2007 – : Professor, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University; Leader, Program 6 – Conservation planning.
2006 – 2007: Professorial Research Fellow, the Ecology Centre, University of Queensland.
1986 to 2005: Researcher with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (now within the Office of Environment and Heritage). Progression from Research Officer to Principal Research Scientist.
1979 to 1986: Private environmental consultant specialising in survey, classification and conservation evaluation of wetlands. Other work included management plans for wetland nature reserves, terrestrial fauna surveys, and general conservation assessment and planning.