Aquatic ecologist 

Pattle Delamore Partners (PDP) is a leading environmental and engineering consultancy with a strong presence across Aotearoa New Zealand. For nearly 40 years, we have partnered with clients, iwi, and communities to solve complex challenges across air, land, and water, delivering practical solutions that stand the test of time.

As our projects grow, so does the need for talented people – join us and help shape the future of New Zealand’s environment. We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Aquatic Ecologist to join our team. We are committed to creating sustainable and resilient water infrastructure and you will have the opportunity to work on a wide range of projects related to wastewater treatment, stormwater management, and water distribution systems. You will be a key contributor in designing and implementing solutions that work both for our clients and the environment.

This role is an exciting opportunity for an early‑to-mid career ecologist with 4+ years’ experience investigating surface water ecosystems. You will work as part of our nationwide team of ecologists, alongside other professionals including hydrogeologists, water infrastructure engineers, contaminated land scientists, resource management planners and more. The role will involve the collection and interpretation of water quality and ecological field data, and applying this information to provide robust scientific advice to clients, stakeholders and decision-makers.

The preferred location for the vacancy is PDP’s Christchurch office, however flexibility may be offered for the right candidate.  Field work across other regions will be required from time to time.

The role is permanent and may be part- or full-time (25-40 hours per week).

What you’ll do

• Lead and assist field assessments of freshwater ecosystems, and from time-to-time estuarine and marine environments.
• Analyse data using spreadsheets and statistical software packages.
• Compare data to published standards and guidelines, and interpret information to determine environmental effects.
• Author technical reports and provide advice on managing environmental effects, including the preparation of environmental management plans.
• Undertake compliance monitoring, including onsite supervision of construction works and carrying out fish salvage operations.
• Support other workgroup tasks including terrestrial ecology assessments, flow gauging, and groundwater and stormwater monitoring and reporting.
• Manage project deliverables, project timelines and budgets.
• Liaise directly with suppliers, contractors, and clients.

What you’ll bring

We are looking for an individual who it committed to solutions for our environment and using their talent and knowledge against a variety of projects. With your passion and diverse skill set we hope to deliver quality to our clients and therefore we hope the ideal candidate will have the following:

• A relevant tertiary qualification in ecology or environmental science (honours or masters preferred).
• At least four years’ professional experience working in the consulting or public sector.
• Strong analytical skills of water quality and ecological datasets, including knowledge of statistical software scripting (e.g., R or Python).
• Familiarisation with relevant environmental legislation (e.g., national policy statements and environmental standards for freshwater)
• Excellent communication, including sound report writing skills.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to self-manage workloads.
• Practical problem solving skills and a solutions-focused approach.
• Physical fitness and competent swimming skills suitable for working around water.
• Willingness and ability to travel nationally for field work and multi-site work, including overnight stays.

What we offer

• A comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, income protection, salary top up for parental leave and the ability to purchase extra annual leave.
• Flexible/hybrid working culture, facilitating a healthy work-life balance.
• Professional development opportunities, including support for ongoing training and education, and fully subsidised membership fees.
• The chance to work on challenging projects that make a difference to our environment.
• A vibrant environment, committed to fostering a workplace that embraces diversity and inclusion.
• Guidance and mentoring to develop professional skills.

About Us

PDP is a leading New Zealand consultancy specialising in air, land, and water. We cater to diverse projects from major infrastructure works to smaller scale investigations and upgrades in both the municipal and private sectors.  With almost 40 years of experience and a team of 300 experts across multiple locations in NZ, we’re proudly employee-owned and committed to an environment where your expertise is valued, and your career can flourish.  At PDP, we believe a great company is built and nurtured by great people, and so we’re dedicated to providing a fun and supportive environment to our people.