Environmental Scientist, Planning Waters Team Lead

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Join a team that has the environment down to a science.

Stantec is seeking an experienced Environmental Scientist to serve as a Planning Waters Team Lead for a large utility client within our environmental planning and natural resources practice. This position will provide technical and operational leadership for planning-related waters work, including jurisdictional waters and aquatic resources assessments, regulatory permitting, technical documentation, and environmental review.

The successful candidate will function as an experienced professional who applies advanced practical knowledge, exercises independent judgment, and resolves complex technical and project-delivery issues within established professional and regulatory practices. The role will also provide mentoring, work coordination, quality oversight, and technical direction to environmental scientists and other multidisciplinary team members.

This role is based out of our Stantec office in San Diego, CA; however geographic alignment with other Stantec offices can be considered based on experience. Stantec offers flexible work locations (including working from home), flexible work hours, and a robust compensation and benefits package. Typical office environment working with computers and remaining sedentary for long periods of time.

• Provide technical and functional leadership for planning-related waters assignments, including aquatic resource evaluations, jurisdictional waters delineations, desktop assessments, field investigations, permitting, and environmental documentation.

• Coordinate team workloads, assign or recommend assignments based on staff qualifications and availability, monitor schedules and deliverables, and identify resource needs or delivery risks.

• Provide technical direction, coaching, mentoring, and quality-control support to junior and intermediate staff.

• Develop regulatory strategies for projects requiring aquatic resource approvals or consultation.

• Prepare and review permit applications and supporting materials associated with Clean Water Act Sections 404 and 401, Waste Discharge Requirements, and California Fish and Game Code Section 1600 Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreements, as applicable.

• Prepare, review, and provide quality assurance and quality control for jurisdictional waters delineation reports, Aquatic Resources Delineation Reports, technical memoranda, biological resources reports, and permit packages.

• Interpret federal, state, and local environmental requirements and advise project teams on applicable regulatory pathways, risks, data needs, and recommended next steps.

• Coordinate with clients, project managers, technical specialists, and regulatory agencies regarding project requirements, technical findings, schedules, deliverables, and permitting strategies.

• Lead or support agency coordination and negotiations, including responding to agency comments and requests for supplemental information.

• Review work prepared by team members for technical accuracy, consistency, regulatory defensibility, completeness, and adherence to applicable quality standards.

• Develop and improve team procedures, templates, quality-control tools, technical guidance, and training materials to support consistent project delivery.

• Lead…