Senior/Lead Ecologist

About Tucker Environmental
Tucker Environmental is an NSW-based advisory and project development firm working at the intersection of biodiversity, carbon, and land stewardship. We help landholders, project proponents, and investors understand, develop, and realise value from environmental assets, including biodiversity, native vegetation, soil, and carbon. Our work is practical, field-based, and commercially grounded. We are building a business that connects ecological integrity with real delivery outcomes for land custodians and clients.

The opportunity
This is a lead ecology role for someone who wants more than a standard consulting position quantifying impacts. The successful candidate will help lead biodiversity work across NSW, with a particular focus on our Biodiversity Stewardship Sites and Nature Market Repair project development. The role offers exposure to integrated natural capital work across carbon project development, landholder engagement, land use strategy, and emerging methodologies.

You will work closely with the Director, engage directly with landholders and clients, contribute to technical delivery, and help shape how Tucker Environmental grows its biodiversity capability in a market that is evolving quickly.

Why this role may appeal

• Lead meaningful biodiversity work on conservation sites with genuine autonomy and influence over project direction.
• Work across both biodiversity and carbon assets rather than in a narrow single-service role.
• Help expand capability in the Nature Repair Market and emerging land-sector sequestration methodologies.
• Join a small, high-trust team where your judgement, initiative, and technical standards will matter.
• Support for training, BAM Accreditation maintenance, mapping software, and GIS support and access to TEs network. 
• Build deeper commercial exposure through client engagement, market access, and project origination.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and support BAM-based project delivery across NSW, including site assessments, vegetation integrity assessment, ecosystem and species credit considerations, mapping inputs, data interpretation, and technical reporting.
• Prepare, review, and contribute to BSSARs, feasibility assessments, and related technical outputs to a high professional standard.
• Manage and undertake vegetation assessment, Threatened Species surveys, and vegetation community identification, with sound botanical and ecological judgement in varied NSW landscapes.
• Provide technical ecological advice across biodiversity and carbon projects, including subcontractor management, quality assurance, and problem-solving support for other team members and project partners.
• Engage confidently with landholders, clients, regulators, and specialist subcontractors where required.
• Contribute to business development by identifying opportunities, maintaining relationships, and helping Tucker Environmental grow its biodiversity and natural capital offering.
• Support integration between biodiversity projects, carbon opportunities, and broader landholder outcomes where appropriate.
• Help improve systems, templates, workflows, and delivery efficiency across the business.

What success could look like in the first 12 months

• You are confidently leading BSA project delivery and producing technically robust outputs with minimal supervision.
• You have become a trusted point of contact for biodiversity work with selected clients and landholders.
• You have strengthened TE’s internal biodiversity systems, templates, or QA processes.
• You have contributed to expanding TE’s position in biodiversity credits and adjacent nature market opportunities.

Skills and experience

• Degree in Ecology, Botany, Environmental Science, or a related discipline.
• Practical working knowledge of NSW and Commonwealth environmental legislation, including the NSW Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act), Local Land Services Act 2013 (LLS Act), and Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
• Experience in preparing and technically reviewing ecological reports such as Biodiversity Stewardship Site Assessment Reports (BSSAR), Biodiversity Development Assessment Reports (BDAR), Protected Matters under the EPBC Act, and related biodiversity reporting outputs.
• Vegetation assessment, plant identification, and ecological survey capability.
• Strong written communication and the ability to translate technical findings into clear, defensible reports and advice.
• High level of organisation and the ability to work autonomously across field and office-based tasks.
• Current driver’s licence and ability to travel across NSW.

Highly regarded

• NSW BAM accreditation.
• Consulting experience or comparable experience in ecological assessment, vegetation assessment, and reporting.
• Experience working with proponents of NSW SSD/SSI projects and offset strategies.
• Exposure to carbon project development, natural capital markets, GIS, and field data workflows or landholder-facing advisory work.

Working arrangements

• NSW-based role with flexibility to be located in regional NSW or Sydney.
• Full-time or part-time arrangements are considered for the right candidate. 
• Flexible work-from-home arrangements with travel for field work as required.
• Remuneration $100-120k base salary per annum plus superannuation commensurate with demonstrated experience and capability.

Who will thrive here?
This role will suit an experienced ecologist who combines sound field assessment capability with initiative, offset scheme awareness, and a genuine interest in building something. If you are tired of doing impact assessment and want to work across stewardship and nature markets, then this is your opportunity.  You do not need to fit a narrow mould. We are open to candidates already operating at a senior level, as well as strong early-career ecologists ready to step into more responsibility.

How to apply
Please send your resume and a short covering letter outlining your experience, relevant ecological assessment project work, and why this role is of interest to you.