Senior Ecologist

ALRA; Coffs Harbour City Council; Hybrid; AUD 126,000 - 154,000; Full time

Job summary

ALRA is seeking a Senior Ecologist in Coffs Harbour to lead BDAR delivery for urban development and renewables, while building a Northern NSW ecology capability. The role involves working with a small, expanding team to integrate biodiversity considerations into NSW planning and approvals.

You’ll guide projects across SSD/SSI, balance client needs with ecological requirements, and help mature the regional presence of the ecology practice.

Qualifications

• Around 8+ years’ consulting experience in Ecology.
• Strong understanding of NSW planning and environmental approvals pathways.
• Experience preparing and delivering BDARs.
• BAM Accreditation is strongly preferred, although someone committed to achieving it will be considered.
• Understanding of biodiversity offsets and credit calculations.
• SSD / SSI project exposure is highly regarded.
• Comfortable working with clients, planners and other environmental disciplines on larger assessments.

Responsibilities

• Lead BDAR delivery across urban development, renewables, data centre and infrastructure projects.
• Support NSW planning and approvals pathways for SSD/SSI projects.
• Provide guidance to the ecology team in Northern NSW as the operation grows.
• Collaborate with NSW Manager to build the local ecology capability and region-wide presence.

Skills

BDAR delivery

Client engagement

Team leadership

Biodiversity legislation

Job description

$140,000 + super with flexibility around where you’re based in NSW

Major BDAR work across SSD & SSI projects in renewables and development

Help build a Northern NSW ecology team rather than simply inherit one

As a Senior Ecologist in Coffs Harbour, join a growing Environmental Planning and Ecology consultancy at a particularly good point in its NSW story: the projects are already coming through the door, the beginnings of the team are in place, and now they need another experienced Ecologist to help turn that workload into a genuine Northern NSW capability.

The business has grown to around 40 consultants across three offices in a relatively short period. In Northern NSW, you’ll work alongside an Environmental Leader with 30+ years’ experience who previously worked within a large Tier 1 engineering environment. He has spent 2026 quietly establishing the local capability; now Ecology needs to grow alongside it.

The constraint here isn't finding work. It's finding good people to deliver it.

The Role

You’ll take a senior role across ecology projects supporting major Environmental Assessments, particularly the substantial BDAR requirements attached to State Significant Development and State Significant Infrastructure projects.

Your projects will include:

• BDAR delivery for urban development projects.


• Renewable energy projects including Solar, Wind, BESS and Transmission.


• Data centre developments and associated environmental assessments.


• Supporting SSD and SSI projects through NSW planning and approvals pathways.


• Applying your knowledge of biodiversity legislation, BDAR requirements and offset / credit calculations.


• Working alongside the NSW Manager to continue developing the local Ecology capability.


• Providing guidance to the existing ecology team as the Northern NSW operation grows.

There are already two BAM Accredited Ecologists within the broader team. What they particularly need from this hire is someone who understands how Ecology fits into the NSW planning and approvals process, rather than treating the BDAR as an isolated technical report.

The Team

This is a growing Environmental Planning and Ecology consultancy with around 40 people across three offices.

The broader business works across Ecology, Environmental Planning, Infrastructure and Environmental Assessment, GIS and related environmental advisory work. Growth has been quick, but the business remains small enough that good people can have a genuine influence over how a service and team develops.

Coffs Harbour is the preferred base because there is real value in building the team together locally. However, location isn't being treated as an arbitrary barrier. If you're the right Ecologist and need to remain elsewhere in NSW, a remote arrangement can be discussed.

This will particularly suit someone who likes the idea of building something: projects to deliver, people to develop and a growing regional presence you can help shape.

Experience

Around 8+ years’ consulting experience in Ecology.

Strong understanding of NSW planning and environmental approvals pathways.

Experience preparing and delivering BDARs.

BAM Accreditation is strongly preferred, although someone committed to achieving it will be considered.

Understanding of biodiversity offsets and credit calculations.

SSD / SSI project exposure is highly regarded.

Comfortable working with clients, planners and other environmental disciplines on larger assessments.

$140,000 + super.