Senior Environmental Planner

CEQA and NEPA are exciting environmental laws for you—you might even call yourself a “CEQA Geek” or “NEPA Nerd.” You enjoy helping clients anticipate and solve environmental issues, define compliance strategies, and manage complex environmental planning projects. You are experienced in overseeing environmental compliance documents from start to finish, including quality assurance, client management, schedule and budget oversight, and team coordination.

You are comfortable taking ownership of deliverables and working closely with colleagues and clients, including supporting staff development while collaborating with Ascent principals and analysts.

To stay current in the field, you follow CEQA and NEPA case law and regularly engage in legal and practice updates. You keep up with environmental topics such as urban planning, sustainable transportation, water, energy, biodiversity, and climate change. You bring strong analytical and writing skills, excel at translating technical information for decision-makers and the public, and have experience with business development, proposal writing, and client relationship building.

Above all, you bring a positive attitude and a collaborative, people-focused approach.

Ascent is seeking a full-time Senior Environmental Planner to join our Environmental Practice in Berkeley, Irvine, Lake Tahoe, San Diego, or Sacramento. In a typical week in this position, you might:

• Work with clients on their most important, often complex, and challenging environmental planning documents
• Collaborate closely with Ascent principals, who support you in carrying out projects
• Team up, shoulder-to-shoulder, with a knowledgeable, interdisciplinary group of Ascent professionals in Irvine, San Diego, Berkeley, Sacramento, and Lake Tahoe
• Brainstorm with your assistant project manager, who helps you coordinate projects
• Communicate directly with clients, regulatory agencies, sub-consultants, and stakeholders to understand and address a broad range of perspectives
• Prepare budgets and schedules, and carry out project work within agreed time frames and contract price
• Create, with your team, high-quality environmental and planning documents
• Provide quality review of documents, with attention to completeness, legal adequacy, technical accuracy, and readability
• Represent Ascent and our clients at public meetings, workshops, and open houses
• Lead and contribute to business development activities, including proposal preparation and relationship building with existing and prospective clients
• Participate in professional associations, such as speaking at conferences
• Help with mentoring and skill development of more junior staff

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• Bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in Planning, Environmental Studies, Geography, Natural Resources, Physical Sciences, or a related field
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in the preparation of CEQA/NEPA analysis
• 2-5 years of experience managing environmental documents and analyses
• A record of successful environmental planning projects and working relationships with clients and regulatory agencies are needed

• Typical office environment
• Hybrid

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at a time.

• Limited travel may be required.

• Not eligible for sponsorship

• N/A

At Ascent, we believe in fostering a nurturing environment that prioritizes our…