Principal / Associate Ecologist

Location: London / Hybrid Working
Salary: Negotiable, dependent on experience and commercial track record
Position: Full-time, Permanent

Bennett & Game are pleased to represent an established international environmental consultancy seeking a Principal / Associate Ecologist to establish and grow its UK ecology practice.

This is not a conventional senior ecology position. Rather than joining an established team, the successful individual will have the opportunity to build the UK ecology offering themselves, with the backing, infrastructure and existing international workload of a successful environmental consultancy.

Founded in 2009 by two British environmental consultants, the company initially grew internationally before establishing its UK operation in London in 2015. It now employs approximately 80 people internationally and operates established environmental practices across the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia, including a significant existing ecology capability.

The UK is now a key area for future growth. The successful Principal / Associate Ecologist will initially benefit from international ecology work while developing UK clients, ultimately creating a self-sustaining UK practice and recruiting a team around them.

The business has historically backed entrepreneurial individuals to develop their own specialist divisions, with successful senior employees progressing through to Partnership.

• Establish and grow the company's UK ecology practice.
• Develop new and existing client relationships across the UK.
• Identify opportunities and support bids, proposals and business development.
• Deliver and oversee ecological consultancy projects.
• Provide senior technical advice to clients and colleagues.
• Collaborate with established international ecology teams.
• Recruit and manage additional ecologists as the UK workload grows.
• Shape the services, structure and long-term direction of the ecology team.
• Support international projects where appropriate, including potential overseas travel.

• Significant experience within UK ecological consultancy.
• Principal, Associate or comparable senior-level experience.
• Strong client-facing and relationship management experience.
• Commercial awareness and confidence developing new business.
• Existing industry contacts or client relationships would be highly advantageous.
• Experience managing ecological projects and teams.
• Relevant protected species licences highly desirable.
• Strong understanding of UK ecology, planning and development.
• Entrepreneurial approach with an interest in building and leading a new practice.
• Comfortable working autonomously and collaborating internationally.

• Negotiable salary dependent on experience and commercial capability.
• Company performance and objectives-based bonus scheme.
• Clear opportunity for progression towards Partnership.
• Partner-level bonus structure upon progression.
• Hybrid / remote working flexibility with access to the London office.
• Significant autonomy to build and lead the UK ecology practice.
• Existing international ecology workload and technical support.
• Opportunity to recruit and develop your own team.
• UK and international project exposure.
• Potential international travel.

This represents an excellent opportunity for a commercially minded senior ecologist looking to move beyond simply managing projects and instead build, lead and have genuine ownership over the development of a UK ecology business.

Bennett and Game Recruitment are a multi-disciplined technical recruitment agency based in Chichester, West Sussex operating across the UK with specialist teams covering a range of industries.

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