Ecologist
Job Purpose:
Job Title: EcologistAdvertised Salary: £32,427 + £390 per month Car Cash Allowance.
Base Location: Home-based with Leeds Hub.
We're the charity who look after and bring to life 2,000 miles of waterways across England and Wales, because we believe that life is better by water. Every role across the Trust plays its part in transforming our canals and rivers into spaces where local people want to spend time and feel better, bringing wellbeing benefits to millions.
We currently have an opportunity for an experienced Ecologist to join our Environment Team North within the Operations Directorate. The Ecologist will predominantly cover the Yorkshire North East Region.
Working with the Environment Manager North and a team of ecologists and environmental scientists you will provide professional technical support to the business on ecological issues to a number of multi-disciplinary teams including asset engineers, geotechnical specialists, project managers, contract managers, contractors, community engagement managers, fundraising and the communications team ensuring compliance on all of the work conducted within the North Region and delivering the Trust’s strategy and policy on protected wildlife sites and species with an aim of achieving a net gain in biodiversity.This includes undertaking habitat and species surveys and advising on best practice.
The Canal & River Trust is in an ideal position, as a large landowner with blue and green corridors connecting habitats across the landscape, to carry out environmental enhancements using our local volunteer workforce to ensure that we improve habitats and support biodiversity.Reconnecting people with the nature on their doorstep and offering them opportunities to get involved in.
Our aim is to support the work of the Trust as a whole, while conserving and enhancing the environment of the inland waterway network. Finding simple and innovative solutions/methods of work to ensure that the modern-day use of the waterways, their historical importance, the Trust’s legal obligations and strategic priorities are met through sustainable development, conservation and enhancement of the natural environment.
Location
The role will be based working from home, with the expectation to attend main regional hub in Leeds, for collaborative working. This is a regional role, requiring travel mostly within the Yorkshire North East Region, with occasional travel across the North.The successful candidate must be able travel to attend meetings or fieldwork throughout the region.
Knowledge, Skills/Qualifications & Experience :
Key accountabilities:
- Provide expert ecological support & advice across a range of Trust business activities in the Yorkshire North East region to ensure compliance with environmental regulatory requirements & corporate environmental standards.
- Liaise with colleagues involved in specifying, commissioning and delivering works to ensure relevant environmental processes are understood and being implemented.
- Liaise with external regulators & stakeholders at local and regional level to protect and promote Trust interests in relation to environmental management.
- Facilitate implementation of the Trust’s Environmental Management System, monitoring & reporting on compliance with regulatory requirements & corporate environmental standards. Sharing experiences with the wider business.
- Contribute to the development of the Trust’s Environmental Management System & corporate environmental standards, in consultation with other Trust colleagues.
- Record all environmental incidents and work with environmental team colleagues to respond to and manage the actions/issues including the liaison with regulators.
- Undertake ecological surveys, making site visits and working outside as appropriate
- Help maintain environmental awareness and competency levels across the delivery teams.
- Contribute to delivering local and national publicity, feature articles for websites and events as well as assisting the wider environment team deliver increased levels of volunteering.
- Comply with Canal & River Trust’s Health & Safety policy and defined standards. Undertake risk assessments, report incidents, accidents and near misses.
- Provide a point of contact for basic technical queries internally and externally. Respond as appropriate by providing advice and reference to relevant information sources or escalate to senior team members.
- Using SAP and GIS systems, ensure all relevant information and analysis is input in a timely and accurate manner.
- Degree or equivalent experience in related discipline.
- Comprehensive practical understanding of current environmental legislation.
- Experience of a wide range of priority species survey techniques, with at least one protected species licence (or working toward)
- Competency in wide range of habitat assessments including woodland, scrub, grassland and freshwater.
- Valid UK driving licence – essential; you will need to be able to move across the region regularly to deliver your work successfully.
- Experience of working efficiently within a business environment, delivering ecological support and advice To technical and non-technical clients.
- Good standard of effective written and verbal communication skills with a proven ability to present technical information to non-technical audiences.
- Proficient in the use of a personal computer and business applications software eg MS Office.
- Sound knowledge of health and safety good practice & procedure.
- Strong understanding of Ecology including degree or equivalent in relevant discipline.
- Full membership of relevant institution (CIEEM).
- 2 years post-graduated experience.
- Comprehensive understanding of current environmental legislation
- Practical experience/understanding of protecting and enhancing internationally, nationally and locally protected sites
- Protected species licence holder for at least one or more species
- Experience of working within a business environment, delivering ecological support and advise to high standard.
- Good standard of written and verbal communication skills and proven ability to present technical information to non-technical audiences.
- Proficient in the use of relevant technology including GIS
- Valid driving licence - essential.
- Sound knowledge of health and safety.
In addition to the specialist expertise and professional qualifications you bring, it is also essential that you have an ability to engage with a variety of stakeholders across the organisation and wider, and communicate effectively to protect and promote the Trusts’ waterways environment and ecology and enjoy working with volunteers and community groups.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient suitable applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
What We Offer:
Compensation is made up as follows: £32,427 + Car Cash Allowance. Additionally, we also offer a competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, great holiday entitlement (increasing with years of service) and numerous other employee benefits all of which can be found here (https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/work-for-us/our-benefits).
- 25 days paid holiday, increasing to 27 days after 3 years.
- Competitive contributory DC Pension scheme arrangement, where we will double your contribution to a maximum of 10%.
- Annual £200 personal learning & growth award to spend on any learning related activity – hobbies; aspirations etc.
- Free access to specialist counselling on a range of issues – health; financial; lifestyle; well-being; domestic & neighbourly matters.
- Access to a range of employee benefits including – store discounts; boating holiday discounts; holiday purchase scheme.
- Expansive maternity/paternity provisions.
- Progressive access to learning tools and CPD.
- 2 days paid volunteering leave, volunteering for local community project work.
We are striving to represent the diverse communities that we are a part of. All candidates will be treated on the basis of their merits, skills and abilities and solely by being assessed against the requirements for the job.
We believe that continuous personal & professional development are important, and through many Trust internal & externally supported development programmes we are pleased to support your ongoing growth and development in this role.
Find out more about the work we do on our website:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us