Lead Environmental Planner – Visual Resources Specialist

About the opportunity

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, permanent and salaried Lead Environmental Planner – Visual Resources Specialist 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 distributed 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.

What you will accomplish

• As a lead visual resource specialist, 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 associated budgets.
• Mentor and develop team members.
• Travel to project locations to conduct visual resource inventories and assessments.
• Work with visualization specialists to develop photographic simulations, visualization graphics and 3D visualizations to support visual resource assessment for permitting documents and public outreach materials.
• Ensure project quality, schedule, and budget objectives.
• Take initiative, resolve problems, and identify improved procedures to assure client needs are met effectively.
• 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.

Experience and qualifications for success

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental planning, environmental science, landscape architecture, or other related field applicable to visual impact assessment.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of direct experience in environmental planning with emphasis on leading visual impact assessments of large-scale infrastructure projects such as solar, wind (onshore and offshore) and transmission lines.
• Innovative and tested approaches to conducting visual analysis though new technologies and 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 a compass and GPS equipment; reading and interpreting aerial imagery, topographical maps, and design drawings to interpret spatial relationships.
• Photography and its application for use in visual simulations.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to take a logical approach to tasks.
• Ability to travel as needed for projects throughout the U.S up to 50% of the year or as needed.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience working with local, state, and federal agencies; understanding of federal agency visual resource programs and manuals.
• California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) experience related to aesthetics highly desirable.
• Experience with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) visual impact methodology.
• Experience conducting visual impact assessments for renewable energy, transmission, mining, and transportation projects.
• 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.
• Bureau of Land Management Visual Resource Management 5-Day Training Course completion.
• Experience interpreting and critiquing visual simulations.

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.

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Seniority Level

Mid-Senior level

Not ready to apply? Connect with us for general consideration.