Senior Environmental Planner

Environmental Science Associates (ESA) is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm. We plan, design, permit, mitigate, and restore for projects across our communities, infrastructure systems, open spaces, and wildlands. We are 50 years strong in 21 offices across California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southeastern United States.

We are seeking a highly motivated Senior Environmental Planner with intellectual curiosity and initiative to help drive the growth of our dynamic team of environmental planners in the Pacific Northwest. This is a 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. As a Senior Environmental Planner, you will manage and/or significantly support large-scale SEPA and NEPA projects; WA State Growth Management Act comprehensive planning; local, state and/or federal permitting; and climate action and adaptation planning, as determined by the expertise you have developed over the course of your career. You will be client-focused, fostering relationships with ESA’s existing clients and extending our services to new clients, and engaging in the professional community. This opportunity is focused on professional expertise, quality, outstanding client service, and being part of a team with a passion to do great work and have fun together.  

Who You Are

• You hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree with major course work in environmental, urban or transportation planning, geography, public policy, science, or a related interdisciplinary field and have a minimum of 10 years of relevant, professional experience in leading or directing the development of high-quality community and environmental analyses, including SEPA and NEPA documentation and client deliverables for both public agency and private development clients.
• You have been a project manager or task lead for at least one SEPA EIS in Washington state. You have hands-on experience and comprehensive knowledge of policy planning, land use and environmental permitting, and relevant regulatory and environmental regulations and processes in Washington state.
• 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 known for preparing permit applications that are complete and compliant, whether the permitting entity be local, state or federal.
• You are a collaborative and supportive team member and communicator who takes the initiative to identify and contribute to broad project or team goals, providing mentoring and coaching to more junior staff to foster team success. 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 are an environmental planner who has experience with environmental compliance and permitting for projects of varying degrees of complexity of different types, such as: transportation; energy; airports; maritime ports; public infrastructure; recreation and parks; general and specific land use plans; adaptation or resiliency; and land use code analysis. Experience with GMA and comprehensive planning, including subarea plans and planned actions, is a plus.
• You possess excellent oral and presentation skills and have led and directed marketing and business development pursuits including developing capture strategies, and leading proposals, interviews, and presentations.
• You have experience working on projects in Washington or Oregon.

What You Will Do for ESA

• You will serve as Senior Environmental Planner, which will include being a project manager on some projects. You will lead or support multi-faceted planning projects in collaboration with scientists, engineers, archaeologists, landscape architects and other specialists.
• You will serve as a SEPA or NEPA specialist, preparing and managing complex environmental documents including checklists and Environmental Impact Statements. You may specialize in project-level environmental review or programmatic comprehensive planning documents. You may specialize in zoning code review and analysis and review of development plans. You may specialize in local, state, and federal permit compliance.
• You will produce technical work and written products that are clear and concise and will serve as a subject matter expert.
• You will provide mentorship and support for 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.
• You are adept at coordinating with clients, discipline leads, technical and support staff, subconsultants, and stakeholders.
• You will consistently demonstrate your solid writing skills, attentive listening skills, and participate in and/or lead client meetings, present at or provide support at community workshops and public hearings effectively presenting complex technical information clearly and concisely.
• You will demonstrate a clear understanding of project management principles and practices and be responsible for the development of environmental compliance and planning documents in accordance with applicable guidelines and requirements, while delivering assignments within budget and schedule.
• You will lead and support business and client development efforts including preparing proposals, identifying opportunities, developing capture strategies, and engaging with proposal/interview teams. These efforts will include having the responsibility for preparing scopes of work and budgets.

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. 

If you are an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability—or unable to use—the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact our Human Resources Department via email: humanresources@esassoc.com for assistance.

 Please include the following in your message so we can promptly address your request:

• Full name
• The best method to contact you (phone number and/or email address)
• Title of Job Position Applied
• Description of your accommodation request

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