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 Nevada Team is looking for a self‑motivated Project‑Level 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 (with benefits), full‑time, salaried position, reporting to SWCA’s Senior Planning Team Lead in either Las Vegas or Reno. Work can be based in the office, in a hybrid arrangement, or distributed for those located in the West or Rocky Mountain time zones.

SWCA will consider hiring at either level:

• Project Environmental Planner – minimum of seven (7) years of relevant industry experience and expertise preferred.
• Associate Project Environmental Planner – minimum of five (5) years of relevant industry experience and expertise.

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.

The person hired for this role 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). More senior planners may be asked to work on more complicated and larger planning tasks and projects. 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.
• 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.
• Take responsibility for team safety, develop safety plans (when applicable), and anticipate 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.
• Four (4) 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…