Principal Ecologist

SLR Consulting; Cairns Regional; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

SLR Consulting is seeking an Associate Ecologist for North Queensland (Townsville or Cairns) to lead field surveys, data analysis, and reporting across QLD and Australia. You will manage projects, mentor junior ecologists, and collaborate with a large ecological team on diverse environmental assignments.

You will apply your extensive experience in ecological surveys, report writing, and project management to deliver high-quality outcomes while traveling for fieldwork across remote areas as

Qualifications

• 6+ years in ecological role within environmental consulting or government.
• Experience designing and implementing flora/fauna field surveys and monitoring programs.
• Mature report writing and data interpretation skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality ecological advice to clients and colleagues in office and field settings.
• Lead field survey programs and data collection across varied sectors.
• Interpret environmental legislation for projects and prepare technical reports.
• Develop proposals and tenders; assist with budgeting and invoicing.
• Mentor junior ecologists and contribute to multidisciplinary teams.
• Travel to remote areas to conduct field surveys as needed.

Skills

Ecology expertise

Flora & fauna surveys

Data analysis

Report writing

Project management

Mentoring juniors

Education

Science degree in Ecology

Tools

MS Office

Job description

About The Business And The Role

At SLR we Make Sustainability Happen. SLR is an international environmental consultancy with a globally recognised reputation for providing high quality tailored services. With 1,000+ staff in APAC alone, we provide consultancy advice and support on a wide range of strategic and site-specific issues to a diverse and growing base of business, regulatory and governmental clients. We celebrate a ‘One Team Culture’, where bringing together diversity of thought and expression is key to building the best team to deliver excellent results.

With a healthy pipeline of work for 2025, our Ecology & Biodiversity team in in North Queensland (Townsville or Cairns) is now looking for an Associate level Ecologist to join and play an active role in projects across QLD and Australia. You will be joining one of Australia’s largest Ecological teams that boast 100+ Ecologists offering you the opportunity to work on important environmental projects and collaborate with like-minded and passionate Ecologists, like yourself, across Australia. You will be responsible for all aspects of project delivery including proposal preparation, leading fieldwork, data analysis and report writing as well as mentoring our enthusiastic junior Ecologists.

Job Tasks And Responsibilities

• Providing high quality service and advice in your area of expertise to clients and colleagues, in both office based and fieldwork activities
• Participate in field survey programs to collect a variety of different ecological data
• Interpretation and application of environmental legislation to projects across a variety of different sectors
• Development of technical reports detailing the outcomes of field survey programs an implication for environmental impact assessment and management
• Project Management skills, including but not limited to invoicing, budget tracking etc.
• Assisting in preparing tenders and proposals
• Establishing and maintain a strong network of key clients contributing to the growth of the North QLD pipeline
• Experience with mentoring junior staff and leading field trips
• Integrating your technical work into multidisciplinary assessments and project teams
• Make independent studies, analyses, interpretations, conclusions and decisions and prepare reports outlining the findings of these studies
• Travel to remote areas, including interstate, to conduct field survey programs

Skills And Experience

• An appropriate tertiary qualification in Science, Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Natural Resources or in another related field
• 6+ years' experience in an ecological role in the environmental consulting sector or an equivalent role in Government, including undertaking ecological surveys and report production
• Experience in the design and implementation of flora and fauna field surveys and monitoring programs
• Excellent flora and fauna identification skills
• Mature report writing and computer skills, with demonstrated ability to prepare high quality written material for publication
• Proven ability to work to deadlines and manage multiple tasks
• Proven project management experience in relation to client management and budget control

Our Benefits

We are proud of our unique culture where we work together to collaborate on projects to get the best possible outcome for our clients. Whether you’re working in the office, from home or a mix of the two, we recognise that every person is different, and our benefits aim to ensure that we cater for all.

You can find a comprehensive list here.

Next Steps

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion. Please note that interviews are conducted with gender diverse interview panels to the best of our ability. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process. Unsolicited resumes from recruitment consultants will not be accepted. You must be part of the preferred supplier agreement list which is coordinated through our Talent Acquisition team.