Ecologist / Senior Ecologist

To meet our growing project workload and help us design and apply new approaches to our work, we are looking for an experienced and enthusiastic Ecologist or Senior Ecologist to join our Scotland team. Our main office location is Glasgow, however candidates looking to base themselves from another location, such as Edinburgh, will also be considered.

At AtkinsRéalis, our team of over 140 ecologists work throughout the UK to deliver a diverse range of challenging and exciting projects that benefit our clients, biodiversity and society. Our ecology team also won the inaugural CIEEM Large-Scale Consultancy of the Year Award in 2018 and has been highly commended in the same award category each year thereafter.

We are proud to promote nature-based solutions across a range of market sectors; collaborating with clients to positively contribute to the carbon net zero agenda and biodiversity and climate emergencies. We are particularly passionate about the implementation of biodiversity net gain on our projects and have placed ourselves at the forefront of this approach.

We positively encourage pushing boundaries, promoting innovation, knowledge sharing and working inclusively across our diverse team. We are fully committed to promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. We want everyone to feel respected, empowered and able to realise their full potential as important members of our team.

Flexible working is a core part of our culture at AtkinsRéalis and we appreciate that different people have different priorities. We recognise that a healthy work/life balance is integral to wellbeing and we are extremely supportive of individual requirements for flexible and remote working. The ideal candidate would be looking to work in a hybrid manner, based from our Glasgow (or Edinburgh) office and undertaking surveys across Scotland, as well as the north of England and Northern Ireland on occasion. 

Joining us, you will have the opportunity to contribute to nationally significant and high-profile projects, with many of our projects winning awards for biodiversity enhancements, innovation, and knowledge sharing.

What you will be doing

• Providing ecological input to a varied range of projects across different sectors, including leading on infrastructure projects, managing project programmes and budgets;
• Collaborating with our multi-disciplinary teams and undertaking stakeholder engagement;
• Planning and co-ordinating field surveys, analysing and interpreting survey results;
• Undertaking field surveys and managing survey data;
• Designing and co-ordinating ecological mitigation works;
• Authoring and/or checking/reviewing ecological reports, such as Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, Ecological Impact Assessments, Biodiversity Chapters for Environmental Impact Assessments, and Habitat Regulations Appraisals;
• Authoring and/or checking/reviewing, and providing guidance on, protected species licence applications; and
• Managing work enquiries, preparing bids and building client relationships.

About you

Ideally, you would have the following qualifications and/or attributes:

• A degree in ecology, biology, zoology or closely related field (desirable but not essential);
• Membership of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), chartership, or be on the route to chartership (AtkinsRéalis to cover membership costs);
• Experience in UKHabitat survey (Field Identification Skills Certificate (FISC) level 3 +, or demonstrable experience equating to this level would be desirable) and protected species survey;
• At least one protected species survey licence (desirable but not essential);
• Willingness to complete field surveys and travel to different parts of Scotland (and occasionally other parts of the UK when required);
• Strong understanding of Scottish and UK wildlife legislation, planning policies, licensing requirements and best practice survey techniques;
• Good understanding of biodiversity net gain (BNG) / application of biodiversity enhancements in Scotland (working project experience desirable);
• Experience of producing ecological reports, including Preliminary Ecological Appraisal Reports and Ecological Impact Assessment Reports;
• Strong collaborative behaviours to interface with multi-disciplinary teams, clients, and other stakeholders;
• Excellent communication skills; and
• A full valid UK driving licence.

What we offer?

AtkinsRéalis recognise that there are many well qualified people who are looking to further their career, but who cannot commit to full time employment. We support flexible working arrangements and are interested to discuss how we can accommodate individual requirements.  As part of this commitment, we understand the need for a diverse and flexible workforce, where a work-life balance is important. So, by default AtkinsRéalis offers flexible working, where there is no fixed 9 ‘till 5, no need for a 5-day week, no requirement for a full-time contract, and no requirement to spend all your working time in the office.

Rewards and Benefits:

We offer a competitive salary that is regularly tested against other consultants with a default 25-days leave each year plus bank holidays and options to buy some or sell of that leave. Salary and benefits will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.

New name, new era. We are AtkinsRéalis. It will take some time for all our information to update – you can still refer to our fantastic benefits via the link below:

YourReward at SNC-Lavalin (snclavalin.com).

Training:

AtkinsRéalis is committed to developing its people both personally and professionally. Our colleagues have the advantage of access to a high ranging training portfolio and development activities designed to help make the best of individual’s abilities and talents. We also actively support staff in achieving corporate membership of relevant institutions.

Additional Information:

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance.  If this is necessary, it will be discussed with you at interview. The vetting process is delivered by United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) and may require candidates to provide proof of residency in the UK of 5 years or longer. If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves, thrive and

develop. To help embed inclusion for all, from day one, we offer a range of family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements and employee networks to support staff from different backgrounds. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we value applications from all backgrounds, cultures and ability.

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