Planning Team Lead

About the opportunity

The Northern Arizona Planning Team Lead is responsible for providing leadership within the Planning Program by developing new business to support office goals by pursuing project opportunities, managing projects and clients, and supervising and mentoring staff. The successful candidate will have a depth of experience and familiarity with the business environment and planning needs in Arizona, as well as technical skills in planning and permitting processes and ability to provide direction to junior staff.

This is a full time, regular status, salaried position reporting to the Northern Arizona Senior Director. This position will work closely with and leaders across Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and beyond, to accomplish goals.

SWCA is proud to offer flexible work location arrangements. Work can be based in the office, in a hybrid work arrangement or distributed, for those located in the region.

What you will accomplish

The Northern Arizona Planning Team Lead will develop business opportunities within the Northern Arizona market and adjacent areas while growing and managing a locally based and distributed planning team. This will include working with the Northern Arizona and Southern Arizona Senior Directors and professional staff throughout the West region to further our team and regional goals by contributing to the following:

Client leadership

• Manage client relationships and conduct business development with new and existing clients.
• Identify and evaluate sales opportunities (prospects and proposals) and make recommendations to the Senior Directors; lead proposal efforts.
• Support business line growth objectives and lead 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.
• Network within industry organizations to expand the regional client base in line with the region’s strategic goals.
• Develop and foster teaming relationships that lead to business development.
• Take a leading role in the effort to diversify sales in the Arizona market, specifically by developing business in the planning discipline, also contributing to cross-specialty business in the cultural and natural resources, restoration, and multi-region and multidisciplinary pursuits.
• Participate in and lead strategic client capture efforts, in collaboration with Business Development Resources team and local/regional leadership.
• Manage the performance of individual projects and effectively coordinate with clients and agencies to produce technically excellent work that is on time and on budget.
• Identify and mitigate project challenges to avoid overruns and ensure profitability.

People Leadership

• Demonstrate excellent leadership behavior and professionalism while providing leadership at the project, team, and office level.
• Mentor and coach junior team members in business development and client services and in the development of the skills in environmental analysis and document preparation.
• Advise the Senior Director on staff supervision, advancement, and course correction, as needed.
• Provide general support to the team relating to subject matter resources, training opportunities, regulatory and research updates, etc.
• Take a leading role in managing the schedule for the planning team, ensuring adequate coverage of project needs and appropriate assignments of staff to specific tasks, and identifying staffing shortfalls so that additional support can be sought either through subconsultants, staff from other offices, or hiring.
• Serve as the lead hiring manager for project- and staff-level positions. Take a leading role in identify staffing needs, screening job candidates, conducting interviews, and making hiring recommendations to the Senior Director.
• Ensure team compliance with performance management and training requirements; support Senior Director in tracking progress and follow-up with individual supervisors and staff members.

Technical Leadership

• 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.
• Assist teams by providing technical oversight and guidance for the preparation of key aspects of planning and NEPA documents, including project planning; 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; and Records of Decisions and Findings of No Significant Impact.
• Support and oversee development of local land use and environmental permitting for County and State requirements including special use permits and certificates of environmental compatibility, and others.

Experience and qualifications for success

We seek a team member who brings demonstrated experience in environmental planning project management, environmental analysis, and agency consultation. We seek the following specific qualities:

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental planning, environmental science, or another planning or science-related field.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of planning or NEPA document preparation and experience in environmental consulting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence; attention to detail; and organization, schedule, and budget management skills.
• Experience on complex, multi-disciplinary projects; leading meetings with clients and agencies; directing project teams including subcontractors; preparing or directing staff in the preparation of technical studies and planning/NEPA documents; and setting and adhering to project budgets and delivery schedules.
• A working knowledge of federal and state environmental regulations including NEPA, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), the Clean Water Act (CWA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and the ability to develop project execution plans to satisfy regulatory compliance.
• A working understanding of agency internal processes and procedures such as the BLM, USFS, NPS, BOR, and/or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
• Proven experience with a subset of public lands, land use planning, natural and cultural resource issues, wind and solar projects, transportation projects, and or oil/gas projects in the western US.

Preferred or Helpful Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in environmental planning, environmental science, or another planning or science-related field.
• Experience with supporting business development with federal agencies, RMPs, mining, oil and gas, and renewable energy developers or other non-federal applicants that seek permits or leases from federal agencies.

Additional Information:

• SWCA is proud to offer flexible work location arrangements. Fully remote, office-based, or hybrid candidates are welcome.
• While candidates who are located in the Flagstaff or Phoenix area are preferred, candidates in nearby geographies will also be considered.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full spectrum of environmental services. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms.

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the online application process due to a disability, please email accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only. All other inquiries will not receive a response.

EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees. In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

An employee in this Flagstaff, AZ based position can expect an annual salary of $80,080.00–$102,960.00/year. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law.  Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive Benefits package, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

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Seniority Level

Mid-Senior level

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