Senior Bushfire Consultant

SLR Consulting; North Sydney Council; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SLR Consulting is seeking a Senior Bushfire Consultant to join our team of CFD, wind and energy experts. The role is based in Sydney and focuses on delivering bushfire risk assessments, BAL analyses and planning support across Australia, New Zealand, PNG and the Pacific Islands.

You will work on BAL assessments, report writing, and stakeholder engagement for regulatory authorities, developers and councils, with field work and GIS analysis integral to the position.

Qualifications

• Excellent technical report writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to prepare clear, defensible reports for councils, developers, architects, homeowners, and regulatory authorities.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management capabilities.
• Experience in the field across site inspections, GPS data collection, terrain and access assessments, site photography and documentation and vegetation survey.

Responsibilities

• Assess bushfire hazards affecting developments and infrastructure especially BESS's.
• Analyse bushfire behaviour, fire science, vegetation types, fuel loads, slope, topography, and weather influences.
• Conduct site inspections and field assessments.
• Undertake BAL assessments in accordance with AS 3959.
• Determine BAL ratings from BAL-LOW through BAL-FZ.
• Provide recommendations on bushfire construction requirements and mitigation measures.
• Prepare Bushfire Assessment Reports (BARs), Bushfire Management Statements, Bushfire Emergency Management Plans.
• Ensure compliance with Rural Fires Act, Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, Planning for Bush Fire Protection (PBP).
• Liaise with councils, NSW Rural Fire Service, planners, and other stakeholders.
• Utilise GIS and spatial mapping tools including ArcGIS, QGIS, Nearmap.
• Produce bushfire constraint maps, spatial analysis, and supporting technical documentation.

Skills

Report writing

Stakeholder engagement

Field inspections

Education

Environmental Science

Fire Engineering

Town Planning

Tools

ArcGIS

QGIS

Nearmap

Job description

About The Business And 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 1000+ staff in APAC alone, we are proud to 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.

Senior Bushfire Consultant, you will join a team of 13 specialist CFD, Wind and Energy consultants across the east coast of Australia to deliver projects and grow the business. This is a permanent full-time role with a preference to be based out of our Sydney office.

Our team works on a wide variety of interesting projects including impact assessments, sustainability management plans, renewable energy projects and risk assessment amongst others. These projects span Australia, New Zealand, PNG and the Pacific Islands.

Responsibilities

• Assess bushfire hazards affecting developments and infrastructure especially BESS's.
• Analyse bushfire behaviour, fire science, vegetation types, fuel loads, slope, topography, and weather influences.
• Conduct site inspections and field assessments.
• Undertake Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessments in accordance with AS 3959 Construction of Buildings in Bushfire-Prone Areas.
• Determine BAL ratings from BAL-LOW through to BAL-FZ.
• Provide recommendations on bushfire construction requirements and mitigation measures.
• Prepare: Bushfire Assessment Reports (BARs), Bushfire Management Statements, Bushfire Emergency Management Plans
• Ensure compliance with: Rural Fires Act, Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, Planning for Bush Fire Protection (PBP)
• Liaise with councils, NSW Rural Fire Service, planners, and other stakeholders.
• Utilise GIS and spatial mapping tools including ArcGIS, QGIS, Nearmap
• Produce bushfire constraint maps, spatial analysis, and supporting technical documentation.

Knowledge & Skills

• Excellent technical report writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to prepare clear, defensible reports for councils, developers, architects, homeowners, and regulatory authorities.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management capabilities.
• Experience in the field across: site inspections, GPS data collection, terrain and access assessments, site photography and documentation and vegetation survey

Strong Understanding Of

• Bushfire planning and assessment frameworks
• Asset Protection Zones (APZs)
• Hazard reduction burning
• Land management practices
• Biodiversity constraints
• Ecology and vegetation classification

Experience within one or more of the following sectors will be highly regarded

• NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS)
• Environmental Consulting
• Urban Planning Consultancies
• Emergency Management
• Forestry Corporation

Qualifications

• Degree qualifications in one of the following disciplines are highly regarded:
• Environmental Science
• Fire Engineering
• Town Planning

Additional Certifications And Training Highly Desirable

• NSW RFS Bushfire Planning Courses
• AFAC Training
• BAL Assessor Training
• GIS Certifications

Our Benefits

We are proud of our unique culture where we work together to collaborate on projects to get the best possible outcomes. 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. 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.