Location
Hertfordshire (Countywide)

Hours
37 hours per week

Salary
Starting salary £31,536 progressing to £34,433 per annum (pro rata for part time)

About the Role
Are you passionate about protecting and enhancing the natural environment? Do you want to make a real difference to biodiversity and ecology in one of the UK’s most diverse counties? We are seeking an enthusiastic Assistant Ecology Advisor to join our growing expert team of ecologists within the LEADS team (Landscape, Ecology, Archaeology, Development & Sustainability). You will work collaboratively across environmental disciplines to ensure ecology is central to planning decisions and growth across Hertfordshire.

This is an exciting time to join as we implement Biodiversity Net Gain and the Local Nature Recovery Strategy—transformative initiatives elevating the role of ecology in planning, placemaking, and climate change mitigation. You will help shape the future of the county’s natural spaces, contributing to sustainability, ecological resilience, and climate mitigation.

As an Assistant Ecology Advisor, you will take the first steps in a rewarding ecology career, enhancing your academic knowledge and applying it in real-life situations. Training and guidance will be provided by senior colleagues alongside external opportunities covering planning principles, botanical identification, site visits, bat and artificial lighting courses, and species identification.

Your responsibilities will include supporting the interpretation and assessment of ecological reports, ensuring planning decisions are informed by current biodiversity legislation and policy, conducting site visits and ecological fieldwork to assess habitats and inform biodiversity net gain calculations, liaising with planners, developers, landowners and conservation partners to provide ecological advice, preparing reports, contributing to service-level agreements and policy development, responding to public and stakeholder enquiries, and championing sustainability and ecological best practice across the Council’s work.

Experience
- Ability to analyse ecological data and reports and communicate findings clearly.
- Willingness to learn and collaborate with experienced team members.

About you
- Passionate about the natural world and ecological conservation.
- Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
- Enthusiastic and committed to ecological principles and biodiversity.

Qualifications
- A degree (or equivalent) in a natural science or relevant discipline, or equivalent work experience.
- Desirable: Vocational ecological qualifications or working towards protected species licences.
- Desirable: Experience with biological recording and voluntary ecological networks.
- Desirable: Familiarity with GIS and ecological databases.
- Desirable: Understanding of key environmental stakeholders such as Natural England and the Environment Agency.
- Desirable: Understanding and knowledge of Biodiversity Net Gain.