Ecologist

CAREERS

Join our team as 
Ecologist

Sound appreciation of ecological principles at the landscape scale is making land use planning more sustainable.  Can you help Lepus deliver strategic biodiversity and environmental net gain for our clients?  

Salary: Negotiable. The salary for this post is to be agreed based on qualifications and experience. Guide range £22,000 - £27,000. 

Position: Full time or part time options

Location: Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and/or home working

Benefits: Various, including stakeholder pension, professional institution subscription paid, CPD allowance, generous annual leave, Birthday policy

Job description: Ecologist


Experience/skills

1. Outgoing, likeable, ambitious and professional personality.  
2. A second class honours (upper division) in physical geography, environmental science, ecology or related discipline.  
3. Several years’ experience of Phase 1 Habitat Surveys, protected species surveys and/or ecological impact assessment.
4. Experience of the EU Habitats Directive and associated habitats regulations assessment process for plans and projects.
5. Knowledge of biological recording and data protocols in the UK.
6. Evidence of high quality writing skills.
7. Broad knowledge of the UK town and country planning system, the local plan preparation process, wildlife law and latest policy developments in these fields.
8. Experience of biodiversity or nature conservation strategy preparation. This might have involved having working with either a Nature Improvement Area or Local Nature Partnerships in the UK.
9. Ability to use GIS to prepare mapped outputs.
10. Membership (associate or full) of IEEM.
11. A professional appreciation of landscape ecology, awareness of strategic ecological assessment and ecosystem services, the 25 Year Environmental Plan and Environment Bill.
12. Awareness of business and marketing for ecological consultancy.
13. Ability to make assessments of brown and green field locations in terms of ecological opportunities and constraints.
14. Experience of protected landscapes and integrated coastal zone management.
15. Strong grounding in botanical identification and appreciation of UK habitat types to inform sound appreciation of landscape ecology and biodiversity offsetting.


Your responsibilities are to:

  1. Promote the cause of biodiversity in a responsible and professional manner working with our diverse range of clients.
  2. Help senior staff to deliver high quality ecological assessment contracts that will protect and enhance important habitats and species when carrying out work. 
  3. Mentor and manage junior staff to follow professional guidance and best business practice.
  4. Provide consultancy advice and support on development plans and planning applications. 
  5. Play an important role and demonstrate a willing versatility for new projects as part of our growing environmental planning consultancy.


How to apply:

If you meet the requirements for this post and are interested in applying, please email your CV and a covering letter in support of your application to: careers@lepusconsulting.com 

There is no closing date at the moment, but don’t hesitate to apply. The post will be filled once the right candidate has arrived.

Please do not call to discuss the post. We will call any candidates that appear to meet the requirements of the post.

Strictly no agencies. 

Issued: 19th January 2021


CONTACT

Ecologist

January 2021

We are looking for somebody to join our busy team of environmental consultants in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire and provide essential administrative support. The post is likely to require 15-20 hours a week. 
Full job add and contact details.

JOB ONE

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CONTACT

OUR TEAM

All of our staff are professionally trained in environmental planning to masters level. Our team is able to draw on a rich variety of project and programme experience.

Neil Davidson BSc (Hons) MSc CEnv MCIEEM CMLI

DIRECTOR
Neil is a founder of Lepus Consulting and a landscape ecologist with 20 years' experience, applying the principles of landscape level planning to help shape land use plans and programmes so that they maximise sustainable development performance.  

Neil has worked in local and central government for 10 years, providing ecological, green infrastructure, recreational and landscape management and protection advice, he also served as a policy advisor.  

Neil is one of the UK’s leading strategic environmental planning experts and set up Lepus, in part, to support local planning authorities in the preparation of their local plans. He regularly appears at Examination in Public and has an invaluable in-depth knowledge of plan making. Neil specialises in the Strategic Environmental Assessment, Green Infrastructure planning and Habitats Regulations Assessment of plans and programmes. 

Neil is passionate about landscape ecology and the opportunities to optimise ecosystem services through appropriate land use configuration; he is fascinated by butterfly metapopulation dynamics in calcareous landscapes.

Samantha Cheater BSc (Hons) MSc CEnv MCIEEM

PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT
Samantha is a Principal Environmental Consultant with 15 years’ experience in the environmental sector. Over this time, she has gained in-depth experience of plan and project led environmental assessment, with a particular specialism in Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA), Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This experience covers a wide range of sectors including land use and transport planning, major transport projects (road and rail), mixed use developments and projects from the education, health care and renewable energy sectors.  

Samantha has proven experience in co-ordinating and delivering a wide range of stakeholder consultations. This includes engagement with statutory consultees, non-statutory consultees and technical specialists.

Samantha has led projects for a diverse range of clients across England and Wales from both the public and private sector. Clients like Samantha for her professionalism and determination to find evidence-led solutions to potentially complicated large scale strategic challenges.

Rebecca Gregory BSc (Hons) PGDipLA CMLI

PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT 
Rebecca is a Principal Landscape and Environmental Consultant with 13 years’ experience in environmental consultancy and landscape practice. As an experienced Principal Consultant, Rebecca has been responsible for leading a variety of projects across the UK and acted as the key point of contact for clients in relation to landscape, ecology, heritage, Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) and green infrastructure projects. Rebecca achieved CMLI in 2008.

At Lepus, Rebecca focuses on landscape planning, green infrastructure and supporting Sustainability Appraisals. She has undertaken a range of landscape work including Landscape Character Assessment, Landscape Sensitivity Studies and Landscape Appraisals for a range of public and private clients. She supports and reviews the preparation of Sustainability Appraisals at Lepus, particularly in relation to her areas of expertise.

Rebecca is passionate about working with our clients to find more sustainable solutions in planning and development, particularly using green infrastructure approaches.

LET'S TALK

Lepus helps shape effective and appropriate environmental planning policy for our clients by delivering products that are meaningful, highly useful and sound. 

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