Lead 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 Lead 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 (with benefits), full‑time, salaried 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 other parts of Arizona, or within the Pacific or Mountain time zones.

Final date to receive applications:
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 planning tasks that include conducting federal, state, and local environmental impact analyses in support of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Arizona Certificates of Environmental Compliance, and county special use permits and zoning change applications. 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.
• Assist teams by providing technical oversight and guidance for the preparation of key aspects of planning and NEPA documents, including project planning; quality assurance and quality control; 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;
  Records of Decisions and Findings of No Significant Impact, and Findings of Applicability and No Extraordinary Circumstance.
• 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.
• Innovate standards and practices to enhance the quality and efficiency of client projects and outcomes, ensuring alignment with industry and regulatory standards.
• 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 and supporting business line growth objectives.
• Mentor early and mid‑career staff in the development of skills in environmental analysis and document preparation.
• Drives compliance of safety policies and reporting requirements to ensure overall team safety.

• Bachelor's degree in environmental planning, environmental science, or another planning or science‑related field.
• Minimum of six (6) 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…