About us

The British Ecological Society (BES) is the biggest scientific society for ecologists in Europe with a membership of 7,000 in 125 countries around the world. We foster the study of ecology and support the ecology community at all stages of their careers through our journals, meetings, grants, and education and policy work. The first ecology society to be established anywhere in the world, we have been the champion of ecology for more than a century and our vision is for nature and people to thrive in a world inspired by ecology.

We actively value the diversity and wide range of perspectives that people from different backgrounds bring to their work, to ecology and to our Society.

About you

We are seeking an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual with demonstrable knowledge of grant administration and excellent customer service skills and attention to detail. You will also need to have good IT skills, with knowledge of Microsoft Office.

You will assist the BES in the management and development of our grant programme, funding original research, outreach and training for ecologists around the world. You will be joining the Society as we embark on an exciting new project to refresh our grant programme so that it continues to meet the needs of the global ecological community. You will also offer important support to our 19 Special Interest Groups, which focus on specific areas of ecology.

About the role

Reporting to the Society Programmes team, the Grants and Community Engagement Officer will:

• Manage and develop the Society’s grant programme
• Ensure appropriate and robust decision-making systems are in place for the allocation of all grants
• Manage the peer-review process and be the primary point of contact for applicants throughout
• Provide support and advice to our volunteer-led Special Interest Groups, enabling them to reach and build their communities, increase engagement and drive BES membership

The successful candidate will become part of a team seeking to excite and inspire our various audiences in ecology at a time when our science has never been more relevant for society. You will be based at the BES offices in Central London.

For more information on the role, a full job description, including person specification and competencies is available on the link below.

Applicants must have the right to live and work in the UK. Successful applicants will need to provide evidence that they have the right to live and work in the UK. The BES is unable to provide visa sponsorship and unable to hire anyone living outside the UK.

BES Staff Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays and additional festive leave between Christmas and New Year
• Well-being programme
• Employee Assistant Programme
• Salary sacrifice pension (matched by the BES up to 7.5%)
• Hybrid working
• Cycle to work scheme (after probation)
• Training budget (after probation)