Senior Bushfire Consultant
About this role
About the Business and Role
At SLR we Make Sustainability Happen. SLR is an international environmental consultancy with a globally recognised reputation for providing high quality tailored services. With 1000+ staff in APAC alone, we are proud to provide consultancy advice and support on a wide range of strategic and site-specific issues to a diverse and growing base of business, regulatory and governmental clients.
As a Senior Bushfire Consultant, you will join a team of 13 specialist CFD, Wind and Energy consultants across the east coast of Australia to deliver projects and grow the business. This is a permanent full-time role with a preference to be based out of our Sydney office.
Our team works on a wide variety of interesting projects including impact assessments, sustainability management plans, renewable energy projects and risk assessment amongst others. These projects span Australia, New Zealand, PNG and the Pacific Islands.
Responsibilities
- Assess bushfire hazards affecting developments and infrastructure especially BESS's.
- Analyse bushfire behaviour, fire science, vegetation types, fuel loads, slope, topography, and weather influences.
- Conduct site inspections and field assessments.
- Undertake Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) assessments in accordance with AS 3959 Construction of Buildings in Bushfire-Prone Areas.
- Determine BAL ratings from BAL-LOW through to BAL-FZ.
- Provide recommendations on bushfire construction requirements and mitigation measures.
- Prepare: Bushfire Assessment Reports (BARs), Bushfire Management Statements, Bushfire Emergency Management Plans
- Ensure compliance with: Rural Fires Act, Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, Planning for Bush Fire Protection (PBP)
- Liaise with councils, NSW Rural Fire Service, planners, and other stakeholders.
- Utilise GIS and spatial mapping tools including ArcGIS, QGIS, Nearmap
- Produce bushfire constraint maps, spatial analysis, and supporting technical documentation.
Knowledge & Skills
- Excellent technical report writing and presentation skills.
- Ability to prepare clear, defensible reports for councils, developers, architects, homeowners, and regulatory authorities.
- Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management capabilities.
- Experience in the field across: site inspections, GPS data collection, terrain and access assessments, site photography and documentation and vegetation survey
Strong understanding of:
- Bushfire planning and assessment frameworks
- Asset Protection Zones (APZs)
- Hazard reduction burning
- Land management practices
- Biodiversity constraints
- Ecology and vegetation classification
Experience within one or more of the following sectors will be highly regarded:
- NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS)
- Environmental Consulting
- Urban Planning Consultancies
- Emergency Management
- Forestry Corporation
Qualifications
Degree qualifications in one of the following disciplines are highly regarded:
- Environmental Science
- Fire Engineering
- Town Planning
Additional certifications and training highly desirable:
- NSW RFS Bushfire Planning Courses
- AFAC Training
- BAL Assessor Training
- GIS Certifications
Our Benefits
We are proud of our unique culture where we work together to collaborate on projects to get the best possible outcomes. We recognise that every person is different, and our benefits aim to ensure that we cater for all.
You can find a comprehensive list here.
Next Steps
We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion. When you apply, please tell us the pronouns you use and any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.
Unsolicited resumes from recruitment consultants will not be accepted. You must be part of the preferred supplier agreement list which is coordinated through our Talent Acquisition team.
Company at a glance
SLR is a committed partner in our clients’ sustainability journeys.
We help them move from influence to impact, turning intent into purposeful, practical action that delivers real-world results.
Guided by our philosophy of Rational Sustainability, we focus on what truly drives long-term value. By viewing decisions through the lenses of risk, reward, and resilience, we help clients act with confidence, balancing environmental and social responsibility with commercial and strategic success.
Our purpose - Making Sustainability Happen - means delivering outcomes that are grounded in evidence, shaped by experience, and built to last.
SLR has been advising clients for over 30 years at every point of their project life-cycle. Starting as a UK business, we now operate as a global company with more than 4,500 people delivering client solutions across six regions. We have grown both organically and through welcoming other like-minded businesses with a similar One Team culture into the SLR group. We are ably supported by our principal investor, Ares Management, and will continue to build a balanced, successful and growing business.
We’ve designed working life at SLR to look a little different. Because we know talented people often feel restricted by the rigid systems, lack of cross-functional collaboration and limited options for growth on offer elsewhere.
Our One Team culture promotes meaningful professional and personal growth, our flat management structure provides many opportunities to progress, and our collaborative approach means you’ll get the chance to work on projects you care about and make a real difference.
If you’re purpose-driven, self-motivated and keen to make an impact on a global scale, we want to hear from you.
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