Senior Regulatory Specialist/Project Manager

ICF Olson; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Regulatory Specialist/Project Manager who is passionate about environmental compliance and project management. This role involves leading the development of regulatory strategies and managing utility projects in Northern California. You will collaborate with a diverse team of professionals, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations while building strong client relationships. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and have a track record of successful project management, this is an exciting opportunity to contribute to meaningful projects that impact communities and the environment. Join a team that values collaboration, curiosity, and commitment to excellence.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in environmental planning and compliance.
• Strong project management skills with a focus on utility projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of environmental strategies and permit compliance documents.
• Manage multiple projects and client relationships effectively.
• Support business development and proposal preparation activities.

Skills

Environmental Compliance

Project Management

Regulatory Strategy Development

Client Management

Biological Sciences

Communication Skills

Analytic Skills

Problem-Solving Skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science

Master’s degree in related field

Job description

Senior Regulatory Specialist/Project Manager

Senior Regulatory Specialist/Project Manager

Location: Bay Area/Sacramento, CA or Northern CA

We are the Environment & Planning Division of ICF. We are passionate about doing what’s right for our clients, our people, the communities where we live and work, and the environment. We are planners, scientists, program managers, communicators, economists, technologists, and strategists. We are collaborative, curious, and committed to excellence—these are qualities we value that make us who we are and inspire us to grow. If you perform well in a fast-paced, engaging, and collaborative environment, and would like to work with a varied team of industry professionals, we encourage you to learn more about ICF (www.icf.com) and consider applying to join our team.

ICF is seeking an experienced Regulatory Specialist with project management and consulting experience to play a key role in our growing utility business in Northern California. The ideal candidate will have utility (energy, broadband fiber, water infrastructure) project and client management experience with technical expertise in regulatory compliance strategy development, and local, state and federal permit acquisition. Experience in the field of biological sciences is a plus.

Description

The primary duty of this role is to lead the development and implementation of environmental and regulatory strategies, permit compliance documents, and permit procurement for utility projects in Northern California. This person will also consult directly with environmental and local government regulatory agencies on behalf of clients, as well as interface with utility and infrastructure client teams, project engineers, and construction planning contractors, to support environmental compliance and construction implementation activities for design/build projects.

A strong working knowledge of environmental compliance processes and experience working directly with public and private sector clients such as broadband fiber, subsea cable, and energy developers and providers is preferred. At a minimum, the position requires experience preparing environmental or local development related permit applications, drafting technical reports and deliverables, managing, and tracking multiple projects concurrently, and working effectively with internal technical teams, regulatory agencies, and clients. You will lead business development activities and then manage these projects with support from a team to successful completion. You will assist in growing ICF’s Northern California utility program environmental services and manage client relationships.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as a project manager or task manager as appropriate for environmental compliance for utility projects, overseeing the preparation of documents, reports, presentations, technical memoranda, forms, and other work products. Includes contract and financial management tasks.
• Oversee, participate (in biological surveys if you have the expertise required), and manage biological and cultural field teams and subconsultants as necessary.
• Conduct research; write proficiently; and manage multiple project schedules with competing deadlines and budget constraints.
• Build relationships with clients and substantially contribute to business development throughout Northern California and Pacific Northwest. Support business development activities including proposal preparation, interview participation, and strategic business planning.
• Manage and author deliverables.
• Be a collaborative member of an integrated project team of engineers, scientists, planners, regulators, and other stakeholders.
• Clearly communicate timelines and gather data from individuals across multiple lines of business and departments and follow up, as necessary.
• Professionally manage relations and expectations with clients while identifying new opportunities for business development.
• Participate in regular team meetings with the potential for occasional travel to client offices and remote project sites.
• A desire to lead internal teams of staff and subconsultants to exceed client expectations in an environment that fosters growth, collaboration, and clear communication in a fast-paced setting with competing demands.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in environmental science, biology, environmental planning or related field.
• 8+ years of environmental planning and/or professional-related experience in a consulting or team-based environment.

Professional Skills

• In-depth working knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations and experience in helping utility clients in Northern California with environmental permitting and compliance.
• Experience obtaining environmental permits and reviewing technical studies such as those addressing biological resources, cultural resources, air quality, noise, traffic, and hydrology.
• Project management experience working within a private consulting firm including the ability to take and give directions, stay organized, and manage time effectively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with experience interfacing with internal staff, external clients, members of the public, and agencies such as CPUC, CSLC, CVFPB, USACE, CDFW, CEC, Caltrans, BLM, USFS.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively.
• Possess analytic, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
• Proven success in working well independently and operating collaboratively on a team to resolve challenges in a neutral fashion.