Senior Environmental Planner

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 Arizona Team is looking for a self-motivated Senior Environmental Planner with attention to detail and strong communication skills. 

Individuals need to be 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, full time position, reporting to SWCA’s Senior Planning Team Lead or Planning Director in one of SWCA’s Arizona offices (Flagstaff, Phoenix, or Tucson). Work can be based in the office, in a hybrid work arrangement, or distributed, for those located in the region. 

SWCA will consider hiring at either level:

• Senior Environmental Planner – minimum 10 years’ related experience.
• Lead Environmental Planner – minimum 8 years’ related experience

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 environmental planning tasks that include conducting environmental impact analyses in support of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and associated supplemental authorities, facilitating public and agency outreach, and providing quality assurance and leadership through environmental compliance processes such as Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements, and state and local environmental permitting. Specific responsibilities include:

• Write and manage the preparation of environmental review documentation (e.g., EAs, EISs, state and local permitting, critical issue analysis) for a wide variety of projects, including renewable energy development, transmission, mining, etc. This position will help lead, write, and manage the preparation of environmental compliance documents related to projects managed by federal agencies or state and local governments.
• Manage multi-disciplinary teams of resource specialists and planners in the preparation of NEPA baseline studies, plans of development and supplementary plans, and general client/applicant support.
• Support business line growth objectives and lead the development of planning documents including EAs, EISs, and state and local permitting for business lines that may include land use planning, generation, transmission, mining, and others.
• Assist teams by providing technical oversight and guidance for the preparation of key aspects of planning and NEPA documents, including 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; and Records of Decisions and Findings of No Significant Impact.
• Support and oversee development of local land use and environmental permitting for County and State requirements including special use permits, certificates of environmental compatibility, and others.
• Demonstrate excellent leadership behavior and professionalism while providing leadership at the project, team, and office level.
• Provide enterprise-level support by contributing to business development pursuits and proposals.
• Mentor early and mid-career staff in the development of the skills in environmental analysis and document preparation.
• Drives compliance of safety policies and reporting requirements to ensure overall team safety.

Experience and qualifications for success

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

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental planning, environmental science, or another planning or science-related field.
• Eight (8) years of planning and NEPA (or similar process) document preparation and experience in environmental consulting.
• 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 planning/NEPA documents; and setting and adhering to project budgets and delivery schedules.
• A working knowledge of 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 working understanding of agency internal processes and procedures such as those of the BLM, USFS, NPS, BOR, and/or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
• Proven experience with a subset of public lands, land use planning, natural and cultural resource issues, wind and solar projects, transmission projects, transportation projects, and or oil/gas projects in the western US.
• Enthusiasm to work as a team leader and mentor and a willingness to learn and expand your professional skills and experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence; attention to detail; and organization, schedule, and budget management skills.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master’s degree in environmental planning, environmental science, or another natural, biological, or cultural-resources-related field.
• Ten (10) years of planning or NEPA document preparation and experience in environmental consulting.
• Experience with supporting business development with federal agencies, RMPs, mining, oil and gas, and renewable energy developers, or other non-federal applicants that seek permits or leases from federal agencies.
• Ability to be recognized by clients and agencies as a NEPA project manager that can lead an EIS from pre-NEPA planning phases through Record of Decision.

Why Work at SWCA:

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services.  Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack.

We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. 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. We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including an 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement).

At SWCA, we support our team members in developing their careers to make them leaders in their industry. Our Career Landscape initiative is a process and guide designed to help develop chart rewarding career paths for employees at SWCA. We encourage professional conference attendance, internal and external professional development and training programs, education reimbursement, a Science and Leadership Program, and bonuses for publications meeting certain criteria. All regular status employees are eligible to participate in SWCA medical, dental, vision, employee assistance, wellness, life and disability plans, and are eligible to participate in the SWCA 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.

If you need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require accommodations at any point during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; other inquiries will not receive a response.

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 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 Arizona-based position can expect an annual salary of:

Senior Environmental Planner – $95,908.80 - $124,571.20

Lead Environmental Planner - $84,884.80 - $109,137.60

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, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

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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