Ecologist

Our people tell us Wessex Water is a great place to work, and they stay with us!  We are proud of how we support development and career progression. We continue to promote diversity and inclusion. With that in mind, we welcome all applicants.

We have an exciting new vacancy for an Ecologist to join our Environment and Planning Services team.

If you are looking for a role that has a focus on our local environment, and love engaging with equally passionate people, then we want to hear from you!

You will be encouraged to have a voice, be free-thinking and empowered, whilst working in a high-performing team, and have a genuine opportunity to make an impact.

What You'll Do 

Our in-house Ecology Team provides a wide range of services to facilitate project delivery for engineering, construction, and operational projects.

The Ecology Team support a diverse range of projects and enjoys the satisfaction of working on and influencing their projects from outline design through to completion.

Supporting our agreed rolling 5-year programmes of work - all within the Wessex Water region - and working closely with our in-house design teams, our ecologists spend most of their time doing the ecology work they love and enjoy an excellent work/life balance.  Supporting fee proposals is not a feature of this role.

In this role, you will manage a portfolio of individual projects from initial design through to construction. You will work closely with design engineers and project managers to minimise the ecological impacts and risks of projects. You will deliver a range of services, including ecological surveys, ecological impact assessment and protected species work, through to mitigation and construction support.

What You'll Need 

You will have studied a degree in ecology or a similar related subject and typically have at least three years' similar experience in a project delivery-focused role.

You will:

• be competent in habitat mapping (UKHab) and protected species appraisal surveys
• have a practical and pragmatic understanding of habitat and protected species mitigation
• be experienced in the use and application of the statutory biodiversity net gain metric
• have good ecological report writing skills
• have an understanding of the UK planning process and legal framework
• have experience working proactively with engineering teams throughout design and construction
• have a proactive and flexible approach with a focus on successful project delivery
• have good IT skills and experience of GIS systems (ArcGIS).

It would also be advantageous if you:

• hold one or more protected species survey licences (for example great crested newt, bats)
• have experience and preferably hold one or more protected species mitigation licences (great crested newts, badgers, water voles or bats)
• have experience in writing ecological impact assessments and habitat regulations assessments
• have experience of landscape design/planting or arboriculture.

Due to the nature of travelling around the Wessex Water region, which in some cases can be very rural, a full clean driving licence is essential.  This role includes a car allowance.

What you'll receive

• A combined pension contribution of up to 20%.
• Career progression and professional development opportunities.
• 25 days' holiday rising to 28 with length of service.
• The opportunity to sell up to five days of holiday every year.
• The opportunity to buy up to ten days of holiday each year (subject to conditions).
• A healthcare package that allows you to claim back healthcare costs.
• Life assurance of up to eight times your salary.
• The opportunity to lease a new electric car through salary sacrifice (subject to conditions).
• Cashback and discounts from more than 3,000 retailers.
• One paid volunteering day each year.
• Enhanced family leave and pay arrangements.
• Access to an interactive health and wellbeing platform.
• Support from trained mental health first aiders.
• A £1,000 referral fee if you recommend someone who is successfully recruited by us. 

Who we are

YTL UK is part of the international YTL Group based in Kuala Lumpur. The UK companies include:

• Wessex Water – one of the top-performing water and sewerage companies in England and Wales, serving 2.9 million people across the South West
• YTL Developments – a major UK developer currently redeveloping a 450-acre former airfield into an award-winning, exciting mix of houses, apartments, schools, commercial space, restaurants and hotels, to make a truly sustainable new community
• YTL Construction UK – a top 20 UK contractor providing fully integrated services to infrastructure, residential, commercial, industry, energy and environmental sectors
• YTL Live – the development and operation of an entertainment complex that includes a 20,000 capacity arena, conferencing and exhibition space
• plus a number of other retail, environmental and specialist businesses.

Our people tell us that YTL UK is a great place to work, which is why so many of them stay with us! You will have a unique opportunity to develop and progress your career within such a diverse group.

We are passionate about diversity and inclusion – with that in mind, all applicants are welcome. We are delighted to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and are a Disability Confident Employer.

If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process, please inform a member of our Recruitment team.