Practice Leader

The company

Niche Environment and Heritage are an environmental and heritage consultancy business built on a purpose: to empower people to create a sustainable future. The team at Niche are passionate about doing work that matters, and this has a lasting and profound impact on their clients, communities and environment. They are a leading multidisciplinary environmental consultancy specialising in ecology and biodiversity, heritage management, natural capital, environmental management and approvals and environmental offsetting. Their 100+ strong team includes ecologists, botanists, archaeologists, environmental scientists and project managers.

The role

Due to continued growth, Niche are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Ecology Practice Leader to provide leadership and technical direction to ensure their team members' performance is in line with the discipline goals and project deliverables are of high quality. In this role, you will hit the ground running to lead a well-established and highly supportive ecology team. The Practice Leaders work with their manager and senior stakeholders in the business to identify and pursue opportunities with the aim to build and maintain key client relationships. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing multiple proposals and projects of high complex level and value.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Undertake the role of Project Director in the more technically complex projects, where high levels of technical skill and stewardship are required.
• Lead team resource scheduling and management of assets to ensure project deliverables are achieved across a range of projects across a large geography.
• Managing legislative issues for clients and maintaining an awareness of how legislation impacts projects.
• Proactively support the Manager and Team in achieving financial and commercial objectives and the annual business plan.
• Allocate employees and other resources to projects to meet billable targets, project requirements, targeted gross profit and professional development needs.
• Support the Manager and senior employees in building, mentoring and developing a high performing team.
• Provide regular constructive feedback to individuals and the team, building on identified strengths, working on areas that require improvement, to achieve targeted results.
• Manage multiple key accounts and take responsibility for all aspects of the client relationship and results in those accounts, including understanding client needs, assessing opportunities for delivery of additional products/ services, building customer trust and maximising both new and repeat business.
• Leverage existing client and network relationships to identify and develop new project opportunities.

About you

With a proven track record of success in a consulting environment, you will have a demonstrated leadership experience, including excellent communication, motivational and organisational skills.

You will possess:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications; in ecology, biology, environmental science, environmental management, or similar.
• At least 9 years' experience in total, and experience in a similar team leadership consulting role.
• Demonstrated expertise in delivering large and complex projects of high value.
• Extensive experience undertaking ecological survey, and flora and/or fauna identification in the communities of NSW.
• Significant experience with stakeholder management, business development initiatives and managing a diverse project portfolio.
• Strong ability and willingness to interpret and explain complex technical issues to all levels of employees and to clients.
• Valid driver's license and willing to travel NSW for project/fieldwork.

The rewards

This is an incredible opportunity for a senior Ecologist with team leadership experience looking to further their career within a vibrant, flexible and well-organised business that prides itself in caring for and supporting staff. Niche have an excellent culture, with a non-hierarchical structure, and trust their staff to make the right decisions to deliver projects from end to end. You will have the opportunity to work on a huge variety of projects ranging from renewable energy and associated transmission infrastructure, through to rail, road and water infrastructure, and lead a team of high performing mid-level and junior Ecologists.

Their lists of benefits are extensive: ranging from a generous yearly professional development allowance, company development support (such as BAM accreditation), substantial time-in-lieu policies to account for field work and being away from home, monthly and yearly social events to bring the company together, and an exceptional internal mentoring program.

If you want to work for a deeply values driven organisation who has evaluated and protected thousands of hectares of habitat across Australia including the first and the largest biodiversity stewardship site in NSW, we would love to hear from you

How to Apply

Apply now by submitting your current CV (in Word format) via our online application process.

For a confidential discussion or to review the information pack and full PD please contact Liz Floyd on or via

To be eligible to apply, you must have unrestricted rights to work in Australia.

Talent Nation encourages applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people of all cultures, abilities, sex, and genders.

Applicants can request a reasonable adjustment at any stage during the recruitment process, please contact us so we can provide adjustments for you.