Business Support Administrator

Darwin Ecology; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job description

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Salary £24,000 - 28,000 (dependent on skills and experience) + excellent annual bonus

Based in any one of our offices, near Farnham (Bentley, East Hampshire), in Bristol and Shaftesbury (Dorset).

We are looking for a proactive, organised and super efficient Business Support Administrator to join our team of ecological consultants who work across our three regional bases.

The successful candidate will be expected to support the business with a range of administration and client liaison tasks and, although previous experience in an ecology consultancy is not essential, must share our passion for wildlife conservation.

Job Role:

As our Business Support Administrator, you will be the initial point of contact for new clients, with primary responsibility for responding to general enquiries so it’s important you’re a people person. You will ensure the admin / logistics requirements of the team are taken care of, allowing them to focus on their ecological project work.

Although previous experience or a good knowledge base in ecological consultancy would be advantageous, the ideal candidate could have a transferable skill set from other consultancy or project management related fields, eg. planning, environment, architecture, construction. Ecological training can be given in house, giving you the confidence to give accurate advice to initial enquiries in regard to survey guidelines and legislation and to signpost a range of queries.

Your tasks will include:

• Managing a busy email inbox, dealing with enquiries and initial requests from new clients;
• Preparing and issuing quotes and tender documents;
• Linking clients in with their Project Manager and ensuring timely communication;
• Scheduling surveys and liaising with subcontractors;
• Assisting with invoice queries;
• Creating social media posts;
• Ensuring our project management system and other documents and databases are up to date;
• Developing systems and processes that help streamline our work for increased efficiency and great customer service;
• Other general office tasks as required, ordering supplies etc.

Essential skills and experience:

• Administration experience within a small to medium size business;
• Demonstrable team and independent working skills;
• An understanding of the work we do as ecological consultants;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Proven success of working in a busy team and managing team logistics;
• Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines;
• Ability to undertake all of the above whilst maintaining a sense of humour and positive team spirit;
• Although the role is primarily office based, applicants will need to hold a UK driving licence and have their own vehicle, as some travel to support with ecological surveys may be required during our busy summer survey season.

Additional skills/experience that would be considered advantageous include:

• Experience with project management software and facilitating virtual meetings;
• Experience within an ecological consultancy;
• Experience of the planning system and associated technical processes such as Environmental Impact Assessments, Habitats Regulations Assessments and Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments;
• Membership of CIEEM;
• Ecological survey licences.

Above all, we’re looking for an organised and proactive team member, a confident communicator and problem solver with a passion for the environment.

What Can We Do For You?

A career at Darwin Ecology offers great opportunities for growth and professional development and we strive to ensure that our employees work in an environment that is supportive, fair, challenging and enjoyable.

The Business Support Administrator will contribute to the development of systems and processes within the business whilst working as part of a passionate, dynamic and friendly team, in return increasing their knowledge and experience of wildlife conservation in the ecology sector.

In addition to a fair and representative salary, reflective of experience, benefits include:

• A generous profit-linked annual bonus scheme;
• Minimum 24 days annual leave increasing with time;
• Opportunity for flexible working hours and hybrid working;
• Pet-friendly offices;
• Apple Mac and work phone provided;
• Regular whole team training days and staff social events;
• Structured TOIL system.

Who Are We?

Darwin Ecology is a well-established ecological consultancy with a great reputation for providing professional, innovative and conservation-led schemes. The company thrives on a collaborative approach between our offices near Farnham (Bentley, East Hampshire), in Bristol and Shaftesbury (Dorset). Together we provide a broad range of expertise to enable bespoke solutions for our clients across the south and south west of England.

Our role as consultants is to assist our clients to realise their development ambitions through the planning process whilst also delivering our core ‘Integrated Conservation’ ethos. We find solutions to deliver this on every project through the protection, mitigation and enhancement of wildlife opportunities as part of the built environment.

Educating and enthusing people we work with to share our goals for a wilder future is an important part of working at Darwin. Our work covers a diverse range of small to medium sized projects across a range of sectors.

We are an equal opportunities employer and value diversity on our team.

Why Are We Different?

A big part of Darwin Ecology’s ethos is a hands-on approach to mitigation and enhancement measures when it comes to the final stages of a project. We are passionate about designing bespoke solutions to any problems that arise on site and encourage our team to get creative and think outside the box when it comes to supporting our clients.

There will be opportunities for the right person to develop in their role over time, becoming more involved with business development or ecology projects. We aim to strengthen your existing specialisms, whilst being supportive about exploring your passions and taking your career forward in the direction you choose.

How To Get In Touch

To apply for this position, please submit a recent CV and cover letter to [e-mail].

Applications will be reviewed on receipt and suitable candidates will be invited for an interview, either online or in-person.

To find out more about us, please visit our website www.darwin-ecology.co.uk or contact [e-mail] with any queries or to arrange an informal call to discuss the role further.

Seniority level

• Entry level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Administrative