Consulting Senior Associate, Scientist, Permit Coordinator Consulting Senior Associate, Scienti[...]

Seeds Renewables; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 61,299 - 75,562; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical insurance

401(k) plan

Job summary

A leading sustainability consultancy in California is seeking a Consulting Senior Associate, Scientist, Permit Coordinator. This pivotal role involves overseeing vegetation management permit applications, ensuring regulatory compliance, and coordinating with various teams and stakeholders. Candidates should have a degree in Environmental Science and experience with environmental permitting. The position offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years of experience supporting environmental or utility permitting.
• Strong knowledge of federal/state health & safety regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all aspects of vegetation management permit applications.
• Track and monitor application progress, providing timely updates to stakeholders.
• Coordinate with project managers and field teams for permit data verification.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Proficiency in Excel

Solution-oriented mindset

Education

Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science

Tools

Permitting software

Job description

Consulting Senior Associate, Scientist, Permit Coordinator

Job Description

Ready to make an impact? At ERM, you’ll join a global leader in sustainability consulting, working on projects that matter. If you’re detail-oriented, thrive under deadlines, and want to advance your career in environmental permitting, we’d love to hear from you.

Why This Role Matters

Power utilities depend on safe, reliable vegetation management to keep communities connected and protect critical infrastructure. As a Consulting Senior Associate, Scientist, Permit Coordinator in Northern California, you’ll play a pivotal role in ensuring compliance and efficiency for complex permitting processes that keep projects moving forward. This is your opportunity to combine technical expertise with client-facing collaboration in a fast-paced, high-impact environment.

What Your Impact Is

You’ll be the driving force behind successful permit applications—managing every detail from start to finish. Your work ensures projects meet regulatory requirements, deadlines are achieved, and stakeholders stay informed. By coordinating across teams and agencies, you’ll help deliver solutions that protect ecosystems, maintain safety, and support sustainable energy infrastructure.

What You’ll Bring

Required

• Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 1–3 years of experience supporting environmental or utility permitting.
• Strong knowledge of federal/state health & safety regulations and contractor safety management.
• Familiarity with encroachment packages for agencies such as Caltrans, State Parks, USFS, and local water districts.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills; ability to manage multiple permits under tight deadlines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for professional client and agency interactions.
• Proficiency in Excel and willingness to learn new permitting software.
• Adaptable, proactive, and solution-oriented mindset.

Preferred

• Experience with railroad easement permitting.
• Background in auditing and safety program development.
• Prior exposure to programmatic planning and regulatory research.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all aspects of vegetation management permit applications, ensuring compliance with environmental and utility regulations.
• Track and monitor application progress, providing timely updates to internal teams and client stakeholders.
• Coordinate with project managers and field teams to collect and verify data for permits.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, regulatory agencies, and stakeholders to support timely permit issuance.
• Stay current on regulatory changes and evolving permit processes to inform programmatic planning.
• Contribute to a collaborative team environment through active participation in meetings and knowledge sharing.

For the Consulting Senior Associate, Scientist, Permit Coordinator position, the anticipated annual base pay is $61,299–$75,562 (USD). Actual pay will depend on factors such as education, experience, skills, location, performance, and business needs. In some cases, pay may fall outside this range. This role may be eligible for bonus pay (casual and fixed term/flex force employees are not bonus eligible).

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off, parental leave, medical, dental, vision, life, disability, AD&D insurance, 401(k) or RRSP/DPSP, and other applicable benefits to eligible employees.

Note:Bonuses, commissions, and other forms of additional compensation are not guaranteed and subject to the sole discretion of ERM and its policies and procedures.

Who We Are: As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, we partner with the world’s leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations.

Please submit your resume and brief cover letter.

ERM does not accept recruiting agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, ERM employees or any other company location. ERM is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

ERM is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

Thank you for your interest in ERM!