Who we are:
Baker Consultants Ltd are driven by a passion for our people and the quality of our work. We have a thirst for developing new techniques & technologies; an obsession with the intricacies of nature conservation law, policy & best practice and how all these things interact with the work we do for our clients.
We don’t just chase high volume night-time ecology survey work – we seek out interesting projects and strategic advisory roles so that all our team can deliver commercial advice at all points of a project’s timeline. We can support projects from site acquisition, all the way through planning, public inquiries and onto the construction & monitoring phases.
If you were interested enough to read this advert, then hopefully you already know a bit about us and what we stand for. The majority of our core team have been with the business for around ten years, which is a testament to how much people value the training, culture & variety of work we do. We have an enviably low staff turnover rate, which hopefully shows how much value we place on our staff’s wellbeing and happiness at work.
Who we’re looking for:
Our current team are all based within 1hr of our Derbyshire office and due to our growing workload, we are looking for a talented Senior Ecologist to join us and ideally add some new skills to the team.
You will be supported to help grow your preferred area of interest, with the autonomy to manage your own Projects and time, developing your own role within the team. We encourage staff to manage their own workloads so they never become overwhelmed, including a short-term TOIL system to sensibly limit the number of night-time surveys & your time away from home. This approach has helped us to move away from the typical cycle of crazy summers and quieter winters, by spreading project demands more evenly over the year. We find this gives people a better level of control, which in turn leads to improved wellbeing and job satisfaction.
You may be working in another consultancy or a local authority and seeking the freedom to expand your horizons – or consolidate an area of interest which is currently untapped or unsupported. We are always open to new ideas, new technology and new ways of working and welcome input from all our staff, so that we can continue to be an exciting & supportive place to work.
You will ideally have at least 5 years consultancy experience, be comfortable speaking directly with clients and also able to manage a varied and dynamic workload. Quality and attention to detail is important – you will be able to prepare draft fee quotes and written reports to a high standard. The ability to undertake Extended Phase 1 Surveys (or UKHAB) is expected, alongside experience of undertaking a wide range of Phase 2 surveys for protected species.
Those candidates with a strong interest in botany / Biodiversity Net Gain, an interest in developing HRA expertise or licensed bat workers are strongly encouraged to apply, as we can offer excellent opportunities to help you develop these skills further.
What we can offer you:
We are a small but highly effective team, who have always used remote working to give our staff the maximum amount of flexibility so they can find the best work/life balance that suit their personal circumstances. We are entirely focused on adding the best people and those with the right attitude to the team – so your current (or preferred) location in the North is not necessarily a limiting factor and you will be given the necessary equipment needed to support you regularly working from home.
We also actively support our staff to pursue areas of training and CPD that interest them, alongside regular internal training sessions and shadowing opportunities with members of our highly experienced technical team.
We offer a competitive salary of £28k – £36k (dependant on experience) plus a bonus scheme, alongside a range of other benefits, including 25 days of annual leave (plus an extra 3days for the Christmas closure) and a contributory pension scheme.
We’ve recently won two categories at the CIEEM awards, but don’t let that put you off! So whether you’re into research, passionate about a particular survey technique, interacting with clients or a niche area of ecology then please get in touch.
For an informal chat and to learn more about the role, please call Gavin Ward (Consultancy Director) on 07795 122 464. Alternatively, you can email your CV and a covering letter to jobs@bakerconsultants.co.uk to apply.