Principal Technical Consultant,Fisheries Biologist Job Smithers British Columbia Canada,Science

Location: Smithers

Shape Canada’s Fisheries Outcomes on Complex, High‑Impact Projects

ERM is seeking a Principal Technical Consultant, Fisheries Biologist to provide senior technical leadership on some of Canada’s most complex mining and energy projects. Based in one of ERM’s western Canadian offices (
Vancouver, Calgary, Whitehorse, or Smithers
), this role blends deep technical expertise with strategic oversight—guiding fisheries assessments, offsetting programs, and permitting for large‑scale capital projects across diverse and often remote environments.

As a trusted technical authority within ERM’s Fisheries and Aquatics team, you’ll influence project outcomes that matter—supporting responsible development, advancing regulatory approvals, and helping clients address evolving environmental and sustainability challenges. You’ll collaborate with an exceptional, multidisciplinary group of scientists and engineers in Canada and across ERM’s global network, while mentoring the next generation of fisheries professionals.

Why This Role Matters

Canada’s mining and energy sectors are facing increasing regulatory scrutiny, societal expectations, and environmental complexity. In this role, you serve as a senior fisheries advisor—setting technical direction, ensuring scientific rigor, and helping clients design and implement solutions that protect aquatic ecosystems while enabling project progress. Your expertise will directly influence environmental assessments, offsetting strategies, and long‑term aquatic management outcomes nationwide.

What Your Impact Is

Lead and shape fisheries and aquatic programs that support major capital projects from planning through operations

Provide senior technical oversight that ensures defensible, high‑quality deliverables aligned with federal, provincial, and territorial requirements

Act as a trusted advisor to clients, regulators, and internal teams on fisheries biology, habitat management, and offsetting strategies

Mentor and develop junior and intermediate staff, strengthening ERM’s fisheries capability for the future

Contribute to ERM’s national and international fisheries and aquatics technical communities

What You’ll Bring

Required

B.Sc. in Fisheries Biology, Natural Resource Management, or a related discipline.

Registered Professional Biologist (or equivalent)

6+ years of environmental consulting experience

Demonstrated experience mentoring and managing junior staff

Extensive field experience in fish and fish habitat assessment and aquatic biology

Strong knowledge of federal, provincial, and territorial regulations and guidelines as they apply to the mining and oil & gas sectors

Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, schedules, and quality of technical deliverables

Proven ability to work independently with minimal supervision in dynamic, fast‑paced environments

Strong commitment to health and safety, including adherence to established H&S procedures

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Willingness to travel and conduct fieldwork in remote locations

Driver's License

Required:

This position requires a valid driver's license and/or the ability to operate a company vehicle due to the nature of job duties, which include frequent travel to various client locations across a large geographical area.

Preferred

M.Sc. in Fisheries Biology, Natural Resource Management, or a related discipline.

10+ years of environmental consulting experience

Experience designing and overseeing fisheries field programs in remote locations, including complex logistics and multi‑team coordination

Experience supporting mining and/or oil & gas projects

Experience working with Indigenous communities, government agencies, and public stakeholders

Experience delivering fisheries projects within multidisciplinary teams, including environmental assessments, offsetting plans, in‑stream flow assessments, and monitoring programs

Key Responsibilities

Oversee the design and implementation of fish and fish habitat field programs in freshwater ecosystems across Canada

Lead the development, implementation, and monitoring of fisheries offsetting and compensation programs

Draft, review, and provide technical oversight for high‑quality environmental…