Aquatic Ecologist

SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Professional growth opportunities

Wellness initiatives

Job summary

SLR Consulting (Americas) is seeking an Aquatic Ecologist (Intermediate to Senior) to lead projects in British Columbia. You will manage proposals, schedules, budgets, and multidisciplinary teams while mentoring junior staff and coordinating field programs in surface water quality, benthic studies, and regulatory processes.

The role emphasizes client liaison, environmental permitting, and delivering high-quality reports for mining and infrastructure projects.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, or Natural Sciences; Master’s degree is an asset.
• RPBio registration or eligibility is required or preferred.
• 7–10+ years in ecological sciences with 3+ years in consulting.
• Experience with surface water/sediment quality investigations and project management.

Responsibilities

• Lead full project lifecycle: proposals, scope development, scheduling, budgeting, resourcing, delivery.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and manage risks, timelines, and deliverables.
• Lead aquatic field programs: water/sediment sampling, benthic and periphyton studies in remote locations.
• Analyze field data; prepare baseline reports and environmental management plans meeting regulatory requirements.
• Navigate federal/provincial/regional permits and regulatory submissions.
• Mentor junior staff, conduct reviews, and foster safe field operations.
• Communicate with clients and stakeholders to ensure project objectives are met.
• Support growth of SLR’s aquatic ecology presence in British Columbia.

Skills

Project leadership

Mentorship

Client liaison

Regulatory understanding

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, or Natural Sciences

Master’s degree is an asset

RPBio registration (registered or eligible)

Tools

EQuIS

Job description

We are SLR Consulting (Americas), a 1500+ team of advisory, environmental, engineering, and regulatory professionals across Canada, the United States, and LATAM. We deliver environmental and sustainability services to our clients through the integration of over 30 advisory, technical environmental, and engineering disciplines to help clients address some of their most complex challenges around sustainability. We are Making Sustainability Happen. As our new Aquatic Ecologist (Intermediate to Senior), you will play an important role on an established and growing team of professionals in SLR’s Ecology and Biodiversity practice. In this role, you will support work on mining and other infrastructure projects by providing technical expertise in surface water quality, aquatic assessments, and project management and coordination. Role You will take on the full scope of project management responsibilities, including proposal, design, and ongoing coordination. You’ll also take on mentorship and leadership responsibilities with our junior team members, as well as field data collection, report writing, and client, Indigenous, and stakeholder communication. Your role will include supporting existing large infrastructure projects at SLR as well as leading and developing new opportunities within British Columbia for future development, infrastructure, and mining projects. We’ll look to you to bring in-depth knowledge and interest in aquatic ecology, with strengths in surface water quality investigations and assessments, benthic studies, environmental and compliance assessment and monitoring, environmental permitting, and client liaison within federal, provincial, and municipal regulatory frameworks. This is a unique opportunity to work on high-profile projects with a growing team - so if you’re entrepreneurial at heart, excited about growth, and ready to be given the space to really shine at what you’re good at, you’ll excel with us.

Responsibilities:

• Project leadership and management: lead the full project lifecycle, including proposals, scope development, scheduling, budgeting, resourcing, and delivery.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and manage project risks, timelines, and deliverables.
• Aquatic field program leadership: plan and lead aquatic field programs using recognized protocols, including water and sediment quality sampling related to fisheries and hydrology assessments, benthic invertebrate studies, and periphyton studies, often in remote locations.
• Data analysis and reporting: analyze and interpret field data using statistical software and synthesize results into high-quality technical reports. Assist in preparing baseline reports, environmental assessments, and environmental management plans that meet regulatory and client expectations.
• Regulatory compliance: navigate federal, provincial, and municipal regulatory frameworks. Support environmental permitting, compliance monitoring, and regulatory submissions, ensuring projects meet applicable legislative and permit requirements.
• Team mentorship: mentor junior staff and field teams through technical guidance, review, and coaching, while promoting safe, efficient, and high-quality field operations.
• Client and stakeholder communication: liaise between clients, stakeholders, and senior team members to ensure compliance and project objectives are met.
• Business and practice growth: Support the development of new opportunities and long-term client relationships, helping to grow SLR’s aquatic ecology presence across British Columbia.

Qualifications/Education/Memberships:

• Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Ecology, or Natural Sciences. Master’s degree is considered an asset.
• 7 to 10+ years of experience in ecological sciences, with at least 3+ years in consulting.
• Registered or eligible to be registered as an RPBio.
• Experience in surface water and sediment quality investigations and assessments, benthic and periphyton studies, and project management and coordination.
• Strong knowledge of aquatic field protocols, including scientific study design and implementation.
• CABIN and electrofishing certification is considered an asset.
• Experience supporting environmental assessment, monitoring, and oversight of large infrastructure projects.
• Specific experience in the mining sector is an asset.
• Proficiency in database management (e.g., EQuIS), statistical data analysis, and ecological data interpretation.
• Excellent technical writing, reporting, and research skills, including experience conducting technical reviews.
• Experience in natural resource assessments and inventories, environmental assessment, and working in multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience navigating permitting and authorization processes related to Canadian federal, provincial, and regional legislation and policies.
• Demonstrated project coordination and management skills, including project planning, schedule and budget preparation, project implementation, and the ability to produce deliverables on time.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills with the ability to interact with senior level staff, other technical disciplines, Indigenous groups, and clients.

Working @ SLR

With us, there is no doubt you’ll grow your subject-matter expertise and industry knowledge. We care about investing in our employees for the long-run, and if you ask our team, they’ll tell you that’s just one of the many benefits of working here. We want to be a place where you can experience career growth and satisfaction for many years.

Here’s what else you’ll enjoy as part of our team:

• Competitive total compensation package including comprehensive benefits, vacation, and a suite of wellness initiatives. The salary range for this position is $80,000 - $120,000. Final agreed upon compensation will be commensurate with individual education, professional designation, experience, internal parity, and location.
• Full-time, permanent role with opportunities for professional growth and advancement.

This job posting is for an existing vacancy in British Columbia. Locations include Vancouver, Victoria, Kamloops, and Kelowna (other locations in British Columbia will be considered).

Artificial intelligence is not being used to screen, assess, or select applicants.

SLR strives to build diverse teams that reflect the communities we work in, and encourages applications from traditionally underrepresented groups including women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, people identifying as 2SLGBTQI+, veterans, and people with disabilities.

We’re Making Sustainability Happen. We don’t have all the answers to the complex sustainability challenges faced by humanity today. But we’re working on it. We are a consultancy with 4,500+ employees, working on projects in over 125 countries around the world. When you join SLR, you’ll work alongside some of the world’s leading advisors and technicians on projects of global importance in the environmental space. We know sustainability starts from within. And no matter how good we are today, we can always do better. We continually work on our internal ethics to set the standard for organisations and reflect the advice we give to clients.