Principal Environmental Professional (Geologist or Engineer)

LE002 Onterris Payroll, LLC; Santa Ana (CA); Remote; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Onterris seeks a Principal Professional to lead site assessment and remediation initiatives in California and the western states. You will guide client relationships, oversee multidisciplinary teams, and drive successful proposals with major annual work opportunities.

Remote-capable, based in California, with travel as needed. You will manage complex studies and deliverables, ensuring quality, schedule, and budget adherence while mentoring staff and expanding the firm’s client base in

Qualifications

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to oversee quality assurance for complex technical documents.
• Proven success in proposal leadership and teaming for sole-source and competitive pursuits.
• Strong familiarity with California and other western state regulations, industry standards, and procurement processes.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams while also operating independently.
• Willingness and ability to travel locally as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead team growth through outreach to potential clients and proposal preparation.
• Collaborate with client contacts, staff geologists and engineers, regulatory specialists, and agency partners.
• Support client retention by fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive work environment.
• Ensure the operational effectiveness, productivity, and profitability of both your work and the team you lead.
• Lead proposal efforts for projects of all sizes, including strategy development, teaming decisions, and win themes.
• Guide proposal managers on proposal structure, approach narratives, cover letters, scopes of work, and qualifications sections.
• Ensure proposal schedules, budgets, and deliverables are accurate, compliant, and submitted on time.
• Lead and prepare teams for proposal interviews.
• Conduct project management for obtained new projects and ensure all work meets the firm’s quality standards.
• Delegate tasks effectively, provide direction, and ensure work stays within project constraints.
• Stay current on industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices.
• Work both independently and collaboratively with the core leadership team.

Job description

About Us

At Onterris, we build careers grounded in purpose, responsibility and real-world impact. “For Planet and Progress” is our north star that guides everything we do. We believe environmental responsibility and human progress are interconnected, interwoven and international. Our scientists, engineers, field teams, consultants and professionals collaborate across disciplines and geographies, guiding industries and governments, ensuring that communities and environments thrive. When you join us, you’re not just forging a career, you’re joining a movement. A movement for better thinking, smarter solutions and lasting impact. Together, we will advance our way of life and protect the integrity of our environment every step of the way.

A Day in the Life

You will represent the firm with the highest level of professionalism when working with clients, staff, and teaming partners. You will act as a strategic leader, technical expert, and mentor - supporting project success, strengthening client relationships, and contributing to the firm’s long-term growth. You will lead efforts to obtain new opportunities within site assessment and remediation projects from early strategies through execution, ensuring that all deliverables are high quality, well organized, and ready for client delivery. While the position may be performed remotely, the ideal candidate will be based in California and will bring contacts within the industry and knowledge of California and/or other western states, and specific regulatory and environmental expertise. The compensation range for this role is $120,000 to $150,000 commensurate with experience, skills, and geographic location.

Team Leadership & Staff Development

• Lead team growth through outreach to potential clients and proposal preparation
• Collaborate with client contacts, staff geologists and engineers, regulatory specialists, and agency partners.
• Support client retention by fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive work environment.
• Ensure the operational effectiveness, productivity, and profitability of both your work and the team you lead.

Proposal Leadership and Business Development

• Play a key role in securing $1M-$2M in new annual work through competitive pursuits, sole-source opportunities, on-call contracts, and strategic teaming arrangements.
• Lead proposal efforts for projects of all sizes, including strategy development, teaming decisions, and win themes.
• Guide proposal managers on proposal structure, approach narratives, cover letters, scopes of work, and qualifications sections.
• Ensure proposal schedules, budgets, and deliverables are accurate, compliant, and submitted on time.
• Lead and prepare teams for proposal interviews.
• Support broader business development efforts by evaluating new leads and cultivating long-term client and partner relationships.

Project Execution

• Conduct project management for obtained new projects and ensure all work meets the firm’s quality standards.
• Delegate tasks effectively, provide direction, and ensure work stays within project constraints.
• Stay current on industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices.
• Work both independently and collaboratively with the core leadership team.
• Perform additional duties as needed to support project and company success.

Your Expertise and Skills

The Principal Professional is a recognized technical authority and strategic leader, responsible for regulatory certainty, project success, and long-term client trust. These requirements reflect the knowledge, skills and abilities that help you do your best work here.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in geology, engineering, environmental science, or related field.
• 15+ years of relevant professional consulting experience (12+ with a Master’s), including public sector experience.
• Proven consulting experience and success as a Project Manager overseeing completion of technical studies and documents within schedule and budget.
• Experience serving as Project Manager serving as the senior client representative and owning responsibility for consulting products and services.
• Demonstrated success in proposal leadership, teaming for sole-source and competitive pursuits.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, ability to oversee and provide quality assurance for complex technical documents, as well as make presentations, including interviews for competitive proposals.
• Strong familiarity with California and other western state regulations, industry standards, and Federal, State and local procurement processes.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams while also operating independently.
• Willingness and ability to travel locally as needed.

Onterris is a leading global environmental solutions company partnering with organizations to solve complex challenges where environmental pressures, regulatory expectations and operational risks intersect. Guided by our mission to advance the way of life without compromising the integrity of our environment, we believe environmental responsibility and human progress are fundamentally connected. Our scientists, engineers, field teams and consultants apply systems thinking that unites science, data and practical expertise to deliver solutions that strengthen our clients’ resilience, mitigate risk and protect the air, water and soil that sustain communities, while uncovering responsible paths forward for planet and progress. For more information, visit www.onterris.com. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We acknowledge that these experiences and perspectives help to enrich our teams and contribute to our ongoing success. We are committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in our employment for all applicants. For US residents, click here to learn more.

At Onterris, we take on complex challenges with purpose and momentum, alongside teams that lead with integrity, deliver together, and invest in your growth.

“Working with inspiring coworkers and clients across the globe over the past five years has been incredibly rewarding. Their passion motivates me to improve our client experience and work that I deliver.” - Erin Peck, Emissions Services

“There are not many places where a toxicologist can be boots‑on‑the‑ground at an environmental emergency one day and deep in a human health risk assessment or litigation the next, but this company is one of them, and honestly, that breadth is what makes me love the work. We are a team of scientists with a broad range of talents and experiences who genuinely take the mission to heart, because protecting people and communities from chemical hazards is not abstract here; it is exactly why we show up every day. The culture reflects that shared commitment in the best way: collaborative, rigorous, and truly motivated by the impact we make together.” - Andre Richardson, Consulting

“I knew my position here would be more than just a job. Every day is a new, exciting challenge to solve, and I get to go home knowing that the work I am doing is having a positive impact on the world.” - J Esteves, R&D