Principal Ecologist

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

Jacobs places a strong emphasis on work-life balance and flexibility. The company is open to discussing hybrid, part-time, and flexible working hours, patterns, and locations to accommodate both employee and business needs.

About The Opportunity:

Jacobs has an exciting opportunity for a Principal Ecologist to work on high-profile projects such as the East Coast Rail Infrastructure Protection Projects, the largest Coastal Protection project in Europe, and BusConnect. The successful candidate will join a team of eight full-time staff in Ireland, primarily based in Dublin and Cork, supported by Ecologists in the UK. This role offers excellent career prospects both locally and internationally.

The Principal Ecologist will be part of a diverse and highly skilled team of over 200 ecologists in the UK (600 globally) and will collaborate with hydrologists, geomorphologists, engineers, planners, and project managers to provide support and advice to clients. The role involves ensuring ecology input is considered by project teams, acting as the first point of contact, and providing high-quality technical advice with the support of the wider team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Utilizing experience in Environmental Impact Assessment and Appropriate Assessment.
• Developing and sharing skills to build team and individual resilience.
• Engaging with global communities of practice, participating in conferences, presentations, client meetings, and training events.
• Working in multidisciplinary teams to ensure ecology requirements are recognized and addressed.
• Acting as the first point of contact for expert advice to clients and stakeholders.
• Engaging with internal and external clients, customers, and environmental regulators to develop future workstreams, opportunities, and pipelines.

Minimum Requirements:

• A background in ecology with significant relevant industry experience.
• Chartered membership of a professional body (or experience to obtain chartership).
• Experienced in running medium to large scale projects.

Our Culture

Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and diversity. We put people at the heart of our business and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees. Find out more about life at Jacobs.

We aim to embed inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we're more connected, and if we are diverse, we're more creative. We accept people for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, mental health, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you're pregnant or on family leave. This is reflected in our wide range of Global Employee Networks centred on inclusion and diversity.

Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain diverse talent. As a Disability Confident employer, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role.

If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process, please contact the team.

Your application experience is important to us and we're keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. We welcome feedback on our recruitment process and if you need more from us before deciding to join Jacobs then please let us know.