Principal Ecologist

Location: East of England
Closest Office: Peterborough
Salary: £50,000 - £65,000

Overview

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Principal Ecologist to join a leading employee-owned environmental consultancy. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to regionally and nationally significant projects while playing a key role in technical leadership, project delivery, and team development.

Aligned with the Peterborough office, this role offers the flexibility of hybrid working and the chance to work across the East of England. If you are passionate about ecology and looking for a role with influence, technical depth, and career progression, we would love to hear from you.

Responsibilities

As a Principal Ecologist, you will:

• Lead and manage ecological surveys and assessments across diverse projects.
• Provide technical input during tender and proposal stages, including survey design and resourcing.
• Produce and review Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEA) and protected species reports.
• Prepare and oversee Ecological Impact Assessments (EIA) and associated technical inputs.
• Develop mitigation strategies, ecological management plans, and method statements.
• Deliver and review Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessments.
• Manage and support protected species licence applications.
• Act as an ecological lead during construction phases, including Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) input.
• Mentor and develop junior and mid-level ecologists within the team.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, contractors, and internal colleagues.

Qualifications

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Extensive experience in ecological consultancy, typically 8+ years.
• A proven track record in delivering PEA, EIA, and protected species work.
• Experience preparing and overseeing mitigation strategies and ecological management plans.
• Demonstrated involvement in Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessments.
• Natural England protected species licences (particularly bats), with experience as a named ecologist on mitigation licences being desirable.
• Experience acting as or supporting Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW).
• Full membership of CIEEM.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organisational and time management abilities.
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to travel occasionally across the region.

You will also be proactive, dependable, and comfortable working both independently and as part of a team, with a genuine interest in supporting others and advancing your career.

Day-to-Day

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Overseeing ecological surveys and assessments.
• Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality project outcomes.
• Providing mentorship and guidance to team members.
• Engaging with clients and stakeholders to ensure project success.
• Preparing technical reports, mitigation plans, and ecological assessments.
• Contributing to the development of innovative ecological solutions.

Benefits

• A Principal-level role with significant influence over projects and team development.
• Flexible and hybrid working options, including part-time arrangements.
• A supportive and collaborative employee-owned culture.
• Structured career development and training opportunities.
• Access to conferences, events, and internal innovation programmes.
• Varied and technically engaging project work across the East of England.
• A stable and well-established ecology team with strong multidisciplinary links.