Balfour Beatty Vinci has an exciting opportunity for Senior Ecologist to join our team based in Coleshill, Birmingham, working on the HS2 project.
About The Role:
To support the BBV Construction Sublots, BBV Ecology Team, Ecology Technical Specialists and Ecology Junior personnel with: Oversight and management of a small team of ecology personnel;
Reviewing and authorising ecological permits to enable construction works.
Project management of ecological mitigation works packages to enable construction activities.
Providing pragmatic support and advice to BBV construction teams, environmental managers and sub-contractors to deliver ecological mitigation requirements to programme and to the HS2 Technical Requirements, and to policy and legal requirements.
Working with the BBV Arboricultural Lead on arboricultural mitigation for construction and the links with ecological mitigation for construction.
What You'll Be Doing:
Supporting the development and implementation of robust and comprehensive ecological mitigation measures to avoid, minimise and then manage ecological risks, working collaboratively with the whole project team.
Preparing and reporting on ecological mitigation deliverables for Construction including Construction ESMPs, Biosecurity Management Plans, Protected Species Licence method statements; PWMS; Ecological related construction consents; ecological survey data; and Ecological chapters of the CEMP.
The following qualities/experience are essential:
Strong project management experience and good organisational skills.
Knowledge and experience of ecological management and mitigation for major infrastructure projects.
Educated to degree or Masters level in Ecological related subject.
Understanding of ecological legalisation for development and HS2 Full UK driver’s licence and flexibility to travel Protected species licence holder; desirable to be a mitigation licence holder.
Good understanding of environmental management for construction sites.
Understanding of the utilities/construction/engineering operating environment.
Literate in MS Office – Word, Excel, Outlook & GIS.
CIEEM Membership or equivalent Excellent experience of ECOW working on large scale infrastructure construction/highways projects.
Experienced with communicating with Natural England on projects species licences.
Why work for us:
Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) is responsible for designing and building part of the most exciting and challenging infrastructure project in Europe: HS2. We are building the West Midlands section of HS2's Phase One route, spanning approximately 90km from Long Itchington in Warwickshire to the centre of Birmingham and on to Handsacre in Staffordshire. We will be employing thousands of people from the region to design and build the civil infrastructure for HS2 and we are looking for a wide range of skills to join the team and support this unique and ground breaking project.
Diversity and Inclusion:
We aim to be a leader in equality, diversity and inclusion by creating a safe inclusive working environment for all - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership. We are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging all staff to engage in a diverse range of year round learning opportunities and provide personal development opportunities. Our aim is to attract more people from diverse backgrounds to help us build on our inclusive culture.
Disability confident:
We care about being inclusive and that means we encourage applications from people with diverse set of backgrounds and experiences. BBV is Disability Confident committed, and we welcome applications from candidates with a disability.
Flexible working:
Flexible or agile working is encouraged at BBV and we recognise the value and diversity of candidates which this can bring to our business operations. Not every role can provide a variety of working patterns to suit people's personal needs however we are happy to discuss agile working opportunities at BBV with you.
About Us
Balfour Beatty VINCI is a long established joint venture between two global leaders in the delivery of critical infrastructure. Working together for over 30 years, we have been successful in delivering a number of significant infrastructures; creating unrivalled expertise and capability across rail, highways and aviation sectors in the UK and beyond.
In 2008, we announced our formal alliance with the aim of delivering modern and innovative solutions to the UK's infrastructure needs. Since then, our collaboration has gone from strength to strength. We've successfully bid and delivered many key projects for Crossrail and Highways England Smart Motorways Programme. Balfour Beatty VINCI is a powerhouse for critical infrastructure.
Are you looking to progress your career by working on Britain’s biggest construction project?
Balfour Beatty VINCI is working with a range of organisations to design and build 90km West Midlands stretch of HS2 - Britain’s new high speed railway. Our work is essential to enable HS2 trains to travel between London and Birmingham. It’s an incredibly exciting time to join us - we’re at peak construction with work really ramping up on a broad range of assets including bridges, tunnels and viaducts. Plus you’d join 9,000 people across 72 nationalities working on this exciting section of HS2 across the region.
We currently have an exciting opportunity to join our team as a Senior / Principal Ecologist within the Sustainability function. This role will be based across multiple sites, Lichfield / Tamworth / Birmingham / Kenilworth.
HS2’s Green Corridor will run alongside the railway, creating a network of bigger, better-connected, climate resilient habitats and new green spaces for people to enjoy.
BBV, on behalf of HS2, have already started planting new woodlands and creating new ponds, grasslands and meadows, but the most challenging and exciting times are yet to come. Over the coming years, BBV will continue to create more habitats to sustain healthy populations of UK flora and fauna, providing a network of bigger, better-connected, climate resilient habitats and new green spaces for wildlife and people to enjoy.
Experience required
• Strong project management experience and good organisational skills
• Excellent knowledge and experience of ecological management and mitigation for major infrastructure projects
• Educated to degree or Masters level in Ecological related subject
• Excellent understanding of ecological legalisation for development and HS2 • Full UK driver’s licence and flexibility to travel
• Protected species licence holder; desirable to be a mitigation licence holder
• Good understanding of environmental management for construction sites
• Excellent understanding of the utilities/construction/engineering operating environment
• Literate in MS Office – Word, Excel, Outlook & GIS
• Good interpersonal skills and experience of overseeing junior personnel
• Excellent communication skills and a solution-driven attitude when hosting and contributing to meetings
• CIEEM Membership or equivalent
• Excellent experience of ECOW working on large scale infrastructure construction/highways projects
•Experienced with communicating with Natural England on projects species licences • Skills in working collaboratively to obtain the best outcome for the project
• Determination to see tasks through to completion with excellent planning
Please note candidates will need to have a current valid right to work in the UK to be considered for this role.
Benefits of working with us
• Car/ car allowance
• Flexible working available for some roles
• Free parking
• Travel allowance for eligible candidates
• Family friendly leave policies
• Excellent pension contributions
• Healthcare
• Health risk assessments
• Access to employee assistance programmes
• Access to annual flu vaccinations
About Balfour Beatty VINCI
Balfour Beatty VINCI is a long-established joint venture between two powerhouses for the delivery of critical infrastructure across rail, transport and other iconic projects in the UK and beyond. We started working together over 30 years ago to deliver the Channel Tunnel, as members of the TransManche Link consortium. In the Midlands, it is Balfour Beatty VINCI’s role to design and build the route, ready for tracks and signalling to be installed. Our work with HS2 Balfour Beatty VINCI have been awarded a 90km section of the HS2 project from Long Itchington in Warwickshire to the centre of Birmingham and then on to Handsacre in Staffordshire.
Overall, we will be building the following across all our sites:
• 9.3km of viaducts
• 62 overbridges
• 35 cuttings
• 56 culverts
• 62 embankments
• 2 twin bore tunnels and 2 cut and cover tunnels
• 28 underbridges and 11 underpasses
Diversity and Inclusion
Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) is delivering equal opportunities for everyone that is part of the team and for people that are yet to join us. We are an inclusive employer and welcome people from all backgrounds to come and join our team, including people with different physical abilities and neuro diversities. We are working to represent the communities Balfour Beatty VINCI works in through our workforce. We have embedded Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) Champions across our sites and are guided by strong accreditations that ensure we demonstrate our ability to support our people effectively. We care about being inclusive and that means we encourage applications from people with diverse set of backgrounds and experiences. BBV is a Disability Confident Leader and we welcome applications from candidates with a disability.
Flexible working
We recognise and respect that people work in different ways and we are open to discussing what flexibility you may need during the recruitment process, balanced against our project requirements