Environmental Planner

ESA seeks a highly motivated Environmental Planner with intellectual curiosity and initiative to join us in the Pacific Northwest. This is a mid- to senior-level opportunity in our Community Development team of professionals who provide environmental compliance and permitting expertise for municipalities, energy providers, transit agencies, educational institutions, airports and maritime ports, and private developers throughout the Puget Sound region and the Pacific Northwest. We are looking for an environmental planner who works well within a team environment and has demonstrated experience supporting SEPA and/or NEPA projects; WA State Growth Management Act comprehensive planning; local, state and/or federal permitting; and climate action and adaptation planning. This opportunity is focused on collaboration, delivery, and the desire to grow.

Who You Are 

• You hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree with major course work in environmental planning, policy, and/or science, or a related interdisciplinary field and have a minimum of 5 years of relevant, professional experience in conducting analysis and documentation for compliance with SEPA and/or NEPA. Experience with local, state, and/or federal permitting for infrastructure, energy, or restoration projects is desired.
• You are known for preparing documents that are concise, well-written and supported, and for your ability to present information understandably and speak persuasively about complex topics to colleagues, clients, agency staff, teaming partners, other project stakeholders and the general public.
• You are an effective team member and communicator who contributes constructively and cooperatively to solve project or team issues while working collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary environment. You treat others with respect, empathy, and dignity.
• You work collaboratively with clients and interdisciplinary teams to deliver your projects on time and within budget and have developed and tracked scope, schedules, and budgets.
• You have an interest in business development and have experience acquiring work through your existing network and/or contributing to proposals.
• You have experience working on projects in Washington or Oregon.

What You Will Do for ESA

• As an Environmental Planner, you will serve as a technical specialist in one or more areas of planning or environmental review (NEPA/SEPA), may serve as Project Manager on basic or moderately complex projects, and may serve as Deputy Project Manager or Task Manager on more complex projects. You will primarily work with limited direction, but may receive substantial direction on complex assignments.
• You will serve as primary author of planning and/or environmental review documents potentially including comprehensive plans, transportation plans, land development regulations, reports, maps, working papers, technical memoranda or reports, and correspondence, and/or sections of NEPA, CEQA, and SEPA environmental documents, resource-related permit applications and other documents.
• You will perform, and sometimes lead, research and analysis in specific or general project areas, such as demographic information, zoning codes, adopted plans and policies, and other published information and field evaluations and assessments.
• You will consistently demonstrate your solid writing and attentive listening skills, participate in and/or lead client meetings, and clearly present information about complex topics to clients, agency staff, teaming partners, other project stakeholders and the general public.
• Lead or actively participate in marketing and business development for selected tasks and/or projects of moderate complexity. These efforts will include having the responsibility for preparing scopes of work and budgets for proposals or contract negotiations, providing technical input, and participating in interviews.
• Provide mentorship and support for more junior staff, including reviewing their work for accuracy and clarity and providing constructive feedback and career development guidance while working on projects together.
• You will thrive in a fast-paced, challenging environment and be able to manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines, while working on a team or independently. You will be committed to treating people respectfully and equitably.

What’s Special About Our Team

In the Northwest, our dynamic group of employee-owners is working on projects for clients such as the City of Bellevue, City of Tacoma, Pierce County, King County, Sound Transit, the Port of Seattle, the University of Washington, Meta Platforms, and many other public and private sector clients. Our team thrives on being at the leading edge of environmental and climate science, planning, and policy in the Pacific Northwest.

When you join ESA and become part of our high-powered team of employee owners, you as a Senior Environmental Planner will work with ESA’s diverse teams in the Puget Sound region and the Portland metropolitan area, with opportunities to work in other locations as they present themselves. As a team, we work together to achieve the firm’s strategic goal of growing ESA’s practice throughout the Northwest. Our work leads to professional accomplishment and recognition, from our clients and professional organizations.

We are a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm who values diversity and inclusion and celebrate the differences that make each of us unique. Our culture is built on mutual respect, recognizing that our variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives leads to better solutions, which fosters our continued success for our employee-owners and clients.

What’s Special About ESA

Joining ESA means becoming part of a close-knit team of environmental professionals who contribute to outstanding projects, improve environmental stewardship, and advance a more sustainable and resilient future for our communities and wild places.

At ESA, we provide benefits such as medical, dental, and vision insurance (paid at 70% for you AND your family), annual allocations of company share through our ESOP, a 401(k) plan with company match, and paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, to name a few.

We also provide specific programs whether you want to further your technical expertise, sharpen your business acumen, or help lead the next generation of employee-owners. We want to support you in reaching your career goals through tuition reimbursement, professional development bonuses, and attendance at conferences.

Who We Are 

We are a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm who values diversity and inclusion and celebrate the differences that make each of us unique. Our culture is built on mutual respect, recognizing that our variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives leads to better solutions, which fosters our continued success for our employee-owners and clients. 

In accordance with ESA’s duty and responsibility to provide and maintain a safe workplace that is free of known hazards and to minimize the exposure to potential hazards, any employee who works from an ESA office or conducts any other in-person ESA work-related activity is required to submit their proof of vaccination status or have received an approved exemption and accommodation in states which this applies. 

ESA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. (EOE M/V/F/D)