Strategic Ecologist

Help deliver biodiversity improvements at landscape scale and support nature’s recovery
on the UK’s largest railway region

We are looking for a senior consultant ecologist, with a significant level of applied
experience, who can bring their strategic vision and ambition for positive change to make a
real impact for nature on one of the UK’s largest transport networks. The role will steer and
implement biodiversity improvements throughout Network Rail Eastern Region’s 6,042 route miles.

This job offers the opportunity to work in a friendly, collaborative atmosphere, combining the
Wildlife Trust Consultancies and Network Rail teams, working together to engage with key
internal and external stakeholders and deliver radical improvements to biodiversity on the
region’s many and varied trackside habitats. The successful applicant will also have the
opportunity to work with innovative new technologies, including data gathering tools, tech and
GIS, to organise ecological information.

Day to day, the Strategic Ecologists will work under the guidance of the Wildlife Trust
Consultancies Project Manager, leading in the production of core project deliverables, with the
support of Operational Ecologists. Initially in the first year, they will collaborate to ensure
best-practice, consistency and practical feasibility of deliverables across the routes. The
Strategic Ecologists will use their strong ecological knowledge to lead the production of the
project team’s outputs, including;

• Biodiversity Inventory for the lineside estate
• Biodiversity Action Plans with overarching objectives for Routes
• Habitat Management Plans to guide how the objectives will be put into practice
• Pilot development of implementation for future stages, including monitoring programmes
• Supporting stakeholder engagement throughout the region
• Supporting integration of plans into day-to-day working practices and standards

Background

The Wildlife Trust Consultancies (WTCs) have been engaged by Network Rail to deliver an
extensive Biodiversity Plan throughout their Eastern Region, which runs from London to the
Scottish borders.

The work forms part of the implementation of Network Rail’s National Biodiversity Action Plan
and associated commitments;

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/sustainability/biodiversity-on-britains-railway

East Midlands Environmental Consultants (EMEC) are leading the project, supported by 5 WTC’s,
of which Future Nature (FN) is one, responsible for the Greater London & Anglia route.

Working for the Wildlife Trust Consultancies

Let’s be honest, not all ecological consultancies are the same. At the WTC’s, we want to do the
very best for nature, and ALL our profits are reinvested back into our respective
Wildlife Trusts, to support conservation efforts directly on the ground, in countryside and
communities, rural and urban.

We also want to do the best for our employees. We prioritise your work-home life balance by
offering flexible working arrangements, and we commit to supporting you professionally through
our Personal Development programme.

Benefits of working with us:

• Generous annual leave entitlement with paid birthday leave, wellbeing days, urgent personal
  business leave and generous occupational sick pay
• Flexible working to achieve work-life balance
• Salary exchange pension with 7% employer contribution
• Learning & Development Programme for all
• Wellbeing initiatives including qualified Mental Health First Aiders, YuLife benefit
  package – access to our EAP, providing you with immediate and confidential help for any work,
  health, or life matters; 3x life assurance, online GP access prescription service, a variety of
  discounts
• Salary sacrifice Cycle scheme & Electric Vehicle scheme
• A multi-disciplinary business, with opportunities to work on a wide range of projects,
  developing your experience and skills.
• Opportunity to work on a huge range of projects, from high profile schemes with nationally
  significant clients, through to smaller scale conservation-focused projects.
• A close-knit, friendly, and supportive team, including support from your host WTC and
  Wildlife Trust.
• Family-friendly organisation with incredibly strong work ethic and shared goals for
  wildlife and people.

We want our people to be as diverse as nature, so we particularly
encourage applications from people who are underserved within the
communities in which we operate. This includes people from visible
ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities (including those
who are neurodivergent), the LGBTQ+ community, those from lower
socio-economic backgrounds, and younger people. We are committed to
creating an organisation that recognises and truly values individual
differences and identities.