Ecology Principal
Arthian is recruiting for a Principal Consultant to support the growth of the Ecology & Biodiversity Team in Scotland. Whilst the location can be flexible, we are ideally looking for someone who can commute to our office in Grangemouth one day each fortnight.
Overview
This is a fantastic opportunity for the right candidate to take on a wide variety of challenges, including management of people, clients and projects, technical leadership, business development, commercial management, delivery of training etc. We will work to shape the role around the right person to some degree, but a degree of project management and ornithological skills experience would be advantageous. Our tagline is ‘Shaped by Experience, Powered by People’, and we are proud to provide clients with real-world, pragmatic and focused advice which seeks to support our clients as well as providing benefits to biodiversity.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess a BSc and/or MSc in Ecology or related discipline and be a Full Member (or eligible for Full Membership) of a relevant professional body such as the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).
Essential Skills
The following skills are considered essential to the role:
- Demonstrable experience in project management, including client liaison, budget management, and team coordination
- Proven experience in leading ecological surveys and assessments across a range of Scottish habitats and species
- Experience in tender writing, fee proposals, and business development
- Good working knowledge of Scottish planning system, wildlife legislation, planning policy, and ecological best practice (e.g. NPF4, CIEEM guidelines)
- Excellent report writing skills, including EcIA, HRA, and mitigation strategies
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to talk to clients about complex problems using plain language
- Experience mentoring junior staff and contributing to team management / development
- Ability to undertake technical reviews of PEAs, ecological assessments and other report types
- A willingness to be inventive and creative in developing ecological solutions to novel problems
- Willingness to travel and work flexible hours, including occasional overnight stays
- Full UK driving licence
Desirable Skills
The following skills would be advantageous, but are not an essential requirement for the role:
- Chartered Ecologist (CEcol) or Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) status
- Experience in ornithological surveys and monitoring, protected species, and/or habitat surveys
- Holding one or more protected species survey licences (e.g. bats, great crested newt, badger, otter)
- Experience working on infrastructure, utilities, or renewables projects
- Experience with stakeholder engagement, including local authorities, landowners, and community groups
- Familiarity with GIS and data analysis tools
About the Offer
The salary range for this role would be commensurate with experience. In addition, Arthian offers numerous benefits including:
- Subscription to a relevant professional body (generally expected to be CIEEM)
- External and internal training tailored around the individual
- 33 days annual leave (leave and public holiday combined) and the option to buy and sell holidays
- An Employee Assistance Programme
- A generous employee referral scheme
- Volunteering Day for a worthy cause
- Fully flexible parental leave options
- Cycle to work and electric vehicle schemes