Natural Sciences Practice Lead

Natural Sciences Practice Lead

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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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…