Somerset Council

This two-year local government graduate scheme focuses on climate adaptation and civil engineering infrastructure, training public sector graduates to research environmental data, maintain project documentation, and coordinate civil works that protect regional communities from flooding and erosion.Make a real difference from day one as a Flood & Coastal Project Engineer Graduate with Somerset Council. In this role, you’ll work alongside experienced planners and Flood Resilience teams, helping to deliver projects that protect communities from flooding and support areas adapting to coastal change.You’ll build hands-on experience by supporting research, working on real projects, and collaborating with colleagues and partners across Somerset. It’s a great opportunity to learn on the job, develop your technical and project skills, and see the direct impact of your work on local places and people. If you’re looking for a role where you can grow, feel supported, and do work that genuinely matters, Somerset Council is a fantastic place to start. Role Summary:As our Flood & Coastal Project Engineer Graduate, you’ll support teams delivering projects that help Somerset manage flooding and adapt to coastal change, while building your own skills and experience along the way. You’ll make a real difference by contributing to research, analysis and project work that helps protect communities and strengthen resilience across the county. Working closely with colleagues and partners, you’ll play an important part in improving services, supporting key programmes, and helping Somerset Council create safer, more sustainable places to live and work. What you'll do - Key Responsibilities: Support the delivery of flood and coastal resilience projects by assisting with research, analysis, and day-to-day project activities.Work with colleagues and managers to help implement improvements to systems, processes and ways of working across the service.Provide technical and administrative support to project teams, helping ensure projects are delivered efficiently and effectively.Help maintain project documentation, track progress, and support coordination of project meetings and activities.Build and maintain positive working relationships with internal teams, external partners, and stakeholders.Use your initiative to manage your own workload, prioritising tasks to meet deadlines and team objectives.Contribute to problem-solving by identifying challenges and helping to develop practical solutions with support from senior colleagues. Take part in training and development opportunities, building your skills and knowledge as part of the graduate programme.Support wider team activities where needed, providing flexible assistance across different projects and workstreams. What We’re Looking For – Knowledge, Experience and Skills:EssentialA relevant degree or equivalent qualification, with a classification of at least 2:2 (obtained within the last 3 years).Understanding of operational systems, processes and procedures.Strong technical and IT skills.Knowledge of equality, diversity and inclusion principles.Awareness of health, safety and wellbeing practices.Experience working independently and using your own initiative. Ability to prioritise tasks and manage your time to meet deadlines.Experience undertaking research and analysis.Strong communication and interpersonal skills.Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, partners and stakeholders.Good organisational skills and ability to manage a varied workload.Ability to assess the level of support needed and respond appropriately.Commitment to continuous professional development. Desirable:Knowledge of project management principles and practices.Experience coordinating or supervising work to meet team or Flood and Coastal objectives.Experience supporting the delivery of complex Flood and Coastal projects.Problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.Experience maintaining project documentation and supporting meetings.Additional technical or IT-related qualifications.Project management or related certifications.Professional certifications relevant to the Flood and Coastal area. Additional Information: Fixed-term contract for 2 years.Full-time, 37 hours per week.Professional Development Plan will be provided across the 2 years; including cohort training sessions around skill development and reflective practice. Flexible and hybrid working opportunities Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for VISA sponsorship.

Posted today

This two-year structured graduate ecologist role within Somerset Council focuses on providing ecological advice for planning applications, conducting fieldwork surveys, managing GIS mapping data, and implementing local nature recovery initiatives like Biodiversity Net Gain ($BNG$).Join Somerset Council as a Graduate Ecologist and begin building your ecology career in a role that offers real responsibility, practical experience, and the support you need to develop. You’ll be involved in a mix of planning, fieldwork and nature recovery activity, helping to deliver ecological advice that shapes how Somerset grows while protecting its natural environment. This includes reviewing ecological information, supporting surveys, and contributing to biodiversity initiatives such as Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), nutrient neutrality, and local habitat projects.At Somerset Council, we’re looking for a motivated individual with a positive, can-do attitude, a willingness to learn, and a foundation in ecology. An understanding of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), protected species and habitats is important, but you don’t need to know everything - if you’re ready to develop, we’ll support you every step of the way.You’ll play an important role in helping the Council balance development with environmental protection, while building hands-on experience in surveys, data management, GIS and ecological assessment. As part of a knowledgeable in-house team, you’ll benefit from structured training, mentoring, and exposure to a wide range of projects, giving you the opportunity to grow your skills and make a meaningful contribution to Somerset’s natural environment. Role Summary: As our Graduate Ecologist, you will support the delivery of ecological advice across planning, development and nature recovery activities, helping to protect and enhance Somerset’s natural environment. In doing so, you’ll contribute to informed, sustainable decision-making, ensuring biodiversity and ecological considerations are embedded in the Council’s work and long-term priorities.  What you'll do - Key Responsibilities: Support the delivery of ecological advice on planning applications and pre-application enquiries, helping to ensure development considers biodiversity and environmental impacts.  Review and summarise ecological reports, including habitat assessments and protected species surveys, to support decision-making.  Assist with Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessments, including metric calculations, with training and supervision.  Take part in ecological fieldwork, including habitat and protected species surveys, supporting data collection and reporting.  Contribute to nature recovery projects, including habitat creation, restoration and monitoring linked to local strategies.  Maintain ecological data, records and GIS mapping, ensuring information is accurate and supports analysis and reporting.  Support project delivery and administration, including recording actions, outputs and outcomes for biodiversity initiatives.  Work collaboratively with colleagues, partners and stakeholders, building effective working relationships across projects.  What We’re Looking For – Knowledge, Experience and Skills:Essential Degree (minimum 2:2) in Ecology or a related subject such as biology, environmental science, conservation or geography, within the last 3 years.  Basic knowledge of UK habitats and protected species.  Interest in planning, development and nature recovery within a local government context.  Ability to collect, manage and accurately interpret ecological data.  Good written and verbal communication skills.  Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise tasks.  IT literacy, including Microsoft Office.  Enthusiasm, reliability and a proactive approach to learning.  Ability to speak fluent English in line with role requirements.   Desirable Understanding of ecological legislation and policy (e.g. Wildlife and Countryside Act, Habitats Regulations) or willingness to develop knowledge.  Practical ecological field survey experience (voluntary or paid). Basic knowledge of UKHab classification and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) metric. GIS experience (e.g. QGIS or ArcGIS).  Membership (or student membership) of CIEEM.  Knowledge of Local Nature Recovery Strategies or biodiversity policy.  Additional Information: Fixed-term contract for 2 years. Full-time, 37 hours per week. Professional Development Plan will be provided across the 2 years; including cohort training sessions around skill development and reflective practice.  This position offers flexible hybrid working and a strong work-life balance, with most work carried out from home and no set office days.Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for VISA sponsorship. 

Posted 2 days ago