Ecologist

Location: Castle Quay Central Banbury
Salary: Pay Scale G - £37,073.00 - £42,065.50 per annum pro rata rising to £38,370.50 - £43,537.00 from 1st April 2025.
Contract: Full time 37 hours OR Part Time permanent, agile and flexible working supported.

The Role

This is an exciting opportunity for an ecologist with LPA or private sector experience to join our specialist team of urban design, conservation and ecology officers. Supporting our Senior Ecologist, you will play a crucial role in ensuring biodiversity is at the heart of place making. As part of the team, you will be a consultee to planning applications and contribute to policy and guidance. You will be joining Cherwell at a good time as we move to our new offices at Castle Quay in central Banbury.

The Person

You will be an enthusiastic and appropriately qualified ecologist ideally with mid or senior level experience. You will be ready to secure Biodiversity Net Gain from our developments, working constructively with the development industry to achieve those aims, help develop our monitoring systems, and provide wider expertise to support nature recovery, environmental enhancement and good placemaking. If you are familiar with the development industry and enjoy working in a planning and design environment we would love to hear from you.

The Benefits:

The Council is an equal opportunities employer. We offer agile working, which means we don’t have a rigid work location. Our staff work from home and in the office to suit the business needs. Other benefits include:

A generous annual leave entitlement 27 days + Bank holidays.
Opportunity to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (Including generous Employer Contribution of 15.9% and the ability to transfer your private pension into the scheme)
EV Salary sacrifice scheme
Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
Ability to use an EV vehicle for site visits
Annual Flu Vaccination voucher
£25 Annual eye test voucher
Incremental pay award (awarded annually in April after one years’ service)
Flexible working policy
Town centre office close to the station, canal and all amenities.

Closing date: 10 February 2025.

Interview date: TBC

To arrange an informal conversation please email Nick Thomas, Urban Design, Conservation and Environment Team Leader [email protected]

Cherwell District Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults.