Senior Biologist

About the opportunity

PRI is seeking a Senior Biologist, a seasoned consulting biologist who thrives on solving real client problems in British Columbia, on time and on budget, and moving projects through approvals to a result. This is a senior consulting and project-leadership role at the heart of our BC environmental work, for someone with deep terrestrial and wildlife ecology expertise and a proven track record delivering consulting projects in the BC regulatory environment.

We work with provincial agencies including the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit, BC Hydro, FortisBC, and the BC Ministry of Forests, and with municipalities, First Nations, developers, and industry across forestry, renewable energy, municipal, land development, transportation, and resource sectors throughout the province. Our biologists are consultants first: they design and lead field programs, but they also manage budgets and schedules, navigate permitting and regulatory processes, build client and regulatory relationships, win work, and deliver defensible results under commercial timelines. This is applied, client-facing consulting work, not a research or academic role.

The position is based in Kelowna, Vancouver or Calgary and involves a mix of field and office work with travel for fieldwork across BC. It reports to the Practice Lead, Natural Sciences & Forestry, and works alongside a multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists, and resource professionals.

Who this role is for

This role is for an established consulting biologist. You are comfortable owning the commercial side of consulting, budgets, schedules, proposals, and client management, alongside the science, and you have a proven track record delivering environmental consulting projects. Ideally you already know the BC regulatory landscape and have relationships with BC agencies and communities. But we will also consider a strong senior consultant from Alberta or elsewhere who has the depth and adaptability to build BC-specific knowledge quickly, with our support, because consulting instinct and senior experience are harder to teach than a provincial regulatory regime. What is not a fit for this particular role is a background primarily in research or academia; this is an applied, client-facing consulting position.

What you'll do

Lead consulting projects and client delivery

• Lead consulting projects end to end, owning scope, budget, schedule, deliverables, and client satisfaction, not just the technical work.
• Manage project budgets, schedules, cost control, and billing oversight, delivering quality work within commercial constraints.
• Serve as a senior point of contact for clients, providing responsive, practical, solutions-oriented advice.
• Carry a meaningful billable workload as a senior consultant, balancing project leadership with hands-on technical delivery.

Terrestrial and wildlife ecology

• Design, coordinate, and lead field studies in terrestrial and wildlife ecology — species-at-risk surveys, habitat assessments, and biodiversity monitoring.
• Analyze and interpret ecological data to support environmental assessments, impact studies, and mitigation planning.
• Prepare high-quality technical reports and regulatory submissions that comply with BC provincial and federal environmental legislation and stand up to regulatory scrutiny.
• Apply pragmatic, defensible professional judgment to help clients meet their regulatory obligations and project goals.

Regulatory, client, and community relationships

• Navigate BC permitting and regulatory processes, and liaise effectively with provincial and federal regulatory agencies.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with clients, regulators, First Nations, and stakeholders to support project approvals.
• Represent PRI professionally in the BC environmental consulting market.
• Business development and team leadership
• Write successful proposals, work plans, and cost estimates, and contribute actively to business development.
• Identify and pursue new opportunities with existing and new clients.
• Mentor and develop junior and intermediate biologists, sharing consulting craft as well as technical knowledge.
• Lead and support multidisciplinary project teams, collaborating across the firm's disciplines.
• Complete corporate, operational, and administrative responsibilities in a timely, professional manner.

Who we're looking for

We are looking for a proven BC consulting biologist, someone who combines strong terrestrial and wildlife ecology expertise with the commercial instincts, regulatory fluency, and client relationships that define a successful consultant in this province.

Required

• Registered Professional Biologist (R.P.Bio.) in good standing with the College of Applied Biology of British Columbia — or eligible and willing to obtain BC registration (for example, an Alberta P.Biol. prepared to register in BC, with PRI's support).
• Bachelor's or graduate degree in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience, the majority of it in environmental consulting — not research or academia.
• Demonstrated track record delivering environmental consulting projects, including managing budgets, schedules, and client relationships; BC project experience is a strong asset.
• Fluency in BC environmental regulatory frameworks, permitting processes, and applicable legislation — or the consulting depth and adaptability to build BC-specific regulatory knowledge quickly, with PRI's support.
• Established experience with terrestrial and wildlife ecology in Western Canada; direct BC ecosystem and species-at-risk experience is a strong asset.
• Strong expertise in terrestrial ecology and wildlife biology, including study design, field assessment, data analysis, and interpretation.
• Proven experience writing successful proposals, work plans, and cost estimates, and managing project tasks, budgets, and schedules to deliver for clients.
• Strong communication skills — technical writing, presentation, client-facing, and interpersonal.
• Ability to work under commercial pressure, prioritize, and manage deadlines, with strong organization and time management.
• A safety-oriented attitude, a valid Class 5 driver's licence (or equivalent) with access to a vehicle, and willingness to travel for fieldwork across BC.

Preferred

• Established relationships with BC provincial agencies (such as BC MoTT, BC Hydro, FortisBC, or BC Ministry of Forests), municipalities, or First Nations.
• Experience working collaboratively with First Nations and supporting Indigenous engagement in BC.
• Experience across several of PRI's sectors — forestry, renewable energy, municipal, land development, transportation, or resources.
• A book of business or client relationships that can be brought to and grown at PRI.
• Interest in applying new tools and technologies, including AI-enabled approaches, to environmental consulting.

Why PRI

At PRI, we believe exceptional consulting begins with exceptional people. We empower our senior professionals with meaningful responsibility, real client ownership, and the support of a collaborative, multidisciplinary team.

As a Senior Biologist, you'll find:

• A diverse range of BC projects and clients, and a genuine say in the work you take on.
• A collaborative, multidisciplinary environment — engineers, scientists, and resource professionals working together on shared projects.
• Real opportunity to grow client relationships, lead pursuits, and advance into senior leadership over time.
• A firm investing in modern tools and technology, including AI-enabled approaches, to make our people's work better.
• Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and genuine support for ongoing professional development and R.P.Bio. standing.

PRI is a multidisciplinary engineering and natural sciences consulting firm with offices across British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario. We are an equal-opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, and we particularly encourage applications from Indigenous professionals.