Senior Environmental Planner

Ascent; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical benefits

Competitive salary

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Ascent is seeking a full-time Senior Environmental Planner to join our Environmental Practice in California, where you will lead the preparation and management of CEQA/NEPA compliance documents. You will collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and clients, ensuring high-quality project deliverables.

The ideal candidate has a strong background in environmental planning with a minimum of 8 years of experience, excellent analytical skills, and the ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders. This role offers a hybrid working environment and a supportive team culture focused on professional development.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years of experience in CEQA/NEPA analyses.
• 2-5 years managing environmental documents.
• Experience in building relationships with clients and regulatory agencies.

Responsibilities

• Prepare complex environmental planning documents.
• Work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams.
• Manage project budgets and schedules effectively.

Skills

Environmental compliance management

CEQA/NEPA analysis

Client relationship management

Proposal writing

Collaborative teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Planning, Environmental Studies, or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

CEQA and NEPA are exciting environmental laws for you—you might even call yourself a “CEQA Geek” or “NEPA Nerd.” You enjoy helping clients anticipate and solve environmental issues, define compliance strategies, and manage complex environmental planning projects. You are experienced in overseeing environmental compliance documents from start to finish, including quality assurance, client management, schedule and budget oversight, and team coordination. You are comfortable taking ownership of deliverables and working closely with colleagues and clients, including supporting staff development while collaborating with Ascent principals and analysts.

To stay current in the field, you follow CEQA and NEPA case law and regularly engage in legal and practice updates. You keep up with environmental topics such as urban planning, sustainable transportation, water, energy, biodiversity, and climate change. You bring strong analytical and writing skills, excel at translating technical information for decision makers and the public, and have experience with business development, proposal writing, and client relationship building. Above all, you bring a positive attitude and a collaborative, people-focused approach.

Ascent is seeking a full-time Senior Environmental Planner to join our Environmental Practice in Berkeley, Irvine, Lake Tahoe, San Diego, or Sacramento. In a typical week in this position, you might:

• Work with clients on their most important, often complex, and challenging environmental planning documents
• Collaborate closely with Ascent principals, who support you in carrying out projects
• Team up, shoulder-to-shoulder, with a knowledgeable, interdisciplinary group of Ascent professionals in Irvine, San Diego, Berkeley, Sacramento, and Lake Tahoe
• Brainstorm with your assistant project manager, who helps you coordinate projects
• Communicate directly with clients, regulatory agencies, sub-consultants, and stakeholders to understand and address a broad range of perspectives
• Prepare budgets and schedules, and carry out project work within agreed time frames and contract price
• Create, with your team, high-quality environmental and planning documents
• Provide quality review of documents, with attention to completeness, legal adequacy, technical accuracy, and readability
• Represent Ascent and our clients at public meetings, workshops, and open houses
• Lead and contribute to business development activities, including proposal preparation and relationship building with existing and prospective clients
• Participate in professional associations, such as speaking at conferences
• Help with mentoring and skill development of more junior staff

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in Planning, Environmental Studies, Geography, Natural Resources, Physical Sciences, or a related field
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in the preparation of CEQA/NEPA analysis
• 2-5 years of experience managing environmental documents and analyses
• A record of successful environmental planning projects and working relationships with clients and regulatory agencies are needed

Work environment

• Typical office environment
• Hybrid

Physical Demands

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at a time.

Travel

• Limited travel may be required.

Work authorization/security clearance requirements

Not eligible for sponsorship

Additional eligibility requirements

N/A

At Ascent, we believe in fostering a nurturing environment that prioritizes our people. We are committed to holistic investments in our team, offering not only competitive salaries and comprehensive medical benefits but also a range of perks designed to enhance emotional, financial, and physical wellness. A comprehensive listing of benefits offered can be found here.

As a people-first organization, we value and will strive to ascend by welcoming and uplifting all voices, ideas, achievements, and contributions, including those from marginalized communities and identities. We believe that recognizing and embracing our differences makes us a stronger organization. We commit to proactively nurturing environments of mutual support, respect, and caring for all through our words and actions.

Interested in learning more about Ascent's culture? Reach out to our People Resources team at [e-mail]. We look forward to hearing from you!

EEO Statement

Ascent provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Ascent is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact [e-mail].

Ascent strives for equity in every area at Ascent, including compensation. To ensure candidates are paid fairly, the offered salary will fall within this range and will be determined based on the candidate's demonstrated qualifications and alignment with the requirements of the position outlined above.