DescriptionOur Ecology and Biodiversity Services team is made up of experts in their fields and talented generalists with backgrounds supporting ecological constraints and opportunities in the public and private sectors, including to renewables, pharmaceutical, EPA licenced, technological, property development, construction and waste industries across the UK and Ireland markets.
As a Principal Ecologist, you will join our growing team of experts supporting the leadership, management and development of our expanding range of ecology and biodiversity services.
As a senior member of our Ecology team, this exciting role provides you with the opportunity to lead the improvement of our services, (such as report writing and survey technique, in line with your specialist/technical skills), whilst additionally keeping up to date with changing legislation, industry trends and developments. You’ll collaborate with colleagues across Ireland, the UK and globally, supported by our state-of-the-art IT systems and software management tools.
You will be responsible for the following:
Providing technical direction and high-level input into specialist ecological surveys, reports and projects including peer review of Environmental Impact Assessment, Strategic Environmental Assessment, Ecological Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment.
Attendance at client project meetings and acting as lead consultant with clients providing ongoing high-level ecological technical inputs. Clients include developers, local authorities, the Environmental Protection Agency, industry, re-wilding projects and local interest groups.
Design, management and delivery of specialist habitat and species surveys, analysis and evaluation of results and impact assessments with the support of the team.
Providing clients with timely advice with respect to their obligations under the Habitats Directive and other relevant ecological and environmental legislation, including biodiversity mitigation measures, management planning for biodiversity, offsetting and enhancement.
Project Management including scoping, budgets and staff resources, delivering to client deadlines and expectations, regular progress reporting to the Technical Director and to clients.
Proactively participate in the Performance Management process to ensure delivery of own, and the wider team’s objectives. Proactively participate in the preparation of weekly updates and status reports, time management reporting, and the recording and reporting of key performance indicators.
Win new work by independently identifying new opportunities, preparing and overseeing the preparation of fee proposals, and contributing to commercial tender submissions with the support of the Senior Management Team.
Acting as line manager to team members - supporting individuals to manage their workloads and deliverables, providing mentorship and supporting with setting and achieving their professional goals.
You’ll find that the nature of your work is varied, challenging and fast paced as you manage or contribute to the delivery of technical projects for our clients, supported by our multi-disciplinary team of environmental professionals.
Our team is comprised of a broad range of skills and experience, creating a collaborative, positive and enjoyable learning environment. This presents an opportunity to work on a varied range of projects, broadening skills and experience all the time with an emphasis on continued professional development and training to develop your career within our company.
ResponsibilitiesWhat you’ll receive in return:We value all our people and the contributions they make to our business, so it’s important that our rewards make us all feel valued here. That’s why we offer a flexible reward and benefits package, allowing you to choose the things that matter most to you, including;Non-contractual profit share scheme.Excellent development and career progression opportunities.Appropriate training to enhance your knowledge base to build your confidence and enable you to become more effective.Lifestyle benefits: Minimum 25 days annual leave + public holidays, opportunity for up to 10 days unpaid leave, sabbatical leave, flexible working options.Well-being benefits: (inc Private Medical, Health Assessments, Gym allowance). Company contribution towards eye tests and glasses (for computer/laptop users), and Flu Vaccinations. Also, our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) provides free and confidential support for issues including work, family, relationships, money and health and we provide free fruit in our offices.Financial Benefits: including a Pension Scheme with employer pension contributions up to 9%, Life Assurance and Income Protection Travel benefits: Season Ticket Loan, Cycle to Work Scheme, Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme (for personal use) DNV is an Equal Opportunity Employer and gives consideration for employment to qualified applicants without regard to gender, religion, race, national or ethnic origin, cultural background, social group, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age or political opinion. Diversity is fundamental to our culture and we invite you to be part of this diversity. QualificationsWhat will you bring?Those who join our team strive to be the very best at what they do, with a strong emphasis on quality, accuracy, client care and project ownership. You’ll be highly motivated, with a natural curiosity and desire to learn. We also want you to share our passion for the environment, making a difference, and utilising your skills to solve real world problems. For this specific opportunity we would also expect you to bring the following:Qualification in ecology or related scientific subject or equivalent and membership of CIEEMDemonstrable knowledge of the Irish and UK planning and development process and experience in all applicable wildlife and conservation legislation as well as UK and Irish Planning and Development legislation.Proficient in conducting and managing ecological surveys with specific experience in evaluating and analysing data, predicting impacts and designing mitigation strategies.Excellent report writing, oral communication and presentation skills, with the ability to build relationships with stakeholders and convey clear and concise information both written and verbal to colleagues, clients and third parties.Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and the use of spreadsheets and databases. Demonstrates a quality focus and high attention to detail.Demonstrable people and project leadership qualities, evidencing ability to collaborate positively as part of multi-disciplinary teams and as part of a planning led team on larger projects.Passion for supporting the development of others through training, coaching and mentoring.