Principal Ecologist / NSW Ecology Lead

ALRA | Australia’s Leading Recruitment Agency; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

ALRA | Australia’s Leading Recruitment Agency is seeking an experienced NSW Ecology Lead to establish and grow a dedicated ecology capability within a major infrastructure-focused Environmental team in Sydney.

You'll lead a team of ecologists, manage key client relationships, deliver ecological assessments and nature-based solutions, and shape biodiversity offset strategies across projects nationwide. Hybrid work with an emphasis on strategic leadership and long-term capability building.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in Terrestrial Ecology and/or Botany consulting.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow the NSW Ecology capability.
• Act as the senior client contact across Ecology projects.
• Deliver BAM Assessments, ecological advice and technical reviews.
• Build a team of approximately 4-5 Ecologists over time.
• Mentor junior Ecologists as they're recruited.
• Work with Planning & Approvals specialists on integrated EIS projects.
• Contribute to Nature Based Solutions strategies across multidisciplinary design teams.
• Help shape biodiversity offset strategies and broader ecological initiatives.
• Collaborate with national Ecology leaders and a large international Ecology network.

Skills

Terrestrial Ecology

Botany

Leadership

Client management

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

• Build a NSW Ecology team from an existing portfolio of major infrastructure projects
• Shape Nature Based Solutions and ecological strategy from project inception

As the NSW Ecology Lead, you'll inherit something most team-building roles don't have... work already waiting.

Rather than spending years trying to convince the business Ecology matters, you'll be joining an established Environmental team already delivering major infrastructure projects across transport, water, energy and data centres. The ecological components of those projects are currently being delivered externally.

The strategy is simple: bring that capability in-house and build a genuinely market-leading Ecology team around it.

This isn't a "grow at all costs" mandate. It's a strategic investment. The business has successfully followed this exact blueprint interstate and is now giving NSW the same runway, patience and support to do it properly.

What makes this role particularly interesting is that it extends well beyond traditional Ecology.

The business has made a genuine commitment to embedding ecological thinking into the earliest stages of project design. They're looking for someone excited by nature based solutions, biodiversity outcomes and the future of ecological offsets - someone who wants Ecology influencing projects before lines are drawn on plans, not simply assessing them afterwards.

The Role

You'll establish and lead the NSW Ecology capability while continuing to deliver technically strong work across major Environmental Impact Assessment projects.

Initially you'll work alongside an established Environmental Planning & Approvals team already servicing major clients and projects before gradually growing your own Ecology team.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and growing the NSW Ecology capability
• Acting as the senior client contact across Ecology projects
• Delivering BAM Assessments, ecological advice and technical reviews
• Building a team of approximately 4-5 Ecologists over time
• Mentoring junior Ecologists as they're recruited
• Working alongside Planning & Approvals specialists on integrated EIS projects
• Contributing to Nature Based Solutions strategies across multidisciplinary design teams
• Helping shape biodiversity offset strategies and broader ecological initiatives
• Working closely with national Ecology leaders and a substantial international Ecology network

Should you already have a strong Senior or Junior Ecologist you'd like to bring with you, the business is open to discussing that as part of the growth strategy.

The Team

You'll be joining a Sydney office of more than 800 professionals with an Environmental group of approximately 15 already delivering Environmental Impact Assessments across road, rail, water, renewables and data centres.

Rather than asking you to build a business from scratch, they've already built the client relationships, secured the projects and proven the model elsewhere in Australia.

Nationally you'll collaborate with established Ecology teams interstate, while also drawing on one of the largest international Ecology networks in the industry.

The leadership team understands this takes time. They're investing for the long term rather than expecting overnight growth, giving you the freedom to build the right team rather than simply the fastest one.

Hybrid working generally operates on a 3 days office / 2 days home arrangement.

Experience

Significant experience in Terrestrial Ecology and/or Botany consulting

Strong client management and stakeholder engagement skills

Leadership experience or genuine ambition to build and mentor a team

Experience delivering Ecology for major infrastructure or development projects