Assistant Ecologist
Job description
Do you want to work for a company whose purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes, and to transform businesses, communities, and opportunities for it’s employees? Mott MacDonald is a global consultancy whose people do exactly that.
We are seeking someone who enjoys working within a close-knit team that operates within and is supported by larger regional and national teams.
The role of Assistant Ecologist will be varied and will strike a balance between office-based and site work. We are recruiting for an Assistant Ecologist who has an interest in botany with a preference to specialise in this field. You will support a range of ecological surveys, managing field data, and the delivery of technical reports. You will also have the opportunity to expand your experience by working with our technical specialists and/or managing small-scale projects with the support of senior staff, depending on your interests.
Project dependent, the role can span all stages of a project’s life cycle, from design conception to implementation; giving opportunities to positively influence scheme design, enhancements and promote best practice. Although you will be a member of the Bristol ecology team, you will also be connected to a much larger team of ecologists. There are excellent opportunities to progress your career through promotion, as well as develop a key role within our ecology team.
The role will suit a dynamic, proactive individual who wants to work in a growth area of the business and help support the delivery of ecology services in a fast-moving, client-focused, commercial environment.
Candidate Specification
Essential:
- BSc in botany, plant science, or a biology or ecology course with a botanical component (minimum of 2.1 classification)
- Good knowledge of UK habitats and flora along with botanical survey/monitoring methods.
- Willingness to travel and undertake fieldwork in the UK.
- Good report writing skills, attention to detail, and ability to write concise reports.
- Ability to work independently, take the initiative, make robust, defensible decisions, and work to tight deadlines to meet client needs.
Desirable:
- MSc degree in botany, plant ecology, plant taxonomy.
- Membership of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).
- FISC certificate, level 4 or above.
- Experience in using the UKHab classification and the Natural England/DEFRA biodiversity net gain metric.
- Experience in undertaking surveys for protected animal species in the UK.
- Experience in analysing ecological data.
- Understanding of main UK and international legislation/policy on biodiversity and nature conservation.
- Prior experience of undertaking botanical and habitat surveys in the UK (UKHab, National Vegetation Classification, hedgerow assessments etc.)
- Experience in undertaking Preliminary Ecological Appraisals and/or Ecological Impact Assessments.
- Basic GIS skills.
If you meet 80% or more of what we are looking for, please still apply. We understand not everyone will meet all the requirements, but you might have the skills we didn’t know we need.
#LI-EC1
Job Profile
We are a highly collaborative team across all environmental disciplines, which makes Mott MacDonald a great place to work. While we are an employee-owned company, our ecology teams are small enough to have a family feel but large enough to work on some of the UK's biggest projects. We work on a variety of projects (including water, rail, and road infrastructure; power generation; defence; and urban infrastructure) led and supported by a fantastic mix of specialists with a wealth of experience and a culture of supporting and learning from others, coaching, and mentoring.
We pay our ecologists in line with their engineering colleagues with the ability to earn performance-based bonuses throughout the year. Our projects are diverse, interesting, and technically challenging and we excel in offering innovative solutions. Our ecology teams across the UK are highly experienced in their fields and are proactive when working together imparting knowledge. We are a well-respected company with strong values.
We have a strong sport and social team who hold events throughout the year, which are fully inclusive as well as UK-wide events such as sports day and skiing trips. Our Environment and Social division hold environment forums and numerous knowledge-sharing webinars on a range of topics such as biodiversity net gain and climate change, bird surveys, Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool, environmental impact assessments and development consent orders, and floating wetlands for water treatment amongst other topics.
Through our corporate social responsibility work we aim to make a positive difference and staff are supported to participate in activities to support their local communities.
About the business unit
Environmental and social considerations are central to Mott MacDonald’s Purpose and its offerings across all sectors and territories. Our environment and social business provides essential services and innovative solutions which anticipate our clients' needs across all sectors.
How to apply
To apply for this role, please complete our 15-minute application via our website. Our talent acquisition coordinators aim to provide feedback within 5 working days with the outcome of your application. More information about our application process can be found here. If you have any questions regarding your application or the role, please reach out to the dedicated recruiter listed who will be more than happy to help.
Mott MacDonald is Work180 accredited – which means we actively support and encourage women to join our work force!
Benefits we offer:
- Pension matched up to 7%
- Life insurance
- An annual professional institution subscription
- Continuous development opportunities – because we want you to thrive
- Agile/flexible working – because life isn’t 9-5
- Enhanced parental leave; shared parental leave policies – for parents and care givers
- Annual company performance bonus scheme – Subject to company performance
- Flexible benefits that suit you, including cycle to work & interest free season ticket loans .
- The opportunity to make a difference; learn more about our social outcomes
Other Information
We put equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they have the opportunity to contribute.
If you have a disability and would prefer to apply in a different format or would like us to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at [email protected] and we will talk to you about how we can assist.
Agile working
At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team and personal commitments. We embrace agility, flexibility and trust.
More about Mott MacDonald
We’re a global engineering, management and development consultancy.
Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.
A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs.
Our values: progress, respect, integrity, drive, excellence
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