 Local Wildlife Sites.

Our vision is to be a greener Council and to demonstrate this we have declared an ecological emergency, started to improve biodiversity in our parks, open spaces, and published our first Green Infrastructure Strategy. There are lots of exciting areas to be involved in and to have a positive impact on how we manage ecology across North Somerset.

The role sits within the Natural Environment Team and primarily involves prioritising responses to planning applications, compiling reports, providing planning advice, and advising colleagues on the Council’s major projects.

Our passionate and newly restructured team will be delivering actions from our ambitious Green Infrastructure Strategy across North Somerset, through services such as ecology and landscape, parks and open spaces, rights of way, trees, sustainable wetlands, and flood management.

You will have a wide variety of opportunities including: leading on advice for the emerging Local Plan including developing supplementary planning guidance, helping introduce and deliver Biodiversity Net Gain, collaboration on nature recovery networks, wetland restoration, nature parks, engaging with colleagues and partners across the West of England and being part of a wide-ranging project to better understand our greater horseshoe bats.

We are seeking an experienced bat ecologist, with one or more European protected species licences, an understanding of UK wildlife legislation and CIEEM membership. You will need to demonstrate an understanding of ecological planning issues and will lead a team to respond to planning applications, including complex cases. You should have an excellent knowledge of the wildlife of the area and exemplary teamwork and communication skills, both written and verbal, including IT literacy.

You will have experience in a similar role and hold a relevant qualification to level 6 or above.

A local authority post also has the benefits of a generous pension scheme and holiday allowance, agile and flexible working conditions including hybrid working, an Employee Assistance Programme for staff health and wellbeing and access to schemes such as salary sacrifice.

Closing date: 8 March 2023.

Anticipated interview date: 16 March 2023.