Environmental Specialist (Ecology)
South East Water Uk
In-house ecologist advising on protected species, surveys, mitigation and licensing.
20 days ago ago
£40,000 - £50,000
Expert & Leadership (13+ years), Intermediate (4-7 years), Experienced (8-12 years)
Full Time
Snodland, England, United Kingdom
Hybrid
Company Size
1,100 Employees
Service Specialisms
Water Supply
Water Treatment
Sustainability
Customer Service
Network Operations
Sector Specialisms
Water
Utilities
Environment
Infrastructure
Leakage Detection and Management
Water Quality Testing
Microbiology
Inorganic Chemistry
Role
What you would be doing
contract audits
technical reporting
policy updates
ecological design
survey mitigation
work review
- Support with engaging and contributing to environment team and project meetings and liaising with stakeholders and regulators.
- Manage and audit contractors and contract documents to ensure environmental risks are effectively represented and managed. Participate in scheme and programme meetings.
- Prepare and coordinate technical reports to a high standard to meet internal, stakeholder and regulatory requirements.
- Preparing update briefings and updating policies when legislation, guidance and best practice are updated.
- Provide environmental advice on how the project should proceed and likely environmental sensitivities of a project. This will ensure each project is programmed and executed in a well-planned way in line with environmental constraints, so that environmental risk are avoided or appropriate controls in place.
- Input into design to minimise ecological impacts in the most effective way while also enabling South East Water to carry out its business. Work on detailed reporting, consultation and setting out mitigation on key issues such as protected species and sites.
- Responsible for influencing design to minimise ecological impacts, and to plan and carry out appropriate survey and mitigation where required. Responsible to communicating this to Project Teams / Managers. Also providing training and updates across the business.
- Check and review work prepared by others, internal and external.
What you bring
scientific degree
gis
driving licence
chartered
botanical survey
project management
- Experience with aquatic environments.
- Degree ideally in a scientific discipline or relevant work related area.
- Experience obtaining and managing protected species licences.
- Full, clean driving licence and ability to travel across Company region/areas as required
- Good knowledge of ecology relevant to South East England, including protected species, invasive non-native species, designated sites and biodiversity net gain.
- Strong botanical survey skills.
- Knowledge of relevant planning processes including Environmental Impact Assessment (Ecology Chapter).
- Ability to train others.
- The individual would be a skilled ecologist who is able to advise on a broad range of protected species and habitats, working out how best South East Water can carry out its functions in an ecologically sensitive way.
- Member of professional Chartership or working towards.
- Excellent communication with a wide range of internal and external audiences.
- Experience obtaining permission to work within designated sites, and managing this work.
- Additionally, as part of the employment offer, you will need to pass background, identity, and employment referencing checks.
- Minimum of two protected species Survey Licences.
- Use of GIS
- Robust practical environmental experience in survey and mitigation including supervision of works on site.
- Technically qualified environmentalist (with a degree, HND or equivalent work related experience) and demonstrable work experience.
- Experience managing projects including finances.
- Experience in biodiversity net gain.
- It is necessary for you to have the legal right to work in the UK when you begin employment with South East Water.
- 5 weeks holiday plus bank holidays per annum, increasing to 6 weeks with length of service.
- Health cash plan.
- Excellent Stakeholder pension scheme, up to 10% employer contribution.
- Life assurance.
- Paid volunteering days.
- Cycle to work scheme.
- Flexible annual leave policy to buy or sell holiday leave.
Information not given or found
Interview process
Information not given or found
Visa SponsorshipInformation not given or found
Security clearance- pass background, identity and employment referencing checks.
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Company
Overview
520 million litres
Daily water delivery
The company supplies over 520 million litres of treated and tested drinking water each day.
£433–489 million
Infrastructure investment
The company is investing £433–489 million between 2020 and 2025 to upgrade treatment works and expand networks.
500,000 tests
Annual quality checks
A 24/7 laboratory in Farnborough conducts over 500,000 quality tests annually to ensure water safety.
£200 million boost
Funding injection
The company received a £200 million funding boost in June 2025 to support its operations and growth.
- Founded in 1992 and restructured by merger in 2007, it has grown into a major regional water supplier.
- Draws from aquifers, rivers and reservoirs, treating at some 83 works before distribution.
- Project pipeline includes new reservoir at Broad Oak (operational by 2033), treatment works upgrades in Maidenhead and Maidstone.
- Focuses on network resilience—leak detection teams, smart meters, and buffer storage tanks to reduce interruptions.
- Environmental engagement includes working with farmers, monitoring SSSIs, and using dogs to protect wildlife during works.
- Privately owned under a mix of pension and trust entities.
- Notably endured a significant regulator investigation after households experienced supply failures and hosepipe bans.
- Employees are actively encouraged to become guardians of the environment—‘every action counts’ underpins all operational performance
- Commitment to health, safety and wellbeing: ‘We are compliant with health and safety regulations’ and ‘Ensure fair pay, reward and recognition for all our employees’
- Transparency of reporting and trusted corporate governance embedded in operations
- Emphasis on collaboration and partnerships: working with customers, communities, supply chain and academic/science organisations to deliver shared solutions
- Innovation-led mindset: integrates internal and external collaboration via Ofwat Innovation Fund to tackle sector-wide challenges
38% reduction
CO₂ Emissions
Achieved a 38% reduction in carbon emissions between 2015 and 2020.
98% Emissions Target
Operational Emissions
Targeting a 98% reduction in operational emissions by 2030, compared to 2018/19 levels.
12,637 Trees
Tree Planting
Planted 12,637 trees in one year, exceeding the annual target by 56%.
4% Fleet Electric
Electric Vehicles
4% of a 400-strong fleet consists of electric vehicles, with plans to expand via salary-sacrifice schemes.
- Published routemap in July 2021 detailing measures: energy efficiency, renewables, nature-based solutions, direct emissions reduction, and green energy procurement.
- Solar PV on ~20 sites planned, with battery storage pilots to support resilience and renewables.
- 25-Year Environment Plan (H25) focuses on safe water, climate change adaptation, sustainability of natural environment, and partnership working.
- Operational performance metrics: zero water deficit; zero breaches of abstraction/discharge consents; 1 pollution incident (2018/19); carbon emissions per customer at 36.3 kg CO₂e/year in 2018/19.
- Member of UN‑backed ‘Race to Zero’ campaign—no DEI goals evident on public site
- No explicit DEI strategy, targets or gender breakdown publicly disclosed via website or LinkedIn
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