Job Title: Senior Ecologist

Location: Southerham

Salary: £35,924.18

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: 35 per week Mon-Fri

Closing Date: 27/04/25

Interview Date: 15/5/25

Sussex Wildlife Trust

To deliver our new strategic plan - Our Wild Sussex - we need people with bold and innovative ideas to help us to achieve our ambitions for local wildlife and wild places.

We are committed to restoring and protecting at least 30% of Sussex land and sea for nature, inspiring one in four people to take meaningful action for wildlife, building a stronger more inclusive and diverse organisation and becoming a net zero and climate resilient organisation.

We are looking for the best and most talented people to join our team and help us deliver this exciting and ambitious strategy. We are keen to hear from you even if you don't have all the skills and experience outlined in the Job Description but have the potential to grow into a role.

So, if you are someone who is determined to see a Sussex rich in wildlife and you have drive, energy and commitment to our values of Innovation, Passion, Collaboration and Inclusion why not apply now to join our great team, working together to deliver Our Wild Sussex.

We are in the process of looking for a new office location to replace our Woods Mill offices in the coastal strip from the wider Brighton & Hove area to Worthing or near a mainline railway station as far north as Haywards Heath. We are prioritising proximity to public transport (buses and trains), access to greenspace and accessibility for everyone.

In order to encourage diversity and inclusivity within the environment sector, we particularly welcome applications from people who have an ethnically or geographically diverse background, who are non-graduates and/or are living in economically deprived areas

The Role

We are looking for an exceptional, passionate and highly experienced Ecological professional to join our Nature Reserves Team as Senior Ecologist. Our nature reserves are at the heart of Sussex Wildlife Trust and represent some of the most special places for wildlife in Sussex. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone to undertake an important and influential position within the hard-working Nature Reserves Team and help coordinate our strategic approach to ecological monitoring and nature recovery across our 30+ nature reserves. This senior role will work alongside our Head of Nature Reserves, Conservation Grazing Manager and the wider Reserves Team to help oversee ecological evidence and monitoring across sites from Rye Harbour to Iping Common. You will prioritise, implement and articulate our Ecological Monitoring Strategy, ensuing effective evidenced based advice and decision making is embedded into the management of our nature reserve portfolio. You will coordinate ecological surveys, prioritising financial resource and engaging consultants and the volunteer recording community across Sussex. You will use this data to produce high quality and informative conservation advice and reports for Site Managers and Rangers to use in management decisions. You will also get involved in designing ambitious restoration projects alongside Site Managers and Project Officers ensuring both that projects are compliant with environmental regulations but also achieve nature's recovery on our reserves.

The Person

You will be an experienced ecological professional with a passion for Sussex wildlife and extensive ecological specialism at a species level but also have a good understanding of nature reserve management. You will be able to confidently and clearly communicate and influence decision making within the Nature Reserves Team, building a scientific evidence-based approach through the development of the Ecological Monitoring Strategy, to help ensure our nature reserves continue to flourish. You will be able to manage and coordinate complex ecological data and undertake effective reporting. This role will work across 35 hours predominantly Monday to Friday with some early morning, evening and weekend work on seasonal occasions. This role will be both office and site based, and you will be out and about undertaking multiple site visits throughout the year.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays each year (pro-rated for part time staff)
Pension - company contribution from 6% and employee contribution of 3%
Life Assurance - Pension Scheme Members 2 x Salary, Non-Pension Scheme Members 1 x Salary
2 days paid leave for volunteering each year
Flexible working policy
Enhanced Sick Pay
EAP
Employee discounts
Informal car share arrangements

For more detailed information see what we offer page in the Recruitment Pack.

We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and may close the vacancy early so please get you application in as soon as possible.

Sussex Wildlife Trust

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