California Environmental Permitting Specialist (Hybrid)

Gannett Fleming, Inc.; Berkeley (CA); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Wellness programs and comprehensive 
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Tax-deferred 401(k)

Competitive PTO

Tuition reimbursement

Professional development

Incentive compensation

Job summary

GFT seeks an experienced Project Environmental Scientist to join our California Environmental Practice in a hybrid Berkeley/Roseville role. The position emphasizes technical permitting, client interaction, and regulatory coordination to support infrastructure projects across the state.

You will lead natural resource analyses, develop permitting strategies, and prepare permit applications while collaborating with agencies such as USACE, CDFW, RWQCB, USFWS, and NOAA Fisheries.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, biology, ecology, the physical sciences, or closely related field.
• Approximately 5-8 years of progressively responsible experience, with significant experience delivering natural resources and permitting services for infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated experience preparing and managing environmental permits for projects in California.
• Strong working knowledge of applicable federal and California environmental regulations.
• Experience working with regulatory agencies such as USACE, CDFW, RWQCB, USFWS and/or NOAA Fisheries.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to travel and execute work in a variety of settings and environmental conditions (heat, cold, rain, etc.).
• Demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills to work effectively with others and achieve results.
• Demonstrated agility working with multi-disciplined infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated professional judgment, consistency, strong attention to detail, and background of high-quality work products.
• Ability to prepare and deliver presentations and lead meetings, when needed.
• An entrepreneurial mindset and interest in helping grow a developing California environmental practice.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support natural resource analysis and environmental permitting for transportation, water, and other infrastructure projects throughout California.
• Develop permitting strategies and identify federal, state, and local regulatory requirements during project planning, CEQA/NEPA and design.
• Prepare and manage permit applications and supporting technical documentation, including Clean Water Act Sections 404 and 401, California Fish and Game Code Section 1600 Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreements, and other applicable permits.
• Coordinate directly with regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Water Quality Control Boards, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, and other agencies as appropriate.
• Conduct wetland delineations, jurisdictional assessments, biological field studies, and other technical investigations necessary to support project permitting and CEQA/NEPA analysis.
• Author and review technical reports, CEQA/NEPA analysis, permit applications, environmental commitments, mitigation plans, and related environmental deliverables.
• Work closely with engineering and design teams to identify natural resource and permitting constraints, develop avoidance and minimization measures, and incorporate environmental requirements into project design and construction.
• Support environmental compliance during construction, including implementation and tracking of permit conditions and mitigation commitments.
• Manage environmental permitting assignments, including scope, schedule, budget, staffing, deliverables, and client communications.
• Contribute to and lead environmental components of proposals, interviews, scopes of work, and cost estimates.
• Contribute to the continued development of GFT’s California Environmental Practice.

Skills

Regulatory compliance

Permitting experience

Client coordination

Written & verbal communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in environmental science/biology/ecology/physical sciences

Tools

GIS

Job description

GFT seeks an experienced Project Environmental Scientist to join our California Environmental Practice in a hybrid Berkeley/Roseville role. The position emphasizes technical permitting, client interaction, and regulatory coordination to support infrastructure projects across the state.

You will lead natural resource analyses, develop permitting strategies, and prepare permit applications while collaborating with agencies such as USACE, CDFW, RWQCB, USFWS, and NOAA Fisheries.