Are you looking for a rewarding career where you can utilise your Ecology expertise working on sustainable projects that benefit the environment and society, exploring opportunities to deliver biodiversity net gain across our 56,000 hectare estate or through partnerships with others? If yes, then we have a fantastic opportunity for you at United Utilities (UU) as a Senior Ecologist.
As a Senior Ecologist you will report in to the Principal Ecologist and work alongside our environmental, capital delivery and engineering colleagues and partners.
In joining us, you will have full exposure to the organisation, our major contracts and our largest industry partners. Stakeholder engagement is vital for this role. You will therefore need to build strong working relationships, manage key internal and external stakeholders effectively and provide expert advice to our contractors. You will support the development of survey and consenting strategies working with a wide range of stakeholders from across the region in particular Planning Authorities, Natural England, the Environment Agency and a whole host of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).
We are excited to offer you a flexible and hybrid working model that lets you balance your work and life. In-person attendance at our site in Warrington, Kendal or Preston is normally required three days per week but this is flexible depending on the need for site visits, surveys and off-site meetings. We are keen to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration with our colleagues, partners and regulators and recognise the need for flexibility of working hours and location
Key accountabilities
- Lead and manage ecological resources across the capital programme and deliver on United Utilities time and quality objectives.
- Oversee delivery of ecology work undertaken by our framework contractors and design and delivery partners.
- Lead the design, procurement and programming of a wide range of ecology surveys.
- Lead on the preparation and review of technical reports and ecological assessments and provide technical guidance in the design and delivery of any necessary mitigation measures.
- Lead on undertaking Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessments and the design and delivery of any compensatory requirements.
- Line management of Ecologists.
- Liaise with external stakeholders (EA, Natural England, planning authorities, suppliers, construction teams etc.) and provide guidance to support internal teams, ensuring projects adhere to best practices and comply with relevant policies and regulations.
- Lead on providing advice to the business and our partners on the regulations and requirements relating to protected sites and species.
- Manage project budgets, timelines, and resources effectively.
Skills & experience
To be successful with your application, you’ll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:
- Chartered Ecologist with a relevant body with (e.g. CIEEM) with multiple years of ecology experienced gained.
- Extensive experience of delivering and coordinating ecological surveys and assessments, providing advice to designers and construction contractors, and working closely with external stakeholders.
- Experience of project management including procurement, budget control, managing other ecological disciplines & sub-contractors, programming work and meeting project objectives.
- Highly experienced in technical report writing and reviewing reports and assessments.
- Experience of working in multi-discipline teams, providing technical and non-technical advice and problem solving.
- Demonstrable experience of working with a range of protected species and preferably expertise in at least one relevant specialism.
- Technically proficient in Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) including use of the Defra metric.
- Experience of planning, arboriculture and landscaping/habitat design.
- Ability to lead and coach others, working together to achieve company goals.
- Excellent communication skills.
- Experience of data management and mapping with a Geographic Information System (GIS), such as ArcGIS is advantageous but not essential.
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