Ecologist Apprentice (Level 6) – (Leeds)

JACOBS U.K. LIMITED

Leeds (LS11 9DX)

Closes in 24 days (Monday 5 January 2026)

Posted on 10 December 2025

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Summary

As part of our Sustainability & Biodiversity team, you'll join the Jacobs community of over 100 apprentices and 200 ecologists in the UK and Ireland. You'll work on some of the world's most exciting environmental and development projects, supporting conservation of wildlife across both large-scale schemes and smaller projects.

• Wage:

  £21,000 a year

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

  Along with a competitive salary, your benefits will include company-funded private medical insurance, pension plan, life assurance, income protection, reimbursement towards professional development and memberships.

• Training course: Environmental practitioner (Degree) (level 6)
• Hours: Typical: Monday-Friday, 8am–6pm core hours. In spring–summer, working hours may be redistributed to survey changing species activity patterns (e.g. 4–5am dawn birds, 10–11pm bats/amphibians). Work and rest schedules will be adjusted to compensate.

  40 hours a week

• Start date:

  Tuesday 1 September 2026

• Duration:

  4 years 5 months

• Positions available:

  1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

• Shadowing experienced ecologists and receiving mentoring to build confidence in ecological survey methodologies across the UK (e.g., habitat surveys, protected species surveys such as bats, water vole, or badgers)
• Collecting, recording, and managing ecological data to professional standards
• Supporting colleagues in preparing ecological reports, impact assessments, and mitigation strategies for planning applications
• Learning how to interpret and apply UK wildlife legislation, planning policy, and industry
• Participating in project meetings, contributing to discussions on survey design, project timelines, and client requirements.
• Building transferable skills in teamwork, communication, and problem‑solving, with ongoing guidance

Where you'll work

1 City Walk
Leeds
LS11 9DX

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

HARPER ADAMS UNIVERSITY

Training course

Environmental practitioner (Degree) (level 6)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Apply complex environmental principles and methods to projects that integrate with the built or natural environment.
• Design, develop or manage safe and sustainable environmental solutions, be able to identify challenges these solutions pose, and assess the opportunities to deliver practical solutions that integrate with the built or natural environment.
• Balance views of potentially conflicting drivers related to environmental, social and financial constraints, and demonstrate critical analysis in the design, development or management of environmental projects.
• Apply and comply with policies and regulations, including those relating to the environment, health and safety, legal, planning and equality and diversity, and with their organisation’s formal procedures and practices.
• Determine and manage the collection, analysis, and evaluation of data used in the development or delivery of environmental solutions drawing appropriate conclusions and making practical recommendations.
• Apply, analyse and evaluate a broad range of environmental methods (utilising appropriate software and digital solutions), to inform and enable decision making within the development or delivery of environmental solutions. This includes assessing data suitability, validity, quality, and accuracy relative to its intended application.
• Effectively and safely manage tasks or projects, within environmental, legal, contractual and statutory requirements, to agreed time and resource budgets, and to agreed quality standards, through the application of appropriate project management tools and techniques.
• Deliver high quality accurate, well-structured documents and recommendations for the work for which they are responsible and are appropriate to those for whom they are intended.
• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with stakeholders and colleagues and support and guide team members to enable them to achieve the team’s objectives as well as their own. Actively seek and provide feedback, support decision making processes, and manage any conflicts that may arise in their work with integrity, fairness and consistency in decision making.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing in both formal and informal contexts, and with a variety of stakeholders. Listen actively to ensure the views of others are considered appropriately.
• Manage their own work independently within the limits of their ability, authority and responsibility, making use of support and specialist expertise when appropriate. Seek feedback on their performance, looking for ways to improve it.
• Develop their own professional competence, regularly updating and reviewing their CPD records and develop an extended network to support their professional development and maintain the required standard of, ethical behaviours and codes of conduct, associated with the environmental profession.
• Apply complex environmental principles and methods to projects that integrate with the built or natural environment.
• Design, develop or manage safe and sustainable environmental solutions, be able to identify challenges these solutions pose, and assess the opportunities to deliver practical solutions that integrate with the built or natural environment.
• Balance views of potentially conflicting drivers related to environmental, social and financial constraints, and demonstrate critical analysis in the design, development or management of environmental projects.
• Apply and comply with policies and regulations, including those relating to the environment, health and safety, legal, planning and equality and diversity, and with their organisation’s formal procedures and practices.
• Determine and manage the collection, analysis, and evaluation of data used in the development or delivery of environmental solutions drawing appropriate conclusions and making practical recommendations.
• Apply, analyse and evaluate a broad range of environmental methods (utilising appropriate software and digital solutions), to inform and enable decision making within the development or delivery of environmental solutions. This includes assessing data suitability, validity, quality, and accuracy relative to its intended application.
• Effectively and safely manage tasks or projects, within environmental, legal, contractual and statutory requirements, to agreed time and resource budgets, and to agreed quality standards, through the application of appropriate project management tools and techniques.
• Deliver high quality accurate, well-structured documents and recommendations for the work for which they are responsible and are appropriate to those for whom they are intended.
• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with stakeholders and colleagues and support and guide team members to enable them to achieve the team’s objectives as well as their own. Actively seek and provide feedback, support decision making processes, and manage any conflicts that may arise in their work with integrity, fairness and consistency in decision making.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing in both formal and informal contexts, and with a variety of stakeholders. Listen actively to ensure the views of others are considered appropriately.
• Manage their own work independently within the limits of their ability, authority and responsibility, making use of support and specialist expertise when appropriate. Seek feedback on their performance, looking for ways to improve it.
• Develop their own professional competence, regularly updating and reviewing their CPD records and develop an extended network to support their professional development and maintain the required standard of, ethical behaviours and codes of conduct, associated with the environmental profession.

