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CEQA/NEPA Practice Lead
SWCA Environmental Consultants / Pasadena, California
Posted on: March 29, 2021
Application Deadline: 05/29/2021 /5:36PM
Job Description
Overview
SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a highly experienced, self-motivated Environmental CEQA/NEPA Practice Lead to grow and expand our services within Southern California. This is a newly created position, and the successful candidate will possess:
- strong existing client contacts in multiple business lines (e.g., energy and utilities, land development, transportation, water resources, and federal, state and local agencies),
- a proven track record of creating and developing new business opportunities,
- a history of successfully managing large-scale and complex projects, and
- a self-motivated, can-do attitude.
The Lead will:
- develop and mentor staff to meet both their career goals as well as SWCA’s goals,
- meet financial and strategic growth goals, and
- create a climate where people are motivated to bring their best work to help us to grow and prosper.
This is a regular, full-time, salaried position that is a career growth opportunity to join SWCA’s expanding California CEQA/NEPA Practice. This position is tied to our Pasadena office, but can sit anywhere in Southern California. SWCA’s Pasadena office is a well-established leader in Southern California, having provided high quality Cultural and Natural Resources services for 20 years. We are looking to establish a Southern California CEQA/NEPA Planning Practice that will complement our existing services and work in tandem with our CEQA and NEPA experts across the region, and nationwide. This position has tremendous opportunity for growth, as it will directly contribute to establishing, leading, and growing this practice in the nation’s largest market for environmental services. This “cornerstone” position is ideal for an experienced and ambitious individual who is looking to advance their career as both a CEQA/NEPA practitioner and as a manager/mentor to our staff.
Responsibilities
Technical Leadership
- Manage multidisciplinary projects and project teams of SWCA staff and sub-consultants with large and complex projects.
- Meet milestones within schedule and budgetary expectations and be the primary source of accountability for quality assurance/quality control oversight of deliverables, including process improvement, standard operating procedures, data management and analysis, and reporting procedures.
- Encourage innovation in the program and mentor staff to generate process improvements and novel technical approaches.
- Prepare CEQA/NEPA scopes of work, schedules, and budgets and ensure that project deliverables are technically sound and meet quality, schedule, and budget objectives.
- Provide strategic CEQA/NEPA regulatory support on multidisciplinary projects.
- Develop and execute client and public presentations to governmental agencies, boards, commissions, and stakeholders.
- Take initiative to resolve problems and identify improved procedures to ensure client needs are met effectively.
Client Leadership
- Foster new client relationships and strengthen existing client relationships and conduct ongoing business development with clients.
- Lead CEQA/NEPA business development efforts in the Southern California including client outreach, opportunity tracking, attendance at pre-bid meetings, preparation of proposals, and conducting interviews and presentations.
- 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 evaluate changing market conditions and strategic sales opportunities (new clients and geographies).
- Lead proposal efforts and internal business development groups and take a lead role in the go/no go decisions in concert with the Vice President, Southern California and Directors.
- Develop deep and productive relationships within industry organizations and with agency staff to expand the regional client base, in line with the region’s strategic goals.
- Conduct business development, including client outreach, preparing proposals, and conducting interviews and presentations.
- Win, lead, plan, and manage multi-objective documents (both CEQA and NEPA) prepared for a variety of projects and environmental compliance projects throughout the region.
Organizational Leadership
- Work closely with other project managers, directors, and vice presidents throughout the company to promote SWCA’s business interests in adherences to its mission, vision, and values.
- Direct, manage and mentor an internal team of SWCA staff with diverse levels of experience and expertise.
- Facilitate communication and collaborate within our regional environmental planning team, other discipline leaders, and corporate departments.
- Advise the Vice President, Southern California on staff hires, advancement, and course correction, as needed.
- Take on increasing levels of responsibility and monitoring metrics for the financial performance of your team. Metrics to monitor monthly will include project profitability, individual staff billing rates, productivity goals, labor projections, financial forecasting, and annual business planning.
- Audit projects for the project managers in your Team quarterly, identify and mitigate project challenges to avoid overruns and ensure profitability.
Contribute to expanding SWCA’s professional reputation in environmental consulting
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in environmental planning or a related field. Master’s degree and American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification a plus.
- A minimum of at least 15 years of combined experience, preferably in Southern California, in project management and applicable and progressive experience preparing environmental documents, managing staff, and overseeing technical quality.
- Extensive working knowledge of California and federal environmental regulations (e.g., CEQA, NEPA, NHPA, CWA, and ESA).
- Experience leading business development efforts and proposals in order to secure new opportunities with new clientele.
- Active membership in professional groups or associations.
- Deep, existing client relationships in Southern California, and a drive to develop client relationships, identify new opportunities, and win new work.
- Will be able to travel as needed for projects throughout California, as COVID-19 restrictions allow.
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 challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack. We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. 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. We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including an 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement).
If you are seeking an opportunity to work in a culture of exceptionally skilled and diverse professionals who embrace sound science and creative solutions, then SWCA will be a great fit for you! If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please email accomodations@swca.com or call 800-828-8517. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.
SWCA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply.
PI132756190
Required Experience / Skills / Education
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