When it comes to environmental consulting, we're helping our clients protect our world's natural resources.

Pave the way for your career with a company that inspires and empowers you to deliver your best work so you can evolve, grow, and succeed—today and into tomorrow.

You'll impact the world around you by helping us solve real-life challenges.

As a Principal Aquatics Specialist , you will provide strategic, technical, and operational leadership for the aquatics practice.

This role is responsible for advancing technical excellence, mentoring staff, supporting business growth, and guiding the delivery of high-quality aquatics services.

The position influences practice direction and team development through expertise and leadership, without direct supervisory responsibilities.

Based out of Alberta or British Columbia, this will be a full-time, mostly office-based role.

You'll have the opportunity to work with multidisciplinary project teams guiding aquatic environmental planning and permitting efforts for government and privately-owned infrastructure projects.

You will provide technical direction and supervision for the duration of these projects, throughout the proposal, design, construction, and operations phases, with the opportunity to lead the implementation of the work, the development of budgets, methodology, and the review of deliverables, and regulatory applications.

In this position, you will leverage relationships with clients, regulators, and subcontractors and provide insight into business development.

The successful candidate will have a reputation in the industry as a technical expert and possess a demonstrated ability to defend the technical rigor of the work completed.

Bring your expertise in environmental science and desire to conserve our natural resources, and we'll empower you to deliver the boldest solutions for our clients.

Core Responsibilities: Technical Leadership
* Serve as the senior subject matter expert and provide technical oversight for aquatics assessments, permitting, monitoring, proposals and regulatory requirements.




* Lead resolution of complex technical challenges and support project teams with specialized expertise.
* Monitor emerging science, regulations, methodologies, and industry practices to ensure continual improvement.

Strategic Direction
* Contribute to team capacity and capability development.
* Advise leadership on emerging risks, opportunities, and trends affecting aquatic resources and regulatory environments.
* Assist in interviews and identify skill gaps within the team to build capacity across Canada.
* Support business development efforts from a technical perspective, including proposal preparation and client relationship management.
* Represent the organization with regulators, industry associations, Indigenous communities, and other stakeholders as a senior technical advisor.

Mentorship and Skill Development
* Mentor and support staff development through coaching, training, and knowledge sharing.
* Help develop a collaborative and inclusive team culture.

Operational Effectiveness
* Assist Project Managers in matching staff skills to project needs.
* Identify efficiencies in field programs, reporting processes, and project execution.
* B.

Sc., M.

Sc, or Doctorate degree in fish or aquatic-related studies with relevant experience conducting and managing aquatic studies (such as fish and fish habitat assessments, water quality monitoring, fish sampling, etc.).
* Hold Professional Designation under the BC College of Applied Biology and/or the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists.
* 20+ years of experience as an Aquatic Biologist in the natural resources sector in Western Canada, preferably in a consulting environment.




* In-depth knowledge and experience with the Federal Fisheries Act and other relevant provincial and federal environmental legislation in Western Canada and how it applies to natural resource projects.
* Previous experience overseeing aquatics fieldwork, directing and/or managing aquatic crews in remote settings from the office.
* Previous experience leading and providing mentorship for a team of biologists of varying skill levels and experience.

Desire to be involved in hiring and growing positive mentoring relationships.
* Excellent technical writing skills and experience providing technical reviews and edits as needed.
* Relevant linear development (e.g., roads, conveyance) or oil and gas regulatory experience.
* Experience liaising with regulators and providing strategic regulatory advice to clients and internal teams during all stages of the project life cycle.
* Must have a driver's license and clean driver's abstract for any work travel.

Ideally, you'll also have
* Experience working with a diverse range of private and municipal clients, including oil and gas, mining, transportation, water, infrastructure, and energy.
* Experience growing and maintaining client relationships and business development opportunities.
* Time management skills, with the ability to simultaneously work on multiple tasks/projects and meet project deadlines within budget.
* Familiarity with digitally collected field data in a web browser or desktop-based digital solution.
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All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), age, medical condition, marital or domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression and transgender status, mental disability or physical disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, citizenship, low-income status or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable law.

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📌 Principal Aquatics Specialist (Calgary)
🏢 Jacobs
📍 Calgary