Location
Home-based with travel across the West Midlands region and occasional travel across other canal network regions. Main regional hub located in Birmingham.

Hours
Full Time (hours not specified)

Salary
£33,677 per annum plus £390 per month car cash allowance

About the Role
The Canal & River Trust is one of the UK’s largest charities, caring for 2,000 miles of canals, rivers, docks and reservoirs. We manage not only waterways but also museums, archives, historic buildings, and the nature and wildlife that inhabit our canals. Our work provides wellbeing opportunities for millions of people each year. We are currently seeking an experienced Ecologist to join our Environment Team West Midlands within the Operations Directorate. This role supports the Trust’s strategy by providing expert ecological advice and technical support across a wide range of activities to ensure regulatory compliance and promote biodiversity and nature recovery.

Working closely with the Environment Manager West Midlands and a team of ecologists and environmental scientists, you will liaise with multi-disciplinary teams including operations, engineering, project management, contractors, volunteers, and community groups. Your responsibilities will include undertaking habitat and species surveys, advising on best practice, creating habitat improvement and site management plans, delivering training and awareness sessions, and supporting biodiversity net gain initiatives.

This role is home-based with an expectation to undertake fieldwork and attend the Birmingham regional hub for collaborative working. Travel within the West Midlands and occasionally beyond is required. You will play a key role in delivering environmental enhancements, supporting volunteers, and engaging stakeholders to reconnect people with nature on their doorstep.

Key accountabilities include:
- Providing expert ecological advice to ensure compliance and best practice
- Liaising with internal teams and external regulators
- Conducting ecological surveys and creating management plans
- Supporting volunteer groups and delivering training
- Monitoring and auditing habitat restoration works
- Adhering to environmental policies and Trust procedures
- Managing scheduling and reporting requirements
- Ensuring compliance with Health and Safety policies
- Promoting diversity, inclusion, and safeguarding within all activities

We are committed to protecting our waterways and the people who care for them, fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. Join us and help keep our canals open, alive, and thriving for future generations.

Experience
- Proven experience applying specialist ecological knowledge within a business environment
- Comprehensive knowledge of UK environmental policy and regulatory frameworks
- Experience in a wide range of priority species survey techniques, preferably holding or working towards at least one protected species licence
- Competency in habitat assessments including woodland, scrub, grasslands and freshwater
- Proven ability to influence and negotiate effectively with internal and external stakeholders
- Experience working with volunteers and community groups is highly desirable

About you
- Passionate and effective advocate for nature recovery
- Excellent organisational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to present technical information to non-technical audiences
- Reliable, flexible, self-motivated and shows initiative
- Ability to engage with a variety of stakeholders across the organisation and wider community
- Committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and safeguarding in all aspects of work

Qualifications
- Degree in ecology or a related subject
- Membership of CIEEM (Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management)
- Full, clean UK driving licence with access to own car for business use
- Knowledge of GIS
- Evidence of continuing professional development