Senior Ecologist

Senior Ecologist

Location: Chilcompton, Somerset (hybrid)

Salary: £35,000 – £42,000 depending on experience

Contract type: Permanent, full-time

Reports to: Technical Director 

Closing date: 31st October 2026

About Bengrove Consult

Bengrove Consult is a specialist ecological consultancy based in Chilcompton, Somerset. We work across planning ecology, biodiversity net gain, known as BNG, and long-term habitat monitoring. Our reputation is built on technical rigour, strong botanical expertise and responsive, practical client service.

We are a small, skilled and growing team with an ambition to build one of the most technically robust habitat-monitoring practices in the South West. We take BNG seriously and believe ecological information should be genuinely useful, not simply technically compliant.

We invest in technology to collect ecological data efficiently and communicate it clearly. This includes digital field-data collection, passive acoustic monitoring, AI-assisted species identification, custom data pipelines and interactive reporting. Our aim is to give clients and land managers clear, visual and actionable information.

We are now looking for an experienced Senior Ecologist to become central to how we deliver our work.

The Role

You'll be the main point of contact for clients on active projects - attending meetings, fielding technical questions, managing project timelines, and making sure work gets done on time and to a high standard. Senior leadership handles business development and strategy; your job is to own delivery.

Day to day, that means:

• Managing client communications on active projects - responsively and confidently
• Attending client meetings and providing clear technical advice
• Preparing ecology reports for planning applications - written to be read, not just filed
• Leading BNG assessments and running Biodiversity Metric 4.0 calculations
• Conducting UKHab surveys and habitat mapping
• Occasional protected species surveys

You'll work alongside a data specialist who handles much of the BNG work - your focus is on client relationships and report delivery, not just GIS.

Person Specification

Essential

• Degree (or equivalent) in ecology, environmental science, biology, or a closely related discipline
• Significant ecology consultancy experience, including managing projects and client relationships
• Demonstrable experience of client-facing delivery - you have managed client relationships and are comfortable as the main contact
• Strong written communication skills: you write clearly for non-specialist readers, not just for planning officers
• Strong verbal communication: you can explain technical matters confidently to non-specialist clients and attend meetings independently
• Practical experience with BNG assessments using Biodiversity Metric 4.0
• UKHab survey experience
• GIS experience (QGIS preferred) for habitat mapping and spatial outputs
• Full, clean UK driving licence
• CIEEM membership (or working towards)

Desirable

• FISC Level 2 or above - botanical identification skills are core to our BNG monitoring work and are highly valued here
• Protected species survey licences or experience: bat survey (roost assessment / transect), dormouse (nest tube / PTES), breeding bird survey, reptile survey
• Experience with digital field data collection platforms (e.g. Coreo, ESRI Field Maps or similar)
• Experience preparing or contributing to HMMPs or long-term habitat monitoring reports
• Familiarity with EcIA methodology and planning ecology practice in England

Why Bengrove

This is an opportunity to join a small, high-performing team where your contribution will be visible and meaningful. You will work directly with the Technical Director and Operations Lead and will have genuine influence over how the company delivers its services.

You will undertake technically serious ecological work and play an important part in developing Bengrove’s BNG and habitat-monitoring practice. You will also have the opportunity to work with technology at the cutting edge of ecological monitoring, including passive acoustic monitoring, digital field tools, AI-assisted species identification, custom data pipelines and interactive reporting.

We offer

• Genuine Hybrid working from our Chilcompton, Somerset office 
• 33 days' holiday per year (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Life assurance scheme providing 4x annual salary cover
• Comprehensive income protection insurance
• Meaningful client relationships and professional development
• The opportunity to shape how a growing specialist consultancy delivers its work

Bengrove Consult is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.