Nsw Ecology Lead

Arup; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit Share

Learning opportunities

Job summary

Arup in Sydney is seeking a Lead Ecologist to guide biodiversity work across NSW. You will drive ecological assessments, manage multidisciplinary teams, and ensure projects meet BAM standards and biodiversity offsets. The role partners with clients and stakeholders to deliver high‑quality environmental outcomes.

You will mentor ecology staff, lead field programs, and contribute to business growth within our environment practice, shaping the future direction of Arup's ecological services in NSW.

Qualifications

• Accredited BAM Assessor with a degree in Ecology or Environmental Science.
• 10 to 15+ years of experience in ecological consulting delivering biodiversity assessments for major NSW projects.
• Strong knowledge of BAM, Biodiversity Offsets Scheme and biodiversity legislation.
• Proven leadership of field programs, multidisciplinary teams and robust data interpretation.
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder engagement, project management and report-writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead BAM-accredited ecological assessments for major infrastructure and development projects.
• Prepare, review and sign biodiversity documentation including BDARs and Biodiversity Certification Reports.
• Provide technical leadership on BAM application across complex projects.
• Manage ecology workstreams and ecology-led projects within budget, time, quality and risk constraints.
• Build client relationships and contribute to growth of ecological services in NSW; mentor team members.

Skills

Biodiversity assessments

BAM methodology

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Mentoring teams

Leadership

Education

Degree in Ecology or Environmental Science

Accredited BAM Assessor

Job description

Joining Arup

Arup’s purpose, shared values and collaborative approach has set us apart for over 80 years, guiding how we shape a better world.

Lead ecological services across New South Wales in a newly created leadership role, driving the growth of our ecology capability and helping shape the future direction of our environment business.

This position provides technical leadership in biodiversity assessment, ecological approvals, and offsets strategy, supporting the successful delivery of major transport, water, energy, waste, and urban development projects. Working closely with environmental, planning, and infrastructure leaders, you will drive technical excellence, mentor high-performing teams, and build strong client and stakeholder relationships across the region.

The Opportunity

• Lead BAM-accredited ecological assessments for major infrastructure and development projects, including biodiversity constraints analyses, impact assessments, offset strategies, and technical reporting.
• Prepare, review, and sign off key biodiversity documentation, including BDARs, Biodiversity Certification Assessment Reports, Biodiversity Stewardship Site Assessment Reports, and related ecological advice.
• Provide technical leadership on the application of the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM), Biodiversity Offsets Scheme, and biodiversity legislation across a range of complex projects.
• Manage ecology workstreams and ecology-led projects, ensuring successful delivery against programme, budget, quality, and risk objectives.
• Build client relationships, support business development activities, mentor ecology team members, and contribute to the growth of ecological services in NSW.

At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas.

You will have the opportunity do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.

Is this role right for you?

• A degree in Ecology, Environmental Science, Botany, Zoology, or a related discipline, with Accredited BAM Assessor status.
• 10 to 15+ years of experience in ecological consulting or a related field, with demonstrated success delivering biodiversity assessments for major NSW projects.
• Strong knowledge of the , Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM), Biodiversity Offsets Scheme, and the .
• Proven experience leading field programs, managing multidisciplinary teams, interpreting ecological data, and developing effective mitigation and offset strategies.
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder engagement, project management, business development, and report-writing skills, with a passion for mentoring others and delivering high-quality environmental outcomes.

What we offer you

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together.

Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair, and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling eligible members to share in the results of our collective efforts.