Ecologist

Job Description

At Fotenn, you are joining a fun, progressive, and dynamic team of Planners, Urban Designers, Landscape Architects and Ecologists. With offices in Ottawa, Kingston, and Toronto, we work throughout the province and across the country, delivering high-quality and award-winning projects. Our success is founded on a creative and supportive environment that values professional and personal growth. Fotenn supports staff at all levels in defining their career goals and objectives and actively pursues opportunities to help achieve them. We foster a positive office experience, enjoying regular social activities and celebrating personal accomplishments alongside professional ones. To learn more, visit fotenn.com

This posting is for a newly created role as our team grows.

Ecologist

Full Time, Permanent

Salary range $75 to $100k/per annum

Ottawa or Kingston

Are you an ecologist with a passion for the natural world and diverse technical capabilities looking for a new career challenge? Fotenn is seeking an experienced Ecologist to help build the Natural Environment team in Eastern Ontario (Ottawa or Kingston Office). Through this role you will have the unique opportunity to work in a supportive, high-performance culture that aims to provide our clients with the very best service and the highest quality deliverables in the industry. As you help grow the Natural Environment practice, you will also be encouraged to develop leadership and business development skills that strengthen your professional growth and contribute to the team’s success.

Our Natural Environment practice helps clients navigate natural heritage policies, design challenges, and operational requirements. We aim to balance healthy ecosystems with livable communities and responsible infrastructure. By collaborating closely with planners, designers, and engineers, we deliver practical, context-sensitive solutions that manage natural heritage constraints and enhance ecological function. We specialize in understanding ecological systems and how they interact with human activities such as land use planning and infrastructure development. While our primary role is guiding clients through environmental approvals and policy requirements, we also contribute ecological insight, species expertise, and legislative knowledge to a wide range of projects—ensuring outcomes that respect both nature and development.

This position will be largely focused on clients and projects in eastern Ontario but may also include opportunities to work on projects across Ontario/Canada as needs arise. As a member of the Natural Environment team, you will be responsible for supporting our projects with biophysical surveys, analysing field data, assessing environmental impacts, managing the GIS data collected in the field, supporting the preparation of technical reports, and supporting proposal writing as required.

Responsibilities

• Follow and promote a health and safety culture within the team.


• Commit to self-development and ongoing learning in the field of Ecology and Business.


• Undertake biophysical surveys as required following the standard field methodologies used in Ontario. For example, botanical surveys, ELC, tree inventories and health assessments, breeding bird surveys, targeted SAR surveys, etc.


• Support the management of the digital data collection and associated project GIS data.


• Prepare and/or contribute to technical reports that meet the needs of clients and partners. Examples include Environmental Impact Studies, Existing Conditions Reports, Tree Conservation Reports, Environmental Assessments, and other reports associated with permits and approvals.


• Support permitting and approvals at the local, provincial, and federal level related to natural heritage. (e.g. tree cut permits, endangered species act, conservation authorities, fisheries act, etc.)


• And any other duties as assigned

Requirements

• A university degree in biology, ecology, environmental studies, or related discipline. Preference will be given to candidates with a post-graduate degree in a relevant discipline.


• Minimum 3 years of related work experience; experience in the consulting environment is preferred.


• Ideal candidate will have Ontario-based certifications or training in standardized field methodologies (e.g. Ecological Land Classification, Butternut Health Assessment, Ontario Wetland Evaluation System, ISA arborist, etc.)


• Experience in the application of natural heritage surveys to support municipal, provincial, or federal approvals in the land development, transportation infrastructure, and municipal planning sectors.


• Willingness to work flexible hours and undertake fieldwork under a variety of conditions.


• Willingness to travel for fieldwork and out-of-town meetings.


• Experience with ArcGIS and Mobile Data Collection tools.


• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel).


• Excellent interpersonal skills, including written and verbal communication skills.


• Strong writing, organizational, and time management skills.


• Must have or be able to obtain first aid certification.


• Valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle (for field work)

In addition to a competitive salary and bonus structure, we offer a generous paid time-off package including vacation days, personal days, volunteer days, and paid company-wide closure between December 25 and January 1. We also provide competitive health, medical, dental and vision benefits, health spending account, life insurance, disability benefits, an employee assistance program (EAP), a parental leave top-up program, and opportunities for a compressed work week. Our employees also enjoy a flexible hybrid working model, continual training, mentorship and professional development as well as regular company social events.

Please visit fotenn.bamboohr.com/careers to apply for this position.

Please note that this position is located in Ottawa or Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Selected candidates must have current legal entitlement to work in Canada.

Telephone inquiries WILL NOT be accepted. We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those chosen to participate in the interview process will be contacted. A written test may be administered as part of the interview process.

Fotenn is committed to an inclusive, barrier-free work environment and encourages applications from all qualified individuals. Workplace accommodations are available should you be contacted regarding this competition. Please advise Human Resources of any accommodation requirements at that time.

AI-assisted tools may be used during parts of our selection process. People always make final hiring decisions.