Environmental Planner - CEQA

SWCA Environmental Consultants is providing the opportunity to work in one of the most dynamic, diverse, and forward-thinking urban environments in California. Our well-established and growing California Planning Practice Group providing high-quality CEQA/NEPA services is seeking an Associate Project Environmental Planner to help grow and expand our services within Central & Northern California.

The role is a regular (with benefits), full-time, salaried position. Our central CA office is based in San Luis Obispo and hybrid work environments are encouraged. The qualified Associate Environmental Planner will support a wide variety of urban, renewable energy, linear infrastructure, and open space projects throughout California. The compensation for the Associate Project Environmental Planner will be based on individual qualifications and experience.

Application deadline: 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.

• Prepare a wide variety of sections of CEQA and NEPA documents.
• Conduct background research and data collection on land use and environmental topics for CEQA and NEPA documents.
• Lead small to medium-sized complex projects and pursuits, including coordinating efforts with teams and managing budget and client expectations.
• Review and prepare summaries of technical environmental studies prepared by technical experts, such as transportation and circulation, geology and soils, air quality, and/or noise.
• Work closely with project managers to produce CEQA and NEPA documents, project requests for information, and prepare project notices.
• Assist with preparation of project proposals and statements of qualifications.

• Bachelor's or master's degree in urban planning, environmental science, or a related field.
• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant environmental industry experience in either the private or public sector.
• A minimum of three (3) years or more of experience with a public planning agency, an environmental consulting firm, or comparable experience, is preferred.
• Working knowledge of, and demonstrated work experience with CEQA or NEPA, and other environmental laws and regulations..
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) and Adobe Acrobat.

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes

• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organizational, oral, written, and analytical skills with colleagues, clients, and teaming partners
• Proven ability to work in a team environment, with strong multi-tasking skills and able to work on more than one project at a time,
• Demonstrated ability to perform under high-pressure with schedule constraints, including meeting tight deadlines.
• Proactive and focused on meeting team, project, and client goals.
• Demonstrate good judgement and routine, day-to-day decision making and able to make sound independent decisions in urgent and non-routine situations.
• Uses good judgement about whether to act independently or to escalate an issue.
• Ability to be flexible and willing to improve writing and analysis approaches.

We are #OneSWCA and collaborate across all our offices, programs, and disciplines. We are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack. We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. It is imperative for the successful candidate to fit SWCA's unique culture. Do you appreciate sustainability and environmental awareness? Is giving back to your community a priority? SWCA is a team of scientists, planners, technical experts, and corporate services professionals that are committed to our culture.

Purpose: Our company purpose is to preserve natural and cultural resources for tomorrow while enabling projects that benefit people today. You are invited to be a part of our success story.

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 Central CA-based position can expect a salary of $74,412-95,495/year for the Associate Project Planner role. 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.

At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA's continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

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