About the business and the role

At SLR we Make Sustainability Happen. SLR is an international environmental consultancy with a globally recognised reputation for providing high quality tailored services.  With 1,000+ staff in APAC alone, we provide expert advice and support on a wide range of strategic and site-specific issues to a diverse and growing base of clients. We celebrate a ‘One Team Culture’, where bringing together diversity of thought and expression is key to building the best team to deliver excellent results.

We have an extremely rare opportunity within our Ecology team for an experienced Ecology Leader to come in as our NSW Practice Manager.

Reporting to the Ecology Practice Lead, this role will see you oversee a team of 25+ specialist ecological consultants, across NSW. This role is also part of the broader APAC Ecology Leadership Group who are responsible for one of APAC’s largest Ecology teams of more than 150 ecologists working across terrestrial, aquatic and marine environments.

We are seeking a leader with strong technical and operational expertise in a consulting environment, and a natural ability to grow high-performing teams, deliver projects to SLR standards, strengthen client relationships and drive commercial performance. The Ecology Practice Manager - NSW will ensure that resourcing, delivery quality, commercial performance and people development align with the broader Ecology Practice and global business strategy. They partner with the Practice Leader and Business Unit Director to translate strategy into execution, leading their team’s performance and building a cohesive, capable and engaged team. The successful candidate will have a proven capability in managing consulting teams, delivering projects, fostering client relationships and driving commercial performance. This will be underpinned by strong skills in people management, commercial acumen and client care.

The majority of our NSW team is located in Sydney and the ideal candidate would be based in our North Sydney office, but we are open to applicants located near our other offices (e.g. Newcastle). We are also growing our Victorian presence and project or operational experience in Victoria will be viewed as an advantage.

Job tasks and responsibilities 

• Lead the delivery of best‑practice ecological advice, providing tailored and pragmatic solutions to clients across a range of sectors.
• Collaborate with other SLR practices to deliver integrated, high‑quality projects and competitive proposals.
• Provide visible leadership on priority projects, from opportunity identification through to delivery, retaining hands‑on technical involvement to maintain expertise and mentor team members.
• Act as a senior technical authority on ecological assessments, impact assessments, and biodiversity management within the NSW regulatory framework.
• Manage workforce planning, resourcing, and utilisation for the NSW ecology team, collaborating with peers to balance workloads across regions where required.
• Identify and pursue regional market and business development opportunities aligned with SLR’s strategic priorities and growth objectives.
• Support and contribute to business development activities, ensuring sustained growth, strong client outcomes, and achievement of commercial performance targets.
• Ensure effective project management systems, utilisation, and performance metrics are implemented in collaboration with the Ecology Practice Lead.
• Mentor, coach, and develop staff at all levels, fostering a high‑performance, collaborative, and engaged team culture.
• Undertake and oversee technical and peer reviews to maintain quality, consistency, and compliance with SLR standards.
• Build and maintain strong professional relationships with clients and colleagues across SLR, supporting a cohesive One Team culture.

Skills and experience

In addition to being a people‑focused leader with a strong commitment to building long‑term relationships, you will demonstrate:

• Tertiary qualifications in ecology, environmental science, environmental management, natural resources, or a related discipline and accreditation as a BAM Assessor.
• Extensive experience in ecological consulting within NSW, with deep knowledge of biodiversity legislation, assessment frameworks, and approvals pathways.
• Proven capability leading complex ecological projects in a consulting environment, including management of budgets, resources, risk, and competing priorities.
• Strong commercial acumen, with demonstrated experience in business development, client relationship management, and contributing to revenue growth.
• Established industry reputation, professional networks, and credibility with clients, regulators, and key stakeholders.
• Demonstrated operational and people leadership experience within a technical consulting or professional services environment.
• Ability to lead teams to meet delivery timelines, utilisation targets, and broader performance objectives.
• Experience delivering ecological components of large, multidisciplinary projects and collaborating effectively across technical disciplines and geographic regions.
• Highly developed communication skills, with the ability to clearly influence, advise, and engage in both written and verbal contexts.
• Collaborative leadership style aligned with a One Team culture, enabling strong cross‑practice and cross‑region outcomes.
• Strategic, solutions‑focused mindset, with strong analytical, decision‑making, and problem‑solving capability.

Our Benefits

We are proud of our unique culture where we work together to collaborate on projects to get the best possible outcome for our clients. Whether you’re working in the office, from home or a mix of the two, we recognise that every person is different, and our benefits aim to ensure that we cater for all.

You can find a comprehensive list here.

Next Steps

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion. Please note that interviews are conducted with gender diverse interview panels to the best of our ability. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.

Unsolicited resumes from recruitment consultants will not be accepted. You must be part of the preferred supplier agreement list which is coordinated through our Talent Acquisition team.