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Environmental Planning Practice Leader

San Francisco, California, United States

ESA is seeking a strategic and experienced Environmental Planning Practice Leader to lead and grow our Environmental Planning Practice. This key leadership role will be responsible for developing, managing, and driving the growth of our environmental planning services, with a focus on NEPA, CEQA, SEPA, and other regulatory frameworks. As a trusted advisor to clients and a leader within the firm, you will be instrumental in enhancing technical excellence, and client satisfaction, and expanding our practice into new markets. The ideal candidate will be based out of our West Coast locations (SF, LA, ) other locations will be considered as well.

You will lead a team of environmental planners, oversee complex projects, and ensure the highest level of service delivery. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader with proven expertise in environmental planning, project management, and business development.

Who You Are 

  • Bachelor's or master’s degree in environmental planning, Environmental Science, Urban Planning, or a related field.
  • 15+ years of experience in environmental planning, including NEPA/CEQA/SEPA compliance, with at least 5 years in a leadership or senior management role.
  • Deep knowledge of environmental regulations, permitting processes, and best practices in NEPA/CEQA/SEPA and project management frameworks.
  • Proven experience in leading and managing teams, with the ability to mentor and develop staff.
  • Experience managing large-scale, complex projects, ensuring timelines, budgets, and compliance requirements are met.
  • Exceptional client relationship management skills, with the ability to serve as a strategic advisor to senior-level stakeholders.
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the ability to interface with clients, regulatory agencies, and senior management.
  • Demonstrated ability to identify and pursue new business opportunities, build strong relationships with clients, and collaborate with the business development team to expand our footprint in various sectors.
  • Experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance of the practice, ensuring profitability and alignment with business goals.

 

What You Will Do for ESA

  • Lead Environmental Planning Practice, developing strategies to enhance technical expertise, service offerings, and market presence.
  • Identify and pursue new business opportunities, build strong relationships with clients, and collaborate with the business development team to expand our footprint in various sectors.
  • Manage a portfolio of complex environmental projects, ensuring compliance with NEPA, CEQA, SEPA, and other regulations. Oversee project teams, including planners, scientists, and engineers.
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to clients, providing strategic guidance on regulatory compliance, environmental assessments, and project management.
  • Mentor and develop a high-performing team of environmental planners, fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional growth.
  • Contribute to the overall business strategy by aligning Environmental Planning Practice with market trends, client needs, and regulatory changes.
  • Drive innovation by introducing new tools, methodologies, and technologies to improve efficiency, legal defensibility, and project outcomes.
  • Ensure all environmental planning projects meet the highest standards of regulatory compliance, technical accuracy, and quality assurance.
  • Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance of the practice, ensuring profitability and alignment with business goals.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including legal, regulatory, technical specialists, and senior management to deliver integrated project solutions.
  • Represent the company in industry conferences, webinars, and publications, showcasing expertise in environmental planning and contributing to the firm’s thought leadership.

What’s Special About Our Practice

ESA's Environmental Planning practice provides sophisticated NEPA/ CEQA/SEPA services for our client’s most visionary, complex and controversial projects. Our services clearly map a path from vision to reality, making a meaningful difference in our communities and shaping the world we live in. Environmental Planning is a core service to ESA's six markets: Airports, Community Development, Energy, Natural Resource Management, Transportation and Water. The practice focuses on strategic and collaborative engagement of the community, decision makers, project proponents and agencies throughout the planning and regulatory process, generating successful and legally defensible outcomes. We are trusted advisors with a strategic thinking mindset, and provide clients with the practical knowledge and experience to create and implement a wide range of policy, design, and regulatory strategies to advance critical infrastructure that improves the livability, sustainability, and image of communities. Our practice offers a full spectrum of technical services, and we strive to minimize impacts to natural and built communities through innovation, sound science, and technical excellence.

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.

 

 

 

ESA has established multiple pay ranges tailored to the economic factors in the geographies in which ESA staff reside. For this position, the range is approximately as listed based on our anticipated hiring locations as noted in the above job details. Actual compensation is determined by several factors including but not limited to an individual’s related experience, education, skills, and the city in which the applicant lives.  

CA Pay Transparency Clause

$200,000 - $235,000 USD

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) 

 

 

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