Graduate Ecologist

We're looking for a Graduate Ecologist to join our Transportation team and assist on projects across the South of England.  Within this role you can enjoy 26 days annual leave, 24/7 Wellbeing Support Programme, and even more https://jobs.kier.co.uk/benefits/ 

Kier Transportation, build and maintain infrastructure for the highways, rail, aviation and ports sectors, with a common goal of connecting people. We provide transport solutions that are sustainable, long-lasting and that promote various methods of transport; and with a team of over 3,000 people, we enable hundreds of thousands of journeys every day. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a leading construction and infrastructure services company on our structured graduate development programme. These programmes have been designed to provide you with the experiences and tools needed for progression within your chosen career.  

 Location: South of England with some travel required 

 Starting Salary: £30,000 per annum  plus potential car allowance of £4,750 depending on eligibility 

 Pathway: Permanent, Full-time 2-year programme, leading to assistant level role upon completion with salary potential of CIRCA £38k  

 Starting date: September 2026  

We are unable to offer certificates of sponsorship to any candidates in this role. 

What will you be responsible for? 

As a Graduate Ecologist, you'll be assisting in the ecological team on various transportation projects.

Your day to day will include:

• Conduct ecological surveys and monitoring (plants, animals, habitats).
• Interpret data to identify trends, impacts, or ecological status
• Assist senior ecologists or researchers with ongoing projects.
• Contribute to environmental impact assessments (EIAs)
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams (e.g., planners, engineers)

How does the graduate scheme work? 

When you join, you will be enrolled onto our graduate scheme. The programme will take 2 years to complete and has been designed to equip you with the skills you need to excel in your chosen profession and help you achieve professional membership or chartership. 

You can find more details about our schemes here.

Benefits for you 

• Practical experience: gain valuable hands-on experience in your field.
• Skill improvement: develop technical and professional skills.
• Networking: build professional relationships and expand your network.
• Career insight: gain insights into your chosen industry and potential career paths. 

What are we looking for? 

We're looking for people due to graduate in 2026, or have recently graduated within the past three years, with a degree in Ecology or a relate field  

• Strong interest in ecology
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Hold a full UK driving licence.

Diversity and inclusion 

Making Kier a diverse and inclusive place to work is a high priority for us. We're proud of the steps we've taken so far, but we know we must always do more. Our employees are key in shaping Kier's diversity and inclusion initiatives, and our people have made a huge impact on how we work, by using their experiences to shape our policies. You can see our D&I action plan here. 

As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this role will be offered an interview. 

We look forward to seeing your application to #joinkier 

Recruitment timeline 

October 2025: Initial applications 

November 2025: Application reviews 

January 2026 onwards: Virtual and in-person assessment centres