Principal Ecologist

Are you passionate about biodiversity and protecting the natural environment? Do you want to work with many partners with the same aims? Then please keep reading. About the team & role: Communities and businesses are counting on us to manage and enhance the natural and historical environment in our beautiful county and its varied landscapes. Through developing understanding and partnership working, we rise to this challenge and strive for a sustainable Gloucestershire. It is work to be proud of and has the power to ensure lasting improvements to people's lives whilst making genuine contributions to biodiversity with long term benefit. As part of our specialist Heritage Team, you will work with colleagues, partners and councillors to ensure the council meets its statutory obligations, standards and targets in relation to conserving and enhancing biodiversity. You will advise the council on its own plans, policies, and services, including contributing to a new Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Gloucestershire, managing local authority land, and determining council, minerals and waste developments. You will work closely with partner organisations such as the Wildlife Trust and Local Nature Partnership and represent the council on biodiversity matters alongside other organisations and partnerships. Office base will be Shire Hall, Gloucester, but the role will be flexible with a mix of homeworking, office days and some site work.

Your knowledge of biodiversity and related regulatory and consenting schemes together with your communication skills will be at the heart of this invaluable work and central to its ongoing success. Excellent negotiating and engagement skills, especially with regards to partnerships, will be as critical as your knowledge and experience of the natural environment., If you have a genuine desire to make a difference and can back this up with a proven track record of giving useful ecological advice and have a relevant qualification, we'd love to hear from you. Click the "Apply Now" button to find out more and take the next step., We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire's diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential. It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a 'customer facing role' must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English. Hybrid working arrangements are available for the majority of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing individual and service needs, with a mix of both remote and office working.

As part of the team in return for your hard work you will receive:

• Flexible and agile working opportunities
• Annual leave entitlement of 25.5 days rising to 30.5 after 5 years continuous service (pro rata)
• Supportive and positive working environment
• Excellent Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential, counselling and advice for employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Links to employee networks such as Prism (LGBT+) network and the Young Employees Network.
• Gloucestershire Salary Sacrifice Green Car Scheme (T&C's apply).