Location
Blackford, Somerset (rural office location). Travel throughout the UK (mainly Southern England and Wales) required, including occasional overnight stays.

Hours
Full time preferred, with consideration for part time for the right candidate. Some evening work required occasionally (e.g. bat or nocturnal bird surveys).

Salary
£27,400 per annum

About the Role
An exciting opportunity to join Clarkson and Woods, a busy, well-established and highly regarded ecological consultancy. Based in Blackford, Somerset, you will join a friendly and knowledgeable team of approximately 25 ecologists. Clarkson and Woods have a diverse portfolio across housing, utilities, commercial and charity sectors, with a leading position in the renewables industry, specialising in large scale ground mounted PV arrays. This role offers the chance to manage and deliver your own projects, including tendering, undertaking a full range of ecological baseline and protected species surveys, and presenting results with recommendations for mitigation in well-written reports. You will coordinate teams of in-house surveyors and subconsultants, contributing to a dynamic and supportive workplace that champions wellbeing and work-life balance, including a 4-day working week at full pay. The role provides excellent opportunities for professional development through extensive training, mentoring, and a varied, inspiring workload aimed at driving positive biodiversity outcomes within the solar industry.

Experience
- At least 2 years’ employment in a relevant sector (NGO, statutory agency, local authority, academic or consultancy).
- Experience designing and implementing mitigation for protected and priority species, sites and habitats.
- Good understanding of survey protocols for several protected species.
- Ability to confidently liaise with clients, statutory bodies and contractors.
- Ability to efficiently write technical reports based on survey findings.
- Familiarity with Biodiversity Net Gain and the Statutory Biodiversity Metric is desirable.
- Good IT skills including MS Office and MS Teams; GIS, bat sound analysis and thermal image processing software skills are desirable.
- Full UK driving licence and own transport essential due to rural office location.

About you
- Enthusiastic, independent, reliable and well-organised.
- Willingness to work occasional evenings and travel throughout the UK.
- Passionate about wildlife and committed to positive environmental and social change.
- Able to work effectively within a friendly, supportive team environment.

Qualifications
- Degree in an appropriate science discipline, ideally ecology or biology.
- Membership of CIEEM is desirable but not essential.