About Us John Wenman Ecological Consultancy is a well-established ecological consultancy with a good reputation for providing high quality, professional advice. We are seeking an Assistant Ecologist to join our friendly team on a full-time basis to be part of our increasing project portfolio. Our work covers a varied range of projects for clients in the private, commercial, public and charity sectors. We work on projects that include ecological appraisals and ecological impact assessments, biodiversity net gain assessments, expert witness work, conservation and research, and protected species survey and mitigation, with a focus on conservation-led bat survey and mitigation. Supporting the development of our employees is important to us and we provide the tools and training to enable your career progression, providing you with a generous training budget to help you develop your skills and specialisms. As a smaller team, there will be opportunities to be a key part of our projects as your career progresses. Staff wellbeing is key to our approach, and we support team members with flexible hybrid working arrangements from home and our office to help support your balance of family and working life, with additional support from a friendly team. With an established local client base, our projects are mainly in the south east and often local to our Berkshire office, which is in a rural setting. The Role We are looking for an enthusiastic ecologist to join our team on a full-time basis (37.5hrs per week) to help us with a wide range of project work, which will include: Assisting with habitat surveys using the UK Habitat Classification and Biodiversity Net Gain tools and metric; Assisting with preliminary bat roost assessments and emergence surveys; Assisting with protected species survey and mitigation work; Assisting with data management and report writing; The role will require evening and night work and may include occasional stays away from home. Person Specification A successful candidate would usually have: Degree in ecology, biology or relevant discipline; Previous experience of ecological fieldwork; Desire to learn with a keen interest in wildlife; Good understanding of ecological survey and mitigation techniques and policy, legislation and guidance, Full driving licence and use of own vehicle for business; Membership of CIEEM or eligibility to apply for membership. Excellent report writing and data management skills with a close attention to detail; Good interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a close knit team; Willingness to be based within commuting distance of our Wokingham office and occasionally work away from home. The following skills and experience would be beneficial: Experience of using GIS software (especially QGIS) for habitat mapping; Experience with the UK Habitat Classification system; Experience of using bat detectors and bat call analysis using BatExplorer or similar software; Experience of data management and report writing; Registration under Natural England protected species licence(s); Masters degree in ecology, biology or a relevant discipline; What We Offer In return, successful candidates will join a small, friendly team of staff based in rural surroundings just outside Wokingham with the following benefits: Training opportunities with external providers using a generous training budget; Staff socials and in-house training; Payment of professional membership fees; Budget for field equipment and work wear; Flexible working arrangements with TOIL. Contributory pension scheme; 25 days holiday