Ecologist

**Hours: 18.5 per week**

**Contract Type: Permanent**

**Service Area: Sustainable Communities**

**Department: Planning and Conservation Team**

We are looking to appoint an ecologist at senior level. You will work within a team comprising a range of specialists including landscape, tree, conservation and planning professionals as well as a further two ecologists.

Bath and North East Somerset is a large and diverse area containing not only the internationally renowned City of Bath World Heritage Site, but also an extensive area of Green Belt, two AONBs, beautiful countryside and settlements. There is a rich and diverse natural environment with statutory designated sites - Special Protection Area - Chew Valley Lake, Special Areas of Conservation (Bath & Bradford on Avon Bats SAC and North Somerset and Mendip Bats SAC), Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Local Nature Reserves; also, non-statutory Sites of Nature Conservation Interest and Regionally Important Geological Sites. Bath & North East Somerset is home to a vast array of interesting and rare species and habitats.

You will be providing specialist advice to planning officers on a day to day basis to ensure that ecological matters are taken fully into consideration in the planning process including delivering Biodiversity Net Gain.

You will be expected to demonstrate a high level of experience as an ecologist working within a planning environment and giving effective ecology advice. You will have a high degree of autonomy, independently managing your own workload. One day you might be looking at proposals in Bath city centre close to the river corridor, the next, plans to extend an agricultural business; another day, new housing which might impact a valuable designated area.

The right person will help us meet the challenges of exciting levels of growth, at the same time as looking after our unique natural environment. The opportunity work in the World Heritage City of Bath and at the same time our wide rural area makes this a unique opportunity and a hugely attractive place to work.

We are a happy and positive team who all work well together and support one another. If you are forward thinking, ambitious, and keen to make a real difference in a world class environment and would like to join our team, we would be delighted to hear from you.

We support flexible working with the opportunity to move between the award-winning, modern Civic Centre in Keynsham and Council locations in Bath and Midsomer Norton and also to work from home.

Your main place of work will be the award-winning, modern Civic Centre in Keynsham, halfway between Bath and Bristol, easily accessible via car or public transport, with a train station 5 minutes’ walk away.

**Why B&NES Council?**

We offer a wide range of benefits, to ensure that you are paid fairly for your work, have the flexibility to enjoy a great work/life balance, and have the support you need. These include:

- A competitive salary package
- A range of flexible working and hybrid working options, including flexi-time, four regional offices and home-working, dependent on service requirements
- A generous holiday allowance and special leave provisions
- The Local Government Pension Scheme
- A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme - whatever life throws at you; we are committed to supporting you and your well-being at work and home
- Professional and personal development including in-house training and accredited qualifications including Aspiring Manager and Leadership Development
- Discount scheme including the VECTIS card that offers numerous local discounts including cycle to work and free entry to numerous local attractions with B&NES

**Interested to find out more?**

**To apply**

Bath & North East Somerset Council has one overriding purpose - to improve people’s lives. We have four core values which shape every aspect of our working life and how we look to the future. These values are to be **Bold, Empowered, Supportive **and** Transparent**.

**As an equal opportunities employer, Bath & North East Somerset Council is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and is opposed to discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender reassignment, or marriage and civil partnership.