Training schedule

• Level 6 Environmental Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship
• Harper Adams University
• The training will be block release

More training information

We provide support for accommodation and travel for block release weeks

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4)
• Maths (grade 4)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• Organisation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Team working
• Creative
• Initiative
• Curiosity
• Listening skills
• Interest in the environment
• Enthusiasm for learning

Other requirements

• At least grade C in three A levels / equivalent UCAS points OR a Level 3 Apprenticeship in construction or property-related discipline
• GCSE English and Maths (A*-C or 9–4) or equivalent
• A full UK driving licence, or willingness to actively work towards gaining one during your apprenticeship
• Permanent right to work in the UK
• Interest in ecology and the environment, and enthusiasm for learning new skills in the field and office
• Willingness to travel and stay away from home to conduct fieldwork
• Willingness to take ownership of your work and learn from experiences
• Flexibility to work unsociable hours, including early mornings and evenings when surveys require
• Able to communicate clearly and willing to develop your writing and speaking skills

About this employer

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. Our business focuses on providing solutions to future challenges such as climate change, the need for renewable energy, low carbon economies, transportation, and material resource and waste management. While we shape some of the very largest and most challenging landmark projects in the UK, we also deliver local projects that protect communities.

https://careers.jacobs.com/en_US/careers/EarlyCareers (opens in new tab)

Disability Confident

A fair proportion of interviews for this apprenticeship will be offered to applicants with a disability or long-term health condition. This includes non-visible disabilities and conditions.

You can choose to be considered for an interview under the Disability Confident scheme. You’ll need to meet the essential requirements to be considered for an interview.

After this apprenticeship

Jacobs is committed to building careers and supporting personal growth, through the Global Career Framework, the Chartership Academy Program, the Employee Networks & Communities of Practice, and a culture of collaboration and sustainability. Jacobs provides support to chart your career path, supports your professional accreditation, enables you to connect with hundreds of ecologists across the globe and work on projects that matter.

This apprenticeship is the first step in a permanent role with us. Successful completion of the apprenticeship places you in Jacobs’ established career framework, with clear opportunities to continue developing and progressing your career.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

HARPER ADAMS UNIVERSITY

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000004131.

Apply now

Closes in 24 days (Monday 5 January 2026)

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