Ecologist Apprentice (Level 6) – (Reading)

JACOBS U.K. LIMITED

Berkshire (RG41 5TU)

Closes in 31 days (Monday 5 January 2026)

Posted on 4 December 2025

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Summary

As an ecologist apprentice in our Sustainability & Biodiversity team, you'll join the Jacobs community of over 100 apprentices. You'll work on some of the world's most exciting environmental and development projects, with opportunities to support the conservation of wildlife across numerous 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: Monday to Friday, no weekend working. Hours to be confirmed/discussed, but core working hours are between 8am–6pm.

  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

• Report writing with the support of senior team members
• Site visits and follow-up reporting
• Technical drawing
• Attending meetings with clients
• Supporting your team with information gathering for reports
• Undertaking research to support report writing
• Working with team members to improve your technical knowledge
• Attending local office events to support your learning

Where you'll work

1180 Eskdale Road
Winnersh
Wokingham
Berkshire
RG41 5TU

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 day release

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
• Initiative
• Curiosity
• Listening skills
• Interest in the environment

Other requirements

At least 120 UCAS tariff points, a full UK driving license (or willingness to obtain one), willingness to travel and stay away from home, flexibility to work unsociable hours when required, strong written and verbal communication skills, an interest in ecology and the environment. As you will be undertaking your studies on day release, please ensure the journey is feasible for you and you can get there of your own accord. In order for us to consider your application you should have permanent Right to Work in the UK.

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

If you are successful in being offered a permanent role with Jacobs at the end of the apprenticeship, you will be given the opportunity for further development and qualifications, depending on the business needs and your capabilities and interests. Past apprentices have taken up ecologist and sustainability & biodiversity roles and have been given opportunities to work in different areas of the business, or at different locations across the UK if desired.

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

HARPER ADAMS UNIVERSITY

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000003967.

Apply now

Closes in 31 days (Monday 5 January 2026)

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