Senior Environmental Planner – Clean Energy Permitting

Rincon Consultants, Inc; Riverside (CA); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Great Place To Work certification

Job summary

Rincon Consultants, Inc. seeks a Senior Environmental Planner to join the Energy and Utilities Team, leading routing, siting, permitting, and environmental review for renewable energy, battery storage, and electric transmission projects across California and the Western U.S.

In this hybrid role, you will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, manage complex projects, mentor junior staff, support client relations, and help advance clean energy initiatives while ensuring compliance with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Urban Planning, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 7+ years of environmental planning, permitting, or environmental consulting experience.
• Experience supporting renewable energy, battery storage, electric transmission, utility, or other infrastructure projects in the Western U.S.
• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local environmental regulations, permitting requirements, encroachment permitting processes, and agency review processes.
• Demonstrated experience supporting permitting, encroachment permitting, routing, siting, land use entitlement, or environmental compliance efforts for infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated experience preparing and managing NEPA documents. Familiarity with CEQA.
• Experience coordinating with local jurisdictions, transportation agencies, utility providers, and regulatory agencies to obtain project approvals and permits
• Excellent technical writing, communication, presentation, and client management skills
• Strong research, analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities
• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, and able to effectively manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced consulting environment

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage discretionary land use entitlement and permitting efforts for renewable energy, battery storage, electric transmission, and other energy infrastructure projects.
• Lead routing, siting, and permitting efforts for electric transmission, renewable energy, battery energy storage, and other utility infrastructure projects.
• Develop permitting and entitlement strategies to support project development, construction, and operation.
• Develop and oversee routing studies, constraints analyses, feasibility assessments, permitting strategies, encroachment permitting efforts, technical studies and entitlement pathways to support project development and implementation.
• Coordinate with multidisciplinary teams of planners, biologists, cultural resource specialists, engineers, and other technical experts to deliver integrated project solutions.
• Manage project tasks, schedules, budgets, deliverables, and client communications across multiple concurrent projects.
• Conduct land use, zoning, and policy analyses to support project siting, entitlement, routing, and environmental review efforts.
• Interface directly with clients, regulatory agencies, Tribal representatives, stakeholders, and community members throughout project development and environmental review processes.
• Support and lead agency consultation efforts and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations.
• Prepare and participate in public meetings, workshops, hearings, and presentations before agency decision-making bodies.
• Mentor junior staff and contribute to technical quality through QA/QC review, training, and knowledge sharing.
• Support business development efforts, including proposal preparation, scope and budget development, and client relationship management.
• Contribute to the advancement ofcleanenergyin the Western U.S.through the successful delivery of renewable energy and infrastructure projects

Skills

Project management

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder engagement

Technical writing

Analytical thinking

Team leadership

NEPA/CEQA familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Urban Planning, or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Rincon Consultants, Inc. seeks a Senior Environmental Planner to join the Energy and Utilities Team, leading routing, siting, permitting, and environmental review for renewable energy, battery storage, and electric transmission projects across California and the Western U.S.

In this hybrid role, you will collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, manage complex projects, mentor junior staff, support client relations, and help advance clean energy initiatives while ensuring compliance with