Senior Ecologist - Terrestrial / Fresh Water

Atkins Ireland is a member of SNC-Lavalin, one of the world’s leading providers of engineering and environmental professional consulting and support services with offices across Ireland.

Atkins is seeking a Senior Ecologist to join our Environment team - to work alongside engineers, environmental scientists, and other staff on our portfolio of infrastructure projects in Ireland, particularly in the infrastructure, water, energy and transport sectors. Office Location is flexible (with the option of hybrid working). Atkins currently has offices in Dublin, Cork and Galway.

We are currently looking to appoint a confident individual who:

• Can work well both as part of a team and independently.
• Is capable of organising and managing ecological input to environmental projects.
• Has strong project management skills, including technical delivery, client liaison and programme delivery.
• Has strong organisational, technical, numerical and communication skills and can demonstrate logical thinking and concise reporting.
• Can support Senior Consultants and PMs in the delivery of key projects.
• We are open to senior ecologists who specialise in either terrestrial or freshwater skills. However, competency in habitats / botany, ornithology, terrestrial mammals, and / or bats would be looked on favourably.

Responsibilities / Requirements:

• A degree in ecology or related subject.
• Working towards chartered membership of relevant professional body (e.g., CIEEM, or equivalent professional body).
• A minimum of 5+ years relevant post-graduate experience within a consultancy environment.
• Experience in the preparation of high-quality reports to required best practice standards; including Ecological Impact Assessments (EcIA), Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEA), and biodiversity chapters for Environmental Impact Assessment Reports (EIAR); as well as Appropriate Assessments.
• Detailed knowledge of Appropriate Assessment process within Ireland.
• Good working knowledge and demonstrable understanding of relevant planning and ecological / environmental legislation, and technical guidance and industry standards / best practice, particularly in the preparation of ecology reports.
• Experience of project and budget management.
• Experience of the design and co-ordination of ecology surveys.
• Experience in undertaking ecological field surveys as well as mentoring junior staff.
• Knowledge of managing data using GIS (QGIS, MapInfo or ArcGIS) is desirable.
• Experience in engaging with external stakeholders as necessary.
• A full clean driver's licence.

About Us:

At Atkins we put Sustainability at the heart of our business strategy. We possess a significant breadth of knowledge and depth of skills and experience for the ultimate benefit of our clients. We build long-term trusted partnerships to create a world where lives are enriched through the implementation of our ideas. Together with our clients, we’re always striving to find better ways to get things done. We are a certified CPD Accredited employer with Engineers Ireland and we were named Engineers Ireland CPD Employer of the year in 2021.