Lead Environmental Planner - Pacific NW

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is expanding our team and actively looking for dynamic individuals who are following their passion in delivering the highest-quality project work. Our Pacific Northwest Team is looking for a self-motivated Lead Environmental Planner with attention to detail and strong communication skills.  Individuals need to be willing and able to work with peers across various offices and accomplish tasks associated with a variety of projects in any given week. The ability to work directly with clients is imperative. The interest in pursuing new business is also desirable.

This is a regular status (with benefits), full-time, salaried position, reporting to SWCA’s Team Lead out of our Portland, OR office. Work can be based in the office, in a hybrid work arrangement, or remote (distributed) for those located in the Pacific Northwest sub-region, including Anchorage, Alaska. 

SWCA Environmental Consultants is an employee-owned company of environmental professionals who specialize in environmental planning, natural and cultural resource management, and regulatory compliance. Our company purpose is to preserve natural and cultural resources for tomorrow while enabling projects that benefit people today.

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

What you will accomplish

You will be responsible for performing and overseeing multi-disciplinary environmental impact analyses, facilitating public and agency outreach, and providing quality assurance and leadership during the development of EAs and EISs.  More senior positions (e.g., senior NEPA planner; principal NEPA planner) will be accountable for more business development and lead more complicated, multidisciplinary planning efforts, projects and teams.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Manage the preparation of EAs and help manage preparation of EISs addressing the development for a wide variety of projects, including revisions of federal resource management plans (RMPs) and land use plans, issuance of rights-of-way, approvals, and/or leases, policy amendments, etc.
• Support business line growth objectives for business lines that may include land use planning, generation, transmission, water, mining, and others.
• Assist teams by providing technical oversight and guidance for the preparation of key aspects of NEPA documents and the NEPA process, including Pre-Notice of Intent (NOI) activities and project planning; development of the description of the proposed action and purpose and need; NEPA document structuring and content planning; public scoping; public comment review and response; stakeholder engagement and public participation, and records of decisions and findings of no significant impact.
• Demonstrate excellent leadership behavior and professionalism while providing leadership at the project, team, and office level.
• Provide expertise to SWCA project managers on complex NEPA projects.
• Provide enterprise-level support by contributing to business development pursuits and proposals.
• Supervise and mentor early and mid-career staff in the development of the skills in NEPA analysis and document preparation.

Experience and qualifications for success

We seek a team member who brings with him/her demonstrated experience in NEPA project management, environmental analysis, and agency consultation. We seek the following specific qualities: 

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental planning, environmental science, or another science-related field. 
• A minimum of six (6) years of NEPA document preparation and experience in environmental consulting.
• Management experience on complex, multi-disciplinary projects; leading meetings with clients and agencies; directing project teams including subcontractors; preparing or directing staff in the preparation of technical studies and NEPA documents; and setting and adhering to project budgets and delivery schedules.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence; attention to detail; and organization, schedule, and budget management skills.
• A strong understanding and experience with federal and state environmental regulations including NEPA, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the ability to develop project execution plans to satisfy regulatory compliance.
• A strong understanding of agency internal processes and procedures and positive existing relationships with federal land management and regulatory agencies, such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), US Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and/or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is strongly preferred. 
• Proven experience with a subset of public lands, land use planning, natural and cultural resource issues, wind and solar projects, water projects, transportation projects, and or oil/gas projects in OR, WA, or AK.

Preferred qualifications

• A minimum of eight (8) years of NEPA document preparation and experience in environmental consulting.
• Ability to be recognized by clients and agencies as a NEPA assistant project manager that can help lead an EIS from pre-NEPA planning phases through record of decision.
• Strong project management skills.
• Experience managing and/or mentoring staff.
• Ability to work across different business lines including oil and gas, transmission, generation, and transportation.
• Ability to assist with Critical Issues Analysis (CIAs).
• Experience in Alaska and familiarity with agency requirements and local resource issues.
• Experience with federal agencies, the Pacific Northwest geography, water, oil and gas, and renewable energy developers or other non-federal applicants that seek permits or leases from federal agencies.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full spectrum of environmental services. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms.

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response. 

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees.  In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

An employee in this Portland, OR-based position can expect an annual salary of $89,124.04 to $114,594.48/year. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive benefits package (https://www.swca.com/careers/benefits-wellness/), forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more. 

EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply.  At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

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