Ecology Lead

Job Description

How you’ll make a difference  

If you’re driven by ecological outcomes and want to lead the next phase of growth, we want you as our next Ecology Lead for NSW. This role is central to scaling our practice in the State: growing the team, lifting technical depth, building national consistency, deepening client relationships and increasing our market presence across NSW. In this opportunity, you'll have the chance to:

• Lead and develop our NSW Ecology team
• Drive strategic growth by building strong client relationships, supporting business development initiatives and contributing to winning proposals and bids 
• Deliver to key clients while leading positioning of the ecology offering in NSW, including cross-selling across business lines and regions 
• Lead and implement complex ecological investigations for high-profile infrastructure projects, including baseline ecological surveys, pre-clearing surveys and targeted surveys for threatened species. 
• Oversee and prepare technical reports and plans, while empowering a team of ecologists through supportive leadership, guidance, bid coordination and project management. 
• Undertake field work across NSW and ACT 
• Lead strategy, innovation and digital enablement 

Are you passionate about delivering innovative environmental solutions and making a lasting impact on some of Australia’s most significant projects? If so, we would love to hear from you!

Qualifications

The qualities that help you thrive  

The following qualifications and experience are highly desired, but if you don’t tick all the boxes you could still be a perfect fit for this role. Please apply, all applications will be considered. 

• NSW BAM Accreditation an ability to provide strategic advice to clients for avoiding, mitigating and offsetting biodiversity impacts
• Demonstrable ecology experience in Australia (ideally 10 years +), including proven experience (ideally 5+ years) in NSW delivering to local requirements. 
• Working knowledge of Commonwealth and NSW environmental legislation relating to the environment and an understanding of the relevant planning systems 
• Proven commercial acumen with experience growing client relationships and expanding service offerings.  
• Strong leadership and relationship-building skills, with a passion for mentoring, collaboration and developing high performing teams. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience as client facing trusted advisor to public and private sector organisations. 
• Ability to develop people, shape capability and build a cohesive NSW team.  
• A recognized ecology technical leader with a record of delivering complex, high impact projects.  
• Ability for occasional travel within NSW for client, site and agency engagements. 

Additional Information

Why you’ll love working with us  

• NSW‑based role within our Environment team, with flexible working options and collaboration across our NSW offices.
• Flexible hours, including alternative start/finish times, job-sharing and hybrid work options
• Purchase up to 6 weeks additional annual leave per year  
• Swap public holidays – swap Easter or other holidays for ones that suit you better 
• Continuous learning and growth - lunch and learns, professional development courses, financial study assistance, 5 days paid study leave, global career opportunities 

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible? 

We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including those with disabilities, additional health or mental health needs, and/or neurodiverse conditions. If you require any adjustments during the hiring process, please let us know. 

Applications are reviewed as they come in, and the role may close earlier than expected, so if this opportunity sounds like you, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.  

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At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

AECOM acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we, our clients and our communities live and work around Australia. We pay our respects to their cultures and to their Elders — past, present, and emerging. We are committed to connecting to Country in our work through meaningful engagement with First Nations peoples and businesses.  Find out more about our Australian Reconciliation Action Plan here: https://aecom.com/au/our-vision-for-reconciliation/.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion – a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation and benefits programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We also provide a robust global well-being program. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.