Senior Planning Team Lead

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is an employee-owned company of environmental professionals who specialize in natural and cultural resource management, environmental planning, and regulatory compliance.

The Senior Planning Team Lead is responsible for providing leadership within the New Mexico Four Corners Subregion’s Natural Resources and Planning Program by managing staff, projects, and clients.  The successful candidate will possess a proven track record of developing new business, managing high-profile and large-scale projects, meeting financial goals, and mentoring others to do the same. The Senior Planning Team Lead reports to the New Mexico Four Corners subregion’s Natural Resources Director and will work closely with other Team Leads and the subregion Vice President.  The successful candidate will have a depth of experience and familiarity with the business environment of New Mexico and the surrounding states.

Application Directions: Qualified candidates must submit a Letter of Interest along with a current resume in order to be considered for the position. Candidates will also be asked to answer a short series of interview questions prior to in-person interviews.

Closing date for applying for this position is:  December 31, 2022.

What you will accomplish

The Senior Planning Team Lead will develop and oversee the subregion’s services related to environmental planning and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) projects and opportunities. This role will monitor and build talent in staff capacities and capabilities in the scoping, preparation, and execution of successful environmental impact statement, environmental assessment, and other planning processes. The Senior Planning Team lead will participate in the development of a forward-looking plan for their team and strategic growth for the subregion’s business in the realm of planning services. This will include working with the Natural Resources Director and professional staff in the other SWCA offices and regions to further employee development and mentoring, track financial performance and forecasting, provide senior level technical leadership, and develop strategic program goals by contributing to the following:

Organizational leadership

• Supervise and mentor project managers and technical staff.
• Facilitate communication between staff and the Director, other teams, and corporate departments.
• Support the continued growth of the Planning-focused staff group. Advise the Director on staff hires, advancement, and course correction, as needed.
• Support regional goals to improve and maintain quality of performance and SWCA presence in delivering planning technical services and providing solutions for NEPA-focused clients.
• 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 PMs in your Team quarterly, identify and mitigate project challenges to avoid overruns and ensure profitability.
• Provide general support to the team relating to subject matter resources, training opportunities, regulatory and research updates.
• This position will require highly developed critical thinking skills to recognize and solve problems proactively. Resolve risks and impediments through persistence, creative thinking, and a focus on client satisfaction
• It will be critical for this person to have strategic risk awareness and management in an environmental consulting setting.
• Strong ability to take initiative and ownership, resolve problems, and ensure that tasks are completed in the most effective manner.
• Will bring a team-building mentality and fosters the entrepreneurial culture of the program.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Technical leadership

• Provide senior level quality assurance/quality control reviews of deliverables prepared by other team members.
• Support communication of regulatory updates to clients and internal project managers.
• Ensure the delivery of high-quality technical work throughout the team, including process improvement, standard operating procedures, data management and analysis, and reporting procedures.
• Encourage innovation in the program, mentor critical thinking for new internal process improvements, technical approaches, and create a plan for their implementation.
• Think beyond the standard consulting services to develop new project niches, extend project life-cycles, and cross sell other SWCA services.

Client 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.
• Grow client relationships and conduct business development with new and existing clients.
• Identify and evaluate changing market conditions and strategic sales opportunities (new clients and geographies).
• Lead proposal efforts and internal business development groups, take lead role in the go/no go decisions in concert with the Director.
• 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

Experience and qualifications for success

Required:

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s (B.A. or B.S.) degree in Biology, Natural Resource Management, Planning, or related field.
• A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible and relevant environmental services industry experience from the private, public or non-for-profit sectors.
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in NEPA analysis, consulting, and project management, including developing and implementing budgets, schedules, and scopes of work.
• A minimum of three (3) years of experience supervising and mentoring NEPA project managers, technical staff, and field personnel.
• 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), Secretarial Order 3355, and the ability to develop project execution plans to satisfy regulatory compliance.
• Prior experience supervising, mentoring, and/or providing leadership for other professionals.
• Demonstrated business development success and consulting acumen, including established credibility with federal and state agencies and clients
• Successful proposal writing experience.

Preferred:

• Graduate degree in in Biology, Natural Resource Management, Planning, or related field.
• Ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in NEPA analysis, consulting, and project management, including developing and implementing budgets, schedules, and scopes of work.
• Five (5) years of experience supervising and mentoring NEPA project managers, technical staff, and field personnel.
• Working experience of agency internal processes and procedures and positive existing relationships with federal land management and regulatory agencies including the Bureau of Land Management (highest priority), U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and/or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Ability to be recognized by clients and agencies as a NEPA project manager that is capable of leading an EIS from NOI to ROD.

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 480-581-5378. This contact information is for disability accommodation requests only.  All other inquiries will not receive a response.

In accordance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (EPEWA), we are disclosing a good faith estimate of the compensation range for roles that will be, or could be, performed in Colorado. In Colorado, an employee in this position can expect a rate between $90,000 to $110,000 per year depending on experience, geographic locations, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law.  Employees in this position are eligible for consideration for SWCA’s annual bonus program, which provides awards based on individual and organizational performance.  To review additional benefits associated with this position, click here:  https://www.swca.com/careers/totalrewards/benefits

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

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