Project Environmental Planner

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 Project 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.

This is a regular status, full time, salaried position, reporting to SWCA's Senior Planning Team Lead 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:

• Project Environmental Planner - minimum 7 years' related experience.
• Associate Project Environmental Planner - minimum 5 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.

You will be responsible for performing environmental impact analyses, facilitating public and agency outreach, and providing quality assurance and leadership during the development of Environmental assessments (EAs) and environmental impact statements (EISs). Specific responsibilities include:

• Contribute to 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 assist in leading, writing, and managing the preparation of environmental compliance documents related to projects managed by federal agencies or state and local governments.
• Assist 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 assist in leading 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 leading, supporting or providing technical assistance during key steps of the NEPA process, including pre-Notice of Intent activities and project planning; development of the description of the proposed action and purpose and need; NEPA document structuring and content planning; public involvement, including preparing public meeting materials, attending and supporting public meetings, and public comment review and response; records of decisions and findings of no significant impact; and decision files.
• Demonstrate excellent leadership behavior and professionalism while providing leadership at the project, team, and office level.
• Provide support to SWCA project managers on NEPA projects.
• Provide enterprise-level support by contributing to business development pursuits and proposals.
• Takes responsibility for team safety, developing safety plans (when applicable), and anticipating potential safety hazards.

Minimum qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree in environmental planning, environmental science, biology, environmental science, natural resource management, planning, geology, or another science-related field.
• Five (5) years of NEPA document preparation and experience in environmental consulting. (Experience should include complex, multi-disciplinary projects; participating in meetings with clients and agencies; supporting project teams; preparation of technical studies and NEPA documents; 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 support project preparation of plans to satisfy regulatory compliance.
• An understanding of agency internal processes and procedures and positive existing relationships with federal land management and regulatory agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM), US Forest Service (USFS), National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), FERC, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and/or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence; attention to detail; and organization, schedule, and budget management skills.
• Applicants must have valid driver's license and be able to meet SWCA's driver requirements.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master's degree in environmental planning, environmental science, or another natural, biological, or cultural-resources-related field.
• Seven (7) years of planning or NEPA document preparation and experience in environmental consulting.
• Experience with public lands, natural resource issues, wind and solar projects, transportation projects, and/or oil and gas projects in the western US.
• 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.
• Experience with business development with federal agencies, mining, oil and gas, and renewable energy developers or other non-federal applicants that seek permits or leases from federal agencies.

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 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.

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:

Project Environmental Planner - $74,963.20 - $97,011.20

Associate Project Environmental Planner - $66,144.00 - $84,884.80

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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