Job profile

Greater Cambridge Shared Planning is a shared planning service across both South Cambridgeshire District Council and Cambridge City Council, and one of the most dynamic and high-profile Local Planning Authorities in England.  We are currently looking to recruit a Senior Ecologist into an exciting new role to join our team of specialists as they help deliver Biodiversity Net Gain across our jurisdiction.

Joining the well-resourced Natural Environment Team at Greater Cambridge Shared Planning, this role complete a team of three Ecologists, Tree officers and Landscape Architects within the specialist consultancy arm of this award-winning LPA.

The successful candidate will enter our service at a time when development pressures are high, but where the aspirations of Councillors to protect and enhance our biodiversity are also high. Both Councils declared a Climate Emergency in 2019, with South Cambridgeshire District Council adopting a Doubling Nature Strategy in Feb 2021, and a Biodiversity SPD in Feb 2022. The council sees itself as a “green to the core” council and is eying ambitious targets for Biodiversity Net Gain in its developing Local Plan. The council also places a great deal of emphasis on staff wellbeing and CPD and you will be well supported in this role.

You will sit within an experienced, and motivated team who ensure that planning and development does not damage our remaining biodiversity but enhances it and you will be working as part of the Greater Cambridge Planning Service, a joint offering of South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge City, coming together to make a difference to spatial planning and biodiversity.

To successfully deliver this role, we would need you to provide sound advice and guidance on planning applications and be able to demonstrate the following attributes:

Essential Criteria

A degree in Ecology or a related subject.

A minimum of 3 years’ experience within an Ecology role or as a Local Government Ecologist and knowledge of Ecology within the UK planning system ideally including:

• An understanding of Biodiversity Net Gain and the use of the Standardised Biodiversity Metric
• An understanding of the relevant National Planning Policy Framework
• Experience of conducting protected species surveys
• Experience of evaluating reports
• A familiarity of GIS 
• The ability to handle complex workloads and deliver to deadlines
• Experience of writing reports for a non-expert audience
• Ability to make key decisions quickly and efficiently
• Good time management skills
• Ability to work alone and as part of a team
• Excellent communication skills

Desirable

• Experience as a Local Government Ecologist
• Local knowledge of the Greater Cambridge area
• Knowledge of Environmental Statements for applications that qualify for EIAs
• Knowledge of EIA Scoping and Screening opinions
• Knowledge of Habitat Regs Assessments and Appropriate Assessments
• Professional membership of CIEEM or equivalent (we can support this)
• Knowledge of District Level Licensing for great crested newts
• Working knowledge of key Judicial Review decisions and how they affect the way planning application are dealt with by the planning system (Woolly vs Cheshire East Borough Council, and Morge vs Hampshire County Council for example).
• A sense of humour

We are currently taking part in a 4 day working week (32 hours per week) to improve recruitment and retention and support the wellbeing of our colleagues. You can read more about it here 4-day week trial or talk to us about the detail of this flexible benefit we have been offering.

We anticipate that this post will begin ASAP.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Daniel Weaver (Principal Ecologist) on 01954 713402, or John Cornell on 07766114267

Closing date: 9am Friday May 10^th 2024

Interviews:  Mid May 2024