Are you passionate about nature conservation or seeking a career change from traditional ecological consultancy? Join us as a Nature Recovery Assistant and help create a Wilder Derbyshire, where people and wildlife thrive together.
We are looking for an early-career ecologist eager to support genuine nature recovery projects and develop into a valued member of our advice team.
This role is within DWT’s professional ecological consultancy team, Wild Solutions. You’ll join a growing team of dedicated ecologists, providing professional ecological services on the Trust’s land and externally to a wide range of clients and stakeholders, including businesses, councils, and private landowners.
At Wild Solutions, we specialise in evidence-based, stakeholder-focused conservation projects driven by place-based ecosystem service provision, nature-based solutions, and rewilding. In this role, you will work on diverse projects, supporting ecological surveys, habitat management, and large-scale biodiversity strategies.
What we can offer you
- Flexible working options: we have adopted a 9-day working fortnight meaning all full-time staff get a non-working Friday every fortnight
- 33 days annual leave including bank holidays, we also have a festive shut-down so all staff get the days between Christmas and New Year off in addition to their leave entitlement
- Climate Perks (extra leave granted for staff using more green, sustainable transport)
- 9.5% employer pension contribution
- Electric bike and car salary-sacrifice schemes available
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Life Assurance Scheme
- Personalised Development programme designed to enhance your knowledge and progress your career
- A multi-disciplinary business, with opportunities to work on a wide range of projects, developing your experience and skills
- A close-knit, friendly and supportive team, with a relaxed office atmosphere
About you
This role might be right for you if:
- You have some experience undertaking ecological surveys (botanical or species surveys) in a professional context
- You are passionate about nature recovery in the UK and understand the main challenges to nature
- You are willing to learn and develop within the role
- You are a good written and verbal communicator and confident in speaking to a wide range of people
- You are an early-career ecologist with practical experience in survey work and identification of British fauna and flora
- You are enthusiastic about the potential of rewilding and green finance/nature economy to deliver nature recovery
We are happy to talk flexible working
This role will be based at our office in Middleton although a balance of home and office working will be allowed. We are a local charity so applicants should be easily able to access our office and other locations around the county.
Interviews are planned for Thursday 15th May 2025
For more information please refer to the job description and key terms attached. To apply, please specify in your application how you meet the criteria identified within the Person Specification in the Job Description document. If you have any questions about the role which are not answered in the attached documents, or require adjustments to the application process, please either email recruitment@derbyshirewt.co.uk or call 01773 881188.
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
We’re committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and believe that everyone should have access to nature. We expect people to work harmoniously with each other and with volunteers, and to provide help and guidance to others when needed.
As a small charity, our employees need to be willing to be flexible about working arrangements and willing to provide occasional cover for absent staff. We want people to develop professionally and personally while working with us and employees are encouraged to participate in the range of opportunities available to enable this.
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust is an equal opportunities employer that strives to be a diverse and inclusive environment in which everyone is valued. We welcome applications from eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.
We recognise that our workforce needs to represent the communities and people we work with. We particularly encourage applications from underrepresented groups within Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the wider charity and conservation sector, such as people from Black and Ethnic Minority backgrounds and those who identify as LGBTQ+.
We are proudly a Disability Confident Commitment employer. The scheme is helping us recruit and retain great people to meet our workforce needs. As a member of the scheme we interview anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role.
