Location

Scotland (home based, with travel across Scottish reserves)

Hours

Full Time - 37.5 hours per week

Salary

£33,027 per annum

About the Role

We are seeking an ecologist to drive forward Biodiversity Enhancement potential in Scotland, playing a key role in bolstering Scotland’s ability to tackle the nature crisis. This role sits at the heart of our operational involvement with Biodiversity Enhancement, ensuring delivery of bigger, better, and more joined-up nature restoration. The post holder will work closely with SSEN Transmission and RSPB Scotland teams to identify, assess, and establish a pipeline of projects for delivery on RSPB Nature Reserves. This is a fixed-term 3-year post that can be based anywhere in Scotland and will involve travel across our Scottish reserves. Core responsibilities include assessing on-reserve projects against SSEN Transmission’s Biodiversity Enhancement metric and RSPB Scotland’s ecological priorities, developing suitable projects that deliver priority conservation objectives within the Scottish planning system, advising on ecological aspects to maximise conservation benefits, developing Habitat Management Plans, and evaluating and revising habitat management through ongoing observation and analysis.

Additional Information

This role is home based and will involve lone working, with occasional weekend and evening work. The RSPB is committed to environmental sustainability and expects all employees to act in accordance with its Environmental Policy and objectives. The contract may be extended or made permanent depending on business needs. The role requires a UK driving licence due to the remote nature of many reserves. The RSPB is an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity and inclusion.

RequirementsExperience

• Using net gain biodiversity metrics (ideally the SSEN metric) to design habitat restoration projects within a Scottish context
• Conducting habitat and species surveys using UKHab (Phase 1, NVC desirable) to a high standard
• Developing habitat management plans to achieve ecological goals
• Collaborating in multi-disciplinary teams and maintaining strong stakeholder relationships
• Managing records and data using databases and mapping software such as ArcGIS, QGIS, Merlin, and standard ecological survey software
• Confidently and safely accessing and working in remote areas across Scotland

About You

• Flexible and solutions-focused with a strong desire to find ways forward when existing approaches are challenging
• Excellent personal time management and prioritisation skills to meet project deadlines and partner requirements
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to compile assessments, plans, reports, and convey technical information clearly

Qualifications

• A UK driving licence is essential
• Desirable: Experience in nature reserve management planning and wildlife habitat creation projects
• Knowledge of Scottish designation, wildlife and environmental legislation, and planning policy
• Experience in design and delivery of habitat enhancement or restoration schemes
• Experience with monitoring and compliance checks for net gain delivery
• Experience working within planning or development contexts
• CIEEM membership and FISC level 3 or above are advantageous