Contracts Manager - Habitats (Keystone Environmental)

Keystone Environmental is an Origin Enterprises business, forming part of the Environmental division.

At Origin Enterprises, we are dedicated to championing sustainable land use, and our Environmental teams support a diverse range of clients and projects—from land management and development to restoration and conservation.

Joining us means becoming part of a collaborative, purpose driven community where this collective expertise enables us to deliver high quality, fully integrated solutions and contribute to meaningful environmental outcomes across the UK and Ireland.

About Keystone

As a growing ecological and arboricultural consultancy and contracting business, we are an SME with a practical, intelligent and pioneering approach to advising our clients. We blend traditional ecological services with innovation, hands-on habitat creation, restoration and compliance solutions. With over 24 years’ experience, we have established a reputation as one of the few end-to-end service providers in the UK.   

Since 2022, we have proudly operated as an Origin Enterprises company, an international agronomy brand whose primary focus is sustainable land use through integrated innovative solutions. Our Origin connection provides our clients and employees with the benefits and opportunities associated with being part of a global leader in sustainability, including wider geographic reach and service offering, including investment in research and development.  

At Keystone we pride ourselves on a professional family feel that attracts clients and employees alike. We share Origin’s values, People, Community, Partnerships, Integrity, and Innovation, which are reflected in all that we do and lie at the very core of our business. 

We operate across a comprehensive range of sectors for public and private sector clients including supporting a number of the UK’s largest Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.

Having established a first-class reputation for habitat creation, restoration, and mitigation, we specialise in conservation driven projects that focus on nature restoration and Biodiversity Net Gain at scale.

The Habitats Team

Keystone’s expertise covers all aspects of ecological consultancy, yet it is the specialist engineering knowledge of our Habitats team that enables the design and delivery of first-class mitigation schemes across the UK.  We are renowned for our sensitive approach to protected habitats and species, a modern range of equipment and a resourceful approach to deployment in complex and challenging situations.

We are a close-knit team of 18, led by Head of Habitats Josh Willis, who together deliver optimal outcomes for our clients, for people and for nature. Our capabilities include habitat clearance, creation, restoration, and management solutions that deliver maximum conservation gain while minimising ecological disturbance.

The Role

The Contracts Manager is a strategic new appointment, responsible for developing and leading a Midlands delivery team, supported by the wider business. The role presents considerable opportunity for growth as this regional hub emerges.

We seek a highly-organised and personable team player, with a ‘can do’ approach and strong attention to detail. As a proactive and driven individual, you will be primarily responsible for actively procuring, organising and delivering a range of land management schemes, whilst adhering to Keystone’s quality assurance standards and risk management procedures.  A genuine alignment with Keystone’s vision and values, and a demonstrable willingness to contribute to the successful growth of the Habitats team, is essential.  

The ideal candidate will be able to embrace the challenge of delivering existing works, whilst growing our client base in the Midlands. We are looking to grow the regional presence and build on Keystone’s existing foundation as a leading ecological contractor.  You will therefore need to strategically balance sourcing new opportunities with practical delivery of projects, including but not limited to: prospective client networking, client liaison, project management, budgeting, and practical implementation. Through close coordination with the existing team, you will be responsible for logistics, project planning and resourcing.

You will lead on quoting and tendering for local works, whilst also supporting the wider Keystone Habitats team in bidding for more complex tenders and opportunities.  You will also actively seek joint venture opportunities within the wider Origin Enterprises Group. You will have the support of our Habitats Administrator, yet be self-sufficient in administrative duties associated with efficient project management.

Keystone’s ability to offer end-to-end solutions, facilitated by our in-house consultancy offering, is our real strength.  The successful candidate will work closely with our Head of Ecology and Head of Arboriculture to ensure that our schemes are delivered with a focus on protected species and their associated habitats, and in compliance with relevant legislation.

Our long-term aim is to offer a competitive nationwide ecological contracting & habitat management service, integrated with our existing ecological consultancy and arboriculture, offering servicing a range of clients and sectors.  

Primary Responsibilities: 

Seek and recruit new team members with the support of Origin’s HR team;

Line management and professional development of junior staff;

Contribute to wider business strategy; 

Procurement of works including quoting and tendering of large scale projects; 

Financial control including budget management & delivery of revenue targets;

Client liaison, project management & administration;

Help to secure repeat and referral work through nurturing of new & existing clients;

Maximise opportunities to win new work from prospective clients including scheduling introductory meetings.

Ideally you will have the following skills and experience. However, this is an exciting and dynamic role with scope for refinement of responsibilities depending on the strengths of the successful candidate. If you don’t meet all requirements but believe you could thrive in this role, please consider applying or get in touch for an informal chat.

Core Requirements:

Relevant industry experience. This could be in ecological contracting or practical land management, including but not limited to habitat creation and restoration, conservation, forestry and arboriculture;

Exceptional communication skills, evidenced via a track record of client, subcontractor and supplier communication and management;

Experience in organising and managing a team of operatives and associated vehicles and plant on projects;

Ability to identify risks and opportunities, avoiding/minimising the former and capitalising on the latter;

A proven aptitude for understanding clients’ requirements and delivering these on time and within budget, without compromising industry standards;

Demonstrable commercial acumen, both in profitable project delivery and in seeking future opportunities;

Ability to balance and manage priorities, and maintain good working relationships with clients and colleagues whilst working under pressure;

Solutions led and having an inherent ability to problem solve under pressure and in a range of environments;

Quoting, tendering and project delivery experience;

Experience in line managing and mentoring junior team members to achieve their full potential;

Experience in writing site-specific risk assessments and method statements for jobs covering a range of sectors;

Related qualifications or professional accreditations are preferred but not essential - SSSTS/SMSTS,

CSCS or similar industry equivalent;

Driving licence (clean) is essential, and towing experience would be advantageous.

Our Location

This is an exciting new role, offering the flexibility to initially work from home whilst supporting the delivery of existing projects. With the support of the wider Keystone and Origin Enterprises network, we are committed to building a strong regional client base in the Midlands. We will establish a locally based team and associated resources, with a clear ambition to create a dedicated Midlands delivery hub for the Keystone Habitats team. Ideally candidates would be situated within the Birmingham, Coventry, Tamworth area within commuting distance of existing site commitments ranging from Southam to Lichfield.  

The successful candidate and new hub will have full support of our existing Head Office team based in Gloucestershire. There is a requirement to both visit and liaise closely with the team on a regular basis during the initial months. Ideally applicants would be placed within the Birmingham, Coventry, Tamworth area.  

We offer a friendly, supportive, and welcoming work environment within our Head Office, situated in an idyllic rural setting just outside Tetbury. Our Habitats team operate out of our separate agricultural location locally, housing a range of specialist low impact machinery, which is regularly deployed nationwide, along with a comprehensive workshop area. 
 
At Keystone we strive to provide the kind of support that helps you find a work-life balance that enables you to fulfil your potential and grow with us. We offer a comprehensive industry leading benefits package, which is regularly reviewed, and currently includes:

What’s in it for you?

•    A supportive, experienced and friendly team
•    Competitive salary - £40K+ depending on experience 
•    25 days annual leave per annum (plus bank holidays)
•    Socials & volunteering days
•    Enhanced Company pension 
•    Employee Assistance Programme
•    Life Assurance
•    Company laptop and mobile phone