Ecologist (integrated degree)

About the role

This occupation is found in a range of organisations including ecological consultancy, local authorities and  non-governmental organisations, government agencies and in the private sector. Work is likely to take place in the field or site, whether terrestrial, inland waters or at sea, as well as in an office environment. 

The broad purpose of the occupation  is to research the relationships between plants, animals, people, and their environment, and the balances between these relationships. Commercially, some aspects receive more attention than others due to policy and legislation. Ecologists have an important role to play in balancing potentially conflicting demands between economic development and the environment to ensure biodiversity net gain and reduce negative impacts, climate change adaptation and mitigation. They have the ability to understand, interpret and apply appropriate law, planning, policy  and legislation relevant to environment, biodiversity and protected species.

Ecologists typically undertake a significant proportion of practical work on site  as part of their job as well as being in the office and, or a laboratory. They will be proactive in identifying problems and areas of business improvement and  will propose innovative ideas and solutions. They will work safely and ethically in all contexts and many companies operate under highly regulated conditions related to health and safety and stakeholder confidentiality. Project  management and communication skills are integral to this role.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation is likely to interact with private companies, local authorities, government departments, other ecologists and consultants, commercial partners as well as any other interested stakeholders. They will be required to show effective written and verbal communication skills, both within their immediate teams and across disciplines and stakeholders.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for a range of technical and scientific activities, which may include significant field-based investigations and, or analysis and interpretation of data generated by fieldwork. They will analyse, interpret and evaluate relevant scientific information, concepts and ideas and use these to plan and implement surveys or investigations, write reports and propose solutions to problems. They will apply their knowledge of underlying scientific principles  to implement new processes based on existing knowledge, published guidance or input from senior team members and provide advice. This may include providing advice during the planning of developments from small residential to major infrastructure scale. They will be able to provide and implement solutions meeting the needs of the growth agenda while minimising adverse impact on the environment. Ecologists, whether working as consultants, scientists or in the policy arena will be able to work both autonomously and as part of a wider team, taking responsibility for the quality of the work that is undertaken, to deliver scientific value to their organisation.

Consultant Ecologist; Ecological Scientist or Landscape Ecologist.

Ecological Scientist:  typically, these would work in academia, a research organisation or statutory agency and would produce, review, analyse and disseminate data and information.

Consultant Ecologist: these would be located either in a specialist consultancy or a large multi-disciplinary organisation requiring ecological skills for their core business. Typically, these would liaise directly with the client, carry out field-based site investigations, interpret the findings and report these back to the client, and develop mitigation strategies to minimise adverse impacts on habitats and species while also seeking to identify opportunities for ecological enhancement to a site.

Landscape Ecologist: these would typically work in a multidisciplinary team, such as a Local Authority, or a non-government organisation (NGO), using ecological and other data to develop strategies and policies.