Senior Marine Scientist

Rps Incorporated; Western Australia; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Professional membership reimbursement

Paid parental leave

Annual study assistance

Job summary

RPS Incorporated's Perth team is seeking a Senior Marine Scientist to lead complex marine environmental projects across Australia, focusing on water quality, sediment quality and coastal environments. You will work with a multidisciplinary national team and mentor graduates.

You will design field programs, manage client relationships and contribute to technical reporting and approvals for government, ports, coastal infrastructure and energy sector projects.

Qualifications

• Degree in Marine Science or related field.
• Postgraduate qualifications preferred.
• 5+ years’ experience in marine environmental consulting.
• Experience in water and sediment quality investigations.
• Experience in marine fieldwork and vessel-based sampling.
• Knowledge of benthic ecology and monitoring programmes.
• Experience delivering EIAs and technical reporting.
• Strong project management and client relationship skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical delivery of marine environmental investigations and impact assessments.
• Design and deliver water quality, sediment quality and benthic ecology studies.
• QA against industry and regulatory guidelines and standards.
• Plan and undertake marine fieldwork, including vessel-based sampling.
• Prepare and review high-quality technical reports, environmental assessments and management plans.
• Support environmental approvals and regulatory submissions.
• Manage project scope, budgets, schedules and client communication for small to medium-sized projects.
• Collaborate with specialists across hydrodynamic modelling, metocean studies, marine ecology, coastal engineering and environmental approvals.
• Mentor graduate and early-career scientists and contribute to technical excellence.

Skills

Project management

Client relations

Written communication

Verbal communication

Mentoring

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s in Marine Science or related

Postgraduate qualifications

Tools

GIS

Python

MATLAB

Environmental modelling software

Coxswain certification

Job description

Senior Marine Scientist

At RPS, a Tetra Tech company, we define, design and manage projects that create shared value for our communities. We solve complex environmental challenges through technical excellence, collaboration and innovation.

As our Marine Science and Approvals team continues to grow, we are looking for an experienced Senior Marine Scientist to join our Perth team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a technically strong marine scientist who enjoys combining scientific expertise with practical project delivery. Working alongside nationally recognised specialists, you will contribute to a diverse portfolio of marine and coastal projects across Australia, supporting clients in government, ports, coastal infrastructure and the energy sector.

The opportunity

You will play a key role in delivering technically complex marine environmental projects, with a particular focus on water quality, sediment quality and coastal environments.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary national team, you will:

• Lead the technical delivery of marine environmental investigations and impact assessments
• Design and deliver water quality, sediment quality and benthic ecology studies
• Knowledge of quality assurance processes against industry and regulatory guidelines and standards
• Plan and undertake marine fieldwork, including vessel-based sampling and environmental surveys both in Western Australia and interstate
• Prepare and review high-quality technical reports, environmental assessments and management plans
• Support environmental approvals and regulatory submissions
• Manage project scope, budgets, schedules and client communication for small to medium-sized projects
• Collaborate with specialists across hydrodynamic modelling, metocean studies, marine ecology, coastal engineering, environmental approvals and other technical disciplines
• Mentor graduate and early-career scientists and contribute to technical excellence within the team

About you

You are passionate about marine science and enjoy solving complex environmental challenges while working closely with clients and multidisciplinary teams.

You will ideally bring:

• A degree in Marine Science, Marine Biology, Environmental Science, Oceanography or a related discipline
• Postgraduate qualifications (highly regarded)
• Approximately five or more years' professional experience in marine environmental consulting or a related field
• Demonstrated experience in water quality and sediment quality investigations
• Experience undertaking marine fieldwork, including vessel-based sampling
• Knowledge of benthic ecology and marine environmental monitoring programmes
• Experience delivering environmental impact assessments and technical reporting
• Strong project management and client relationship skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Highly regarded experience includes:

• Ports and coastal infrastructure projects
• Offshore environmental monitoring
• Environmental approvals and regulatory processes
• Experience using GIS, Python, MATLAB or environmental modelling software
• Coxswain certification
• Australian baseline security clearance

Why join RPS?

Our Marine Science team delivers nationally significant projects that help shape Australia's marine environment. You will have the opportunity to work alongside recognised technical experts while building your own career in a collaborative and supportive environment.

We offer:

• Professional development and career progression opportunities
• A supportive team culture that celebrates collaboration and success
• Flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance
• Active wellbeing and community engagement initiatives
• Annual professional membership reimbursement
• Paid parental and partner leave
• $250 active lifestyle allowance per annum
• Additional annual leave purchase scheme and salary packaging options
• Professional and technical development programmes, including study assistance, online learning and mentoring across portfolios
• Active office social events, employee assistance programme, service recognition and more

Our Approach

Our people live our purpose, deliver our promise, and demonstrate our behaviours every day. Our behaviours define who we are. Developed by our people, they underpin everything that we do. They create the memorable experiences we are known for and make RPS a great place to do great work.
Stronger together is one of our five core behaviours and it is key to building a collaborative workplace. We encourage everyone to bring their best and to support others to do the same. By sharing knowledge, challenging each other to think differently, and fostering an environment of trust and respect, our people can learn, grow and thrive – and share in our success.

Recruitment Agencies

We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted partners to assist us when required and do not acknowledge any speculative CVs or unsolicited candidate introductions from agencies not on this list. Please refer to the careers page on our website if you require any further information.