Associate Director (Ecology)

We would like an experienced and charismatic individual, someone who shares our vision and values and will inspire, support, and help grow the ecology team.

This is a full-time position, based at Head Office, although we are open to hybrid and flexible working, so this role may be suitable for candidates further afield.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Lead complex and challenging projects including client liaison, tender preparation, and financial control to ensure effective delivery to Keystone high standards with the support of the Technical Director;
• Input into resource and workload planning including effective line management of in-house and external staff;
• Fieldwork and technical report writing, including peer review and quality assurance;
• Business development including proactive development of client base and commercial opportunities and contribution of material that might be used for marketing collateral e.g. articles, blogs, case studies; and
• Support and contribution to the company vision and business objectives

Core Requirements:

• Varied experience within ecological consultancy sector
• Excellent technical report, fee proposal and tender writing capabilities;
• Ability to identify risks and opportunities, avoiding/minimising the former and capitalising on the latter;
• Experience of leading, mentoring and line managing internal employees and sub-contractors;
• A proven aptitude for understanding clients’ requirements and delivering these on time and within budget, without compromising industry standards;
• An excellent working knowledge of UK and European legislation and the planning system, particularly in negotiating effectively with regulators;
• A proven track record in the design and implementation of practical, innovative, and achievable mitigation strategies for protected species;
• Experience of writing the ecology chapter of an Environmental Statement;
• Ability to balance and manage priorities, and maintain good working relationships with clients and colleagues whilst working under pressure;
• An area of specialism, botany, bats and ornithology being the most desirable, and holder of 1 or more protected species survey and/or development licences; and
• Sound experience of using the biodiversity metric for purposes of quantifying net gain.

You can easily apply by visiting our LinkedIn page or sending a CV and covering letter to jobs@keyenv.co.uk.

Alternatively, to find out more about the role and to arrange a confidential informal conversation, please get in touch with our Origin Environmental recruiting team.

Senior Ecologist

This position is based at our head office location just outside Tetbury in the heart of the Gloucestershire Cotswolds. The office is situated not far from Stroud, recently voted the best place to live in the UK.

Your primary responsibilities would be:

• Project management of small-medium scale projects
• Technical report writing (at senior level)
• Assisting with client liaison, quotes, and budget management
• Resource and workload planning
• Leading complex surveys, including supervision of in-house and external staff
• Supporting and contributing to the Ecology Team’s vision and objections

The successful applicant will also have the unique opportunity to work alongside our in-house habitats team, who work directly with our ecology team, to develop and deliver bespoke mitigation and enhancement schemes that provide genuine and lasting benefit for wildlife.

Core requirements:

• Project management experience
• Technical report writing experience (at senior level)
• Ability to identify risks and opportunities, avoiding/minimising the former and capitalising on the latter
• Experience of leading, mentoring and organising surveyors
• An excellent working knowledge of UK and European legislation and the planning system
• Ability to balance and manage priorities, and maintain good working relationships with clients and colleagues whilst working under pressure
• Fee proposal capabilities

Additional beneficial experience:

• An area of specialism (aquatic, botany, ornithology, invertebrates and bats of particular interest)
• Holder of one or more survey and/or development licences
• Sound experience of using the BNG metric
• Experience of design and implementation of practical, innovative, and achievable mitigation strategies for protected species
• Capable of higher-level technical writing (e.g. ES ecology chapters)

What Sets us Apart and What Does the Future Hold for Keystone

The business has been successfully running for 20 years, adapting to change, and maintaining growth turnover and commercial stability. It operates across all industry sectors on projects at all scales including some of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects. In addition, the company takes on specialist conservation driven projects and is rapidly expanding its BNG services, which builds on an enviable track record of success in habitat creation, restoration, and mitigation from both a design and practical implementation perspective. The projects are delivered nationally from the head office in Gloucestershire.

Keystone differs from other consultancies in that it includes an in-house Habitats contracting team, which means the ecologists truly benefit from the practical knowledge of what mitigation, habitat creation, restoration and management schemes work, and ecologists can see the fruits of their labour translate into reality on the ground.

The team has a professional family feel and strives to ensure that fun is part of working life whilst ensuring the outstanding company reputation for excellence in all fields is maintained. Quarterly staff appreciation days are routinely held.

What We Provide

• Competitive salary pending experience
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Option for hybrid working
• Company vehicles for meetings and site attendances
• Quarterly staff appreciation events
• Community incentives and volunteering opportunities
• Continued growth and career progression including annual CPD & training budget
• Company pension and sick pay
• Private medical insurance
• Access to internal Mental First Aid Qualified staff
• Idyllic office location in the Cotswolds with on-site parking