We are looking for a Principal Ecologist / Zoologist to provide technical and strategic leadership in an impactful role. Our Fremantle-based consultancy has a great internal culture with both long-term team member tenure and long-standing client relationships across a number of industry verticals.

Location: Fremantle (with regional WA site travel as required)

Work Type: Permanent Full-time or Permanent Part Time

Sector: Environmental Consultancy

Why Ecoscape?

• Flexible working: Craft your working day around core hours to meet personal needs.
• Long-standing client relationships: Our panel and legacy work mean the new Principal will focus more on team development, technical and strategic work rather than new client acquisition.
• Tight-knit team culture: Regular team lunches, birthday celebrations, and a baking club. Opportunity to collaborate with professionals around GIS and landscape architecture.
• Location: Centrally located in the heart of Fremantle with excellent access to public transport and the café strip a 2-minute walk away.
• Leadership: As a mid-sized consultancy, we have a flat leadership structure with the new Principal having a true seat at the table for team direction, culture and working closely with the Directors.

Key responsibilities

• Technical Leadership: Being the subject matter expert and project lead for complex surveys, monitoring and reporting.
• Project & Budget Management: Delivering projects from proposals to close out, ensuring milestones are met on time, within budget, and to the highest regulatory standards.
• Regulatory & Approvals Guidance: Navigate Western Australian and Commonwealth environmental legislation (including the EPBC Act and BC Act) to provide strategic advice to clients.
• Team Mentorship & Resourcing: Lead, mentor, and foster the professional development of field scientists and technical staff, managing workloads and promoting a strong culture of safety.
• Quality Assurance: Technical review and sign-off on detailed technical reports and GIS data outputs.
• Client & Stakeholder Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients, sub-contractors, and regulatory bodies.

What you bring

• Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Environmental Science, Zoology, Ecology, Biology, or a related discipline.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience within environmental consultancy or a regulatory environment, with a strong track record operating at a Senior or Principal level in WA.
• Field & Technical Mastery: Advanced skills in either fauna survey methodologies (Zoologist) or botanical/ecological community mapping (Ecologist), combined with a solid appreciation for data integrity and GIS applications.
• Leadership Skills: Proven capability in managing field-based staff and coordinating subcontractors and third parties.
• Communication: Exceptional technical writing skills. Emotionally intelligent approach to leading teams and ensuring constructive feedback that underpins a positive culture.
• Project Management: Ability to draft winning proposals and manage project budgets.

ecoscape.com.au/careers