# Principal Ecologist **Company**: WSP **Location**: Edinburgh, Midlothian **Work arrangement**: hybrid **Experience**: senior **Job type**: full-time **Category**: Consulting **Industry**: Consulting **Apply**: https://emit.fa.ca3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2001/job/95166?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply **Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_ddc27a58-a7e ## Description We are currently looking for a Principal Ecologist to join our growing Nature Services team. You'll work alongside a supportive network of technical specialists on a rich variety of projects across Scotland and Ireland. As a Principal Ecologist, you will: - Embrace our Health, Safety and Wellbeing culture and create a safe place for all to work. - Provide motivational leadership and line management for team members at various grades including overseeing workload planning and forecasting, whilst guiding and supporting professional development. - Support the Team Lead/Deputy Team Lead with day-to-day project resourcing and through proactively contributing to effective team management in areas such as health and safety, technical training, recruitment, and chairing of meetings. - Plan and undertake ecology surveys including Phase 1/ UKHab habitat surveys and protected species surveys. - Prepare and review tenders and a range of ecological deliverables including Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, Ecological Impact Assessments, Protected Species Reports, Habitats Regulations Appraisals, technical reports and mitigation licence applications. - Undertake client liaison and project management. - Conduct consultation and negotiation with regulators and stakeholders. - Mentor junior team members whilst helping to nurture an enthusiastic, supportive, and productive working environment. - Build and maintain a visible internal and external profile as a technical expert and collaborative leader. - Participate in weekly and monthly Nature Services team meetings and national initiatives. - Deepen your technical expertise and pursue professional development supported by colleagues and through formal training. - Harness your potential to develop specific skillsets and share technical knowledge and opportunities for learning and innovations with colleagues. **What We're Looking For** - A relevant academic qualification in ecology or a related subject. - Full membership of CIEEM (ideally working towards full chartership) or eligible to apply. - Proven relevant experience of motivating and leading others, including supporting team development and managing project workloads. - Advanced technical knowledge and competency in designing, planning and undertaking ecology desk-based and field-based surveys within the UK. - Ability to produce and review high quality, technically and scientifically robust ecological reports and other project deliverables. - Proven relevant experience gained within a professional consultancy, regulatory and/or industrial role(s) with strong communication and organisation skills. - Proven relevant experience of project and budget management, preparing proposals and client engagement, including ability to demonstrate effective time management and delivery across multiple projects would be an advantage. - Advanced technical knowledge and competency of relevant ecology policy and guidance (particularly within Scotland), including excellent attention to detail in analysis and interpretation of ecological data would be an advantage. - A technical specialism or hold (or have held) protected species survey and/or mitigation licences would be an advantage. - A desire to develop your core ecological and consultancy skills and be supported by a team of ecologists and other environmental professionals. ## Skills ### Required - ecology - leadership - project management - communication - organisation ### Nice to have - protected species survey - mitigation licences - ecology policy - guidance --- Source: [Apply at emit.fa.ca3.oraclecloud.com](https://emit.fa.ca3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2001/job/95166?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)