Lead Visual Resources Consultant

Do you thrive in the pursuit of ensuring excellence in environmental consulting services for your clients? SWCA Environmental Consultants is expanding our visual resources team and is looking for a dynamic individual interested in following their passion in delivering the highest-quality project work. SWCA Consultants has an opportunity for a full-time, regular, salaried Lead Visual Resources Consultant to join us.

In this role, you will help lead the visual resources team in the development of analytical products related to visual resources and findings for environmental documents for local, state, and federal agencies. This position can be geographically located anywhere within the continental United States either as a remote employee or hybrid role based on proximity to an established SWCA office, though you must be able to travel to project sites as necessary up to 50% of the year or as needed.

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.

• As a Lead Visual Resource Consultant, apply your knowledge working collaboratively with others on the inventory and analysis of visual resources and impacts to visual resources associated with proposed projects following local, state, and federal guidance.
• Prepare and produce visual impact assessment (VIA) technical reports and visual resources sections of permit documents and permit applications for federal, state, local agencies, and jurisdictions.
• Lead and develop proposals, scopes of work and budgets independently and with proposal teams to support company-wide opportunities.
• Lead, mentor and develop team members.
• Travel to project locations to conduct visual resource inventories and assessments.
• Work with Visual Simulation Specialists to develop photographic simulations, visualization graphics and 3D visualizations to support visual resource assessments for permitting documents and public outreach materials.
• Ensure project quality, schedule, and budget objectives are met and adhered to.
• Take initiative, resolve problems, identify improved procedures, and communicate effectively to assure project manager and client needs are met.
• Work closely with resource teams, project managers, and senior leadership throughout the company to promote SWCA's business interests in adherences to its mission, vision, and values.
• Participation at industry conferences and events to market services.

• Bachelor's degree in environmental planning, environmental science, landscape architecture, or other related field applicable to visual impact assessment.
• Demonstrated organizational development, leadership, and mentoring.
• A minimum of six (6) years of direct experience in environmental planning with emphasis on leading visual impact assessments of large-scale infrastructure projects such as renewable energy, transmission, mining, pipelines, land development and transportation.
• Ability to manage time effectively and work independently as a distributed or hybrid employee.
• Demonstrated innovative and tested approaches to conducting visual analysis through new technologies and/ or methods.
• Practiced understanding of environmental permitting regulations and requirements including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other state and local siting/permitting regulations.
• Demonstrated experience in technical writing to support the development of environmental permitting documents for NEPA and state and local permitting relate to visual resources.
• Proficiency in orienteering skills using GPS equipment; reading and interpreting aerial imagery, topographical maps, and design drawings to interpret spatial relationships.
• Understanding and proficiency in photography and its application for use in visual simulations.
• Experience interpreting and critiquing visual simulations.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to take a logical approach to tasks.

Preferred qualifications:

• California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) experience related to aesthetics.
• Night skies impacts analysis application and understanding.
• Training and experience applying Bureau of Land Management Visual Resource Management techniques or other applicable methodologies to projects on federal and private lands.

Why Work at SWCA:

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services. Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental…