Environmental Permitting & Regulatory Specialist (Water / Wastewater)

Brown and Caldwell; Alexandria (VA); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401(k) retirement plan

Bonus eligibility

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Brown and Caldwell is seeking an Environmental Permitting and Regulatory Specialist to lead day-to-day permitting support for complex projects in the Washington, DC metro area and surrounding states. You will guide teams, coordinate with agencies, and ensure NEPA compliance, 404/106 permits, and endangered species considerations while protecting project schedules.

You will collaborate with engineering, program management, and contractors, mentor staff, and develop tools to streamline permit

Qualifications

• Typically 5+ years of related compliance & permitting experience.
• Experience with NEPA compliance, 404/106 permitting, ESA, and local District approvals.
• SMS framework certification and progression through competencies is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Review work by junior staff to ensure quality and accuracy.
• Conduct regulatory gap analysis to align with legal/environmental requirements.
• Support strategic permit planning to secure permissions for projects.
• Prepare and submit permit applications per local/state/federal regs.
• Perform multi-media environmental audits and reporting to evaluate compliance.
• Provide compliance reporting to stakeholders and regulators as needed.
• Negotiate with regulatory agencies to resolve issues and facilitate permits.
• Plan for environmental liability risk reduction and implement tools/standards to improve efficiency.
• Adapt to evolving needs and take on additional assignments as required.

Skills

Regulatory gap analysis

Strategic permit planning

Permit procurement

Compliance management

Regulatory negotiation

Problem-solving

Strategic decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree in environmental science/engineering

Job description

Job Summary

The Environmental Permitting and Regulatory Specialist provides day-to-day program support for complex permitting projects in Washington, D.C. and surrounding areas. This role serves as a technical leader to program teams, with responsibility for driving the advancement of routine, complex, and emergency project approvals; directing permitting contractor support; coordinating federal and District agency engagement; and maintaining visibility across projects that may affect shared rights-of-way, agency property, permit conditions, or delivery schedules. Working in close coordination with engineering, program management, and contractors, this position tracks project planning across the capital program and develops practical strategies to protect project schedules. The specialist brings strong experience with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, Section 404 and 106 permitting, threatened and endangered species conservation, and local District approvals, with National Park Service (NPS) project experience strongly preferred.

We are seeking someone to work within the DC Metro, Maryland and Virginia area for this role.

Responsibilities

• Review technical work performed by more junior staff.
• Conduct regulatory gap analysis to ensure alignment with legal and environmental requirements.
• Support strategic permit planning to secure necessary permissions for project execution.
• Prepare and submit permit applications in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.
• Conduct multi-media environmental audits, assessments and reporting to evaluate compliance status.
• Provide compliance support and reporting to internal and external stakeholders.
• Support negotiations with regulatory agencies to resolve compliance issues and facilitate the permit procurement process.
• Engage in environmental liability and risk reduction through careful planning and effective risk management.
• Develop and implement necessary tools and standards to standardize operations and improve efficiency.
• Flexibility to adapt and execute various additional assignments based on evolving needs.

Mentorship

• May provide mentorship, guidance, support, and knowledge-sharing to help less experienced team members develop their skills and grow within their roles.

Skills and Competencies

• Proficient in regulatory gap analysis and strategic permit planning.
• Proficient in role‑specific skills such as permit procurement, compliance management, and regulatory negotiation.
• Excellent problem‑solving capabilities with the ability to resolve moderately complex situations.
• Strong ability in strategic decision making within broad guidelines and policies.

Experience

• Typically, a minimum of 5 years of related work experience in compliance & permitting or related field is required.
• Moderate experience in working independently under limited supervision.
• Typically certified in BC's Subject Matter Specialist (SMS) Framework, and progressing through the SMS competencies.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience developing and implementing program‑level permitting strategies, permit matrices, schedules, budgets, trackers, roles and responsibilities, and communication protocols across multiple concurrent projects.
• Professional experience in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region, including established familiarity with local agency expectations is strongly preferred.
• Ability to attend site visits and field meetings with subcontractors, regulators, utility representatives, and other stakeholders.
• Knowledge and experience with Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland local and state permitting and approval processes. Coordination experience with the Washington, D.C. agencies preferred, including District Department of Transportation, Department of Buildings, Department of Energy and Environment, Historic Preservation Office, and other District agencies.
• Strong experience with federal environmental review and permitting, including NEPA, National Park Service procedures and Special Use Permits, Clean Water Act Sections 401 and 404, Rivers and Harbors Act Sections 10 and 408, and Endangered Species Act compliance.
• Experience coordinating projects on or adjacent to federal lands, parklands, waterways, historic properties, and other sensitive resources in the Washington metropolitan area.
• Knowledge of Section 106 cultural resources review, archaeological resource requirements, threatened and endangered species consultation, tree‑clearing restrictions, wetland and waters evaluations, and avoidance and mitigation planning.
• Ability to engage regulatory agencies early, lead pre‑application meetings, clarify approval pathways and dependencies, negotiate practical solutions, and maintain productive relationships with agency staff.
• Experience integrating permitting into planning, alternatives analysis, design development, constructability reviews, cost estimating, and construction schedules so regulatory constraints are identified before they affect delivery.
• Proven ability to translate between engineers, contractors, environmental specialists, regulators, utility staff, and client leadership and to communicate non‑negotiable project needs clearly and credibly.
• Strong project and program management skills, including prioritizing urgent or emergency permitting needs, coordinating phased approvals, maintaining decision and communication records, and preparing concise status reports for client and project leadership.

Education

• A bachelor's degree in environmental science, engineering, or related field or equivalent experience is required.

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Salary Range:

The anticipated starting pay range for this position is based on the employee's primary work location and may be more or less depending upon skills, experience, and education. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Location A: $95,000 - $129,000

Location B: $104,000 - $142,000

Location C: $114,000 - $155,000

You can view which BC location applies to you here. If you have any questions, please speak with your Recruiter.

Benefits and Other Compensation: We provide a comprehensive benefits package that promotes employee health, performance, and success which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long‑term disability, life insurance, an employee assistance program, paid time off and parental leave, paid holidays, 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match, performance‑based bonus eligibility, employee referral bonuses, tuition reimbursement, pet insurance and long‑term care insurance. Click here to see our full list of benefits.

About Brown and Caldwell

Headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, Brown and Caldwell is a full‑service environmental engineering and construction services firm with 50 offices and over 2,100 professionals across North America and the Pacific. For more than 75 years, we have created leading‑edge environmental solutions for municipalities, private industry, and government agencies. We strive to be the company of choice‑to our clients, who benefit from our passion for delivering exceptional quality, and to our employees, present and future, who share our commitment to client service, collaboration, and innovation. Join us, and you will find a home where you can do your best work, reach new levels of expertise, and enjoy exceptional development opportunities. For more information, visit www.brownandcaldwell.com

This position is subject to a pre‑employment background check and a pre‑employment drug test.

Notice to Third Party Agencies: Brown and Caldwell does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement and approved engagement request with Brown and Caldwell, Brown and Caldwell reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency.

Brown and Caldwell is proud to be an EEO/AAP Employer. Brown and Caldwell encourages protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, and applicants from all backgrounds to apply. Brown and Caldwell ensures nondiscrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.

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Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.