Principal Ecologist

Dormont Manufacturing Co; Cairns Regional; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

SLR is seeking an Associate level Ecologist for North Queensland (Townsville or Cairns) to work on projects across QLD and Australia. You will handle all aspects of project delivery including fieldwork, data analysis and report writing, as well as mentoring junior ecologists.

You will join one of Australia’s largest ecological teams, collaborating with fellow ecologists to deliver high-quality environmental outcomes while supporting business growth and client engagement across diverse sectors.

Qualifications

• An appropriate tertiary qualification in Science, Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Natural Resources or related field.
• 6+ years' experience in an ecological role in environmental consulting or government.
• Experience in flora and fauna field surveys and monitoring programs.
• Excellent flora and fauna identification skills.
• Mature report writing and computer skills with ability to publish.
• Proven ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple tasks.
• Proven project management experience with client management and budget control.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality service and advice to clients and colleagues in office and fieldwork activities.
• Participate in field survey programs to collect ecological data.
• Interpretation and application of environmental legislation to projects across sectors.
• Development of technical reports detailing field outcomes and implications for EIA and management.
• Project management tasks including invoicing and budget tracking.
• Assist in preparing tenders and proposals.
• Establish and maintain a strong network of key clients to grow the North QLD pipeline.
• Experience mentoring junior staff and leading field trips.
• Integrate technical work into multidisciplinary assessments and teams.
• Make independent studies, analyses, interpretations and prepare findings reports.
• Travel to remote areas, including interstate, to conduct field surveys.

Skills

Ecology

Flora & Fauna ID

Report writing

Field surveys

Project management

Budget control

Client management

Education

Science/Env Sci/Env Mgmt/Natural Resources or related

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

You will be confident in your technical ability and have a positive attitude to do the following tasks:

• 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

The successful candidate must have:

• 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.