Location: Kelowna, Vancouver or Calgary
PRI is seeking an experienced Practice Lead to provide technical leadership for our Natural Sciences practice. This is a senior leadership role for a seasoned natural sciences professional who is energized by raising the technical bar, mentoring the next generation of practitioners, and building a practice known for the quality and rigour of its work.
As Practice Lead, Natural Sciences, you will own the technical excellence, quality, and capability of our biology, ecology, and natural sciences disciplines. You will be the senior technical authority the team turns to on complex projects, the mentor who develops emerging practitioners into confident professionals, and the standard-bearer who ensures every deliverable reflects sound science and stands up to regulatory scrutiny. You will work in close partnership with our commercial leaders, who own client relationships and business growth, so that you can focus your energy where it matters most: the quality of the science and the strength of the team.
PRI's Natural Sciences team partners with municipalities, provincial and federal agencies, Indigenous communities, developers, utilities, and private-sector clients across Canada to deliver practical, science-based solutions — from environmental assessments and impact studies to habitat and species work, vegetation and wildlife studies, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, and natural resource management.
How this role works at PRI
PRI operates through a matrix of technical practices and commercial sectors. Practice Leads own the technical axis: technical excellence, quality management, discipline capability, staffing, and people development. Commercial sector leaders own client relationships, pursuits, and business growth. This structure means our Practice Leads can concentrate on what drew them to the profession in the first place — excellent work and strong teams — while being genuinely supported on the commercial side. As Practice Lead, you'll be a senior technical resource on major pursuits and client relationships, but you won't carry sales targets or sole commercial accountability.
What you'll own
Technical leadership and quality
- Serve as the senior technical authority for the Natural Sciences practice, providing expert oversight on complex projects, regulatory submissions, and technically challenging assignments.
-
Provide senior technical review and sign-off on environmental assessments, impact studies, habitat and species assessments, ecological studies, environmental management plans, monitoring programs, and compliance reporting.
-
Ensure all deliverables meet PRI's quality standards and applicable provincial and federal regulatory requirements across British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
-
Own and continuously improve the practice's technical standards, quality management systems, methodologies, and best practices.
-
Establish and lead consistent technical review processes at key project milestones, working alongside Project Managers who own project delivery.
Discipline capability and resourcing
- Own the technical capability of the practice — the skills, methods, and expertise the team needs to deliver excellent work now and as the practice grows.
-
Maintain labour forecasts, utilization targets, and workload planning to ensure the right technical resources are available across offices, in coordination with commercial sector leaders and Project Managers.
-
Coordinate technical resources across multidisciplinary teams, partner firms, and subconsultants to staff projects for success.
-
Lead regular practice meetings that build technical community, share knowledge, and maintain alignment across offices.
People and team development
- Mentor, coach, and develop natural sciences professionals across multiple offices and specializations.
-
Support recruitment and hiring of technical staff for the practice, and lead succession planning for key technical roles.
-
Identify training needs and contribute to internal technical training and professional development programs.
-
Support professional development toward designations and registration for emerging professionals in the practice.
-
Foster a collaborative, accountable, high-performing team culture aligned with PRI's values.
Technical support to business development
- Serve as the senior technical resource on major pursuits and proposals, providing technical strategy, credibility, and content that helps win work.
-
Support strong client relationships as a trusted technical advisor, working alongside the commercial leaders who own the client relationship and the pursuit.
-
Identify emerging technical service opportunities and capability gaps, and advise leadership on where the practice should invest to grow.
-
Contribute to thought leadership and marketing that showcases PRI's natural sciences expertise and multidisciplinary capabilities.
Innovation and continuous improvement
-
Champion the adoption of new methods, tools, and technologies — including AI-enabled approaches — that improve the quality, efficiency, and value of the practice's work.
-
Stay current with evolving regulatory frameworks, scientific methods, and industry best practices, and bring that knowledge back into the practice.
Who we're looking for
We are looking for a natural sciences leader who combines deep technical expertise, a genuine passion for developing people, and the judgment that comes from years of practice. You care about the quality of the science and the growth of the team, and you find real satisfaction in raising the standard of both.
Required qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, Environmental Engineering, Geology, or a related discipline. Graduate degree an asset.
-
Minimum 10 years of natural sciences or environmental consulting experience, with progressively increasing technical responsibility.
-
Minimum 5 years of technical leadership or team leadership experience, including mentoring, technical review, resource planning, or practice development.
-
Professional designation such as R.P.Bio., P.Biol., P.Ag., EP, P.Geo., P.Eng., or equivalent.
-
Strong knowledge of environmental legislation, permitting processes, and regulatory frameworks in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario.
-
Demonstrated experience leading technical teams and providing senior review across multiple concurrent projects.
-
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex science for varied audiences.
-
Proven leadership, sound professional judgment, and a genuine commitment to technical excellence and client service.
Preferred qualifications
- Experience supporting multidisciplinary infrastructure, municipal, transportation, industrial, mining, or land development projects.
-
Familiarity with provincial and federal environmental and impact assessment processes.
-
Experience working collaboratively with Indigenous communities and supporting Indigenous engagement initiatives.
-
Experience developing quality management systems, technical standards, and internal training programs.
-
Interest in applying new tools and technologies, including AI-enabled approaches, to natural sciences work.
-
Working knowledge of professional practice standards and risk management within environmental consulting.
Why PRI
At PRI, we believe exceptional consulting begins with exceptional people. We empower our technical leaders with meaningful responsibility, the support to succeed, and the opportunity to shape the future of their practice — without asking them to carry sales quotas at the expense of the work they love.
As Practice Lead, Natural Sciences, you'll find:
- A structure designed to let technical leaders lead technically, with genuine commercial support so you can focus on the science and the team.
-
the opportunity to shape a growing practice, set its technical direction, and build its reputation for quality.
-
A multidisciplinary environment that encourages collaboration across engineering, environmental, natural sciences, planning, and geomatics disciplines.
-
Meaningful career growth aligned with your expertise, leadership, and ambition.
-
A firm that is actively investing in innovation, including AI-enabled tools and methods that make our people's work better.
-
Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and genuine support for ongoing professional development.
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.
