Job Description
About the role:
We are seeking an experienced Principal Ecologist to join our friendly, established ecology team within LUC. This role will be based from our London, Bristol or Cardiff offices with the ability for hybrid working as part of the working week.
LUC’s ecology team is passionate about creating opportunities for wildlife and people to thrive together, through our broad range of projects and established client base. Through LUC’s Corporate Social Environmental Responsibility activities programme, consultants have the opportunity to volunteer their time to exciting nature led projects and community engagement across the country.
With established teams in London, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow, we support a huge range of projects, at local and national levels. We’re enthusiastic about finding new ways to apply emerging ecological principals and methods to the most challenging of policy and development projects, and we have fun working together along the way.
LUC’s ecology team offers a wide range of exciting projects, providing team members with the opportunity to work on biodiversity led design schemes, often working closely with planning authorities, landscape managers and architects, for renewable energy, residential, commercial, research and development projects across a number of sectors, that consider ecological enhancement at a landscape scale. LUC partners with a number of businesses and government bodies to provide services that deliver research, technical advice, biodiversity net gain, habitats regulations assessment (HRA) and ecosystem services assessment and ecological clerk of works roles.
Key elements of the role:
- The successful candidate will be capable of managing a wide range of ecology projects, but with a particular focus on project management of HRA, at both the plan and project level
- Winning new work and managing established client relationships, through both formal tendering processes and pursuing business development opportunities
- Remaining up to date with the latest approaches, best practice guidance, policy and relevant case law and maintaining a record of CPD. Again, with a particular focus on key issues within HRA such as approaches to nutrient neutrality, air quality assessment, recreational pressures and the importance of functionally linked land
- Supporting and leading on business development initiatives in line with the LUC Strategy
- Managing and mentoring less experienced colleagues and contributing to team-wide training and development initiatives
- Exploring innovation and opportunities to improve ecological practices such as technological developments and survey techniques
LUC encourages professional development, supporting team members from graduate / qualifying membership status to chartered / fellow member of their chosen professional body. This not only includes the opportunity to work on an exciting range of dynamic projects but also training and development opportunities such as obtaining protected species licences and improving technical and non-technical skillsets through targeted training.
The role includes the opportunity to share and participate actively in the management and ownership of the business through the Employee Ownership Trust, which places full ownership of the company with the employees.
This role will be based in our London, Bristol or Cardiff LUC offices. We work in a hybrid model with people being in the office a minimum of two days per week.
A full-time role is based on 37.5 hours per week (Monday to Friday). However, LUC has a strong track record in flexible working and we have been recognised for our flexible working culture, so we are happy to discuss a range of flexible working options for this role including part time hours (minimum 30 hours per week) if desired.
Principal Ecologists start at £38,000 per annum (full time). Additional qualifications and/or experience will access salaries up to £45,000.
This is a great time to be joining LUC. Since its creation nearly 60 years ago, LUC has been driven by the belief that planning has a critical role to play in shaping the world around us for the better. This work has never been more critical or urgent.
About you:
The successful candidate will complement our existing enthusiastic and dedicated ecology team. You will share our commitment to high quality science and be motivated to help grow and develop our business, as an equal partner.
Experience and qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level or with equivalent level of skills and knowledge
- Appropriate professional qualification (e.g. CIEEM) at a relevant level
- Demonstrable knowledge of a range of ecological taxa, survey methods and assessment types
- Demonstrable knowledge and a proven track record of successfully delivering HRA at the plan and/or project level. This should include an awareness of the key pressures facing the UKs National Site Network, such as air pollution, recreational pressures, impacts to functionally linked land and changes in water quality. We would also expect a good understanding of the strategic measures currently being adopted to address these issues
- Experience of stakeholder engagement, negotiation and client liaison, including contributing to productive discussions between planning authorities, developers and consultees
- Experience of line management and team development
- Demonstrable work-winning and business development skills
- Experienced project manager with the ability to manage ecological consultancy projects (at any scale)
- Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and time, using initiative and excellent communication, report writing and numeracy skills
Desirable
- Current protected species licence(s)
- Experience of presenting evidence or providing support at planning appeal and/or examination in public
- A good understanding of undertaking biodiversity net gain (BNG) assessments, including field survey and desk based assessments
- Proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, particularly Word and Excel
Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.
Please apply by uploading your CV and covering letter via our website.
LUC is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and we actively encourage applications from under-represented groups. We value the differences, needs and contributions a diverse workforce represents, and we strive to embed equality, diversity and inclusion in all our people related activities.
About LUC:
LUC is a planning, impact assessment, landscape design, ecology and geospatial consultancy, working primarily across the UK but also internationally.
With a track record spanning almost 60 years and a team of more than 250 skilled professionals, we bring great depth of knowledge and experience to our work across both the private and public sectors.
We became a fully employee-owned business in January 2020, sharing profits on an equal basis and involving everyone in key decisions. This helps secure our continued independence as well as aligning our governance structure with our culture and values.
Our people are united by a determination to achieve sustainable development on behalf of our clients. With the current climate emergency in mind, we ensure that all our work promotes climate change mitigation and resilience.
We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovative thinking, successfully resolving even the most complex of issues. We care about the legacy we leave and hope to make a real difference through the work we do.
Whether we’re advising a commercial developer, Government agency, local authority, utility company or voluntary organisation, we take a collaborative approach. We also put our client and our ‘invisible client’, the environment, at the heart of the process.
Our approach has delivered a healthy financial position, high client and employee satisfaction and numerous industry and employer awards.