Senior Technical Director, Environmental Science

WSP; Mount Laurel Township (NJ); On-site; USD 176,000 - 221,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement savings

Paid time off

Job summary

WSP seeks a Senior Technical Director, Environmental Scientist to lead the Natural Resources Planning and Permitting team in Lawrenceville, NJ. You will guide environmental planning and permitting for major New Jersey infrastructure projects and coordinate with transportation and energy teams.

The role emphasizes technical leadership, client advisory, staff development, and growth of WSP’s New Jersey permitting practice, with opportunities to mentor scientists and planners across offices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, planning, biology, ecology or related field.
• Extensive leadership and project-management experience on complex environmental permitting projects.
• Strong knowledge of NJ freshwater wetlands, flood hazard, CAFRA, and endangered species requirements.
• Experience coordinating with NJDEP, USACE, USFWS, and other regulatory agencies.
• Proven ability to manage scope, schedule, budget, quality, and client relationships.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical authority for NJ environmental planning, permitting, and resource assessments.
• Develop permitting strategies for transportation, transmission, substations, pipelines, and renewables.
• Lead regulatory coordination with NJDEP, USACE, USFWS and other agencies.
• Direct wetland, stream, flood hazard, and endangered species assessments.
• Review plans and advise teams on environmental risks, requirements, and schedules.
• Oversee permit applications, reports, and supporting studies.
• Serve as Project Director, Project Manager, or senior adviser on complex assignments.
• Lead project strategy, scope, schedule, budget, quality, and client communication.
• Mentor environmental scientists, planners, and permitting professionals.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Regulatory coordination

Environmental planning

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in environmental science or related field

Job description

Description

WSP is seeking a Senior Technical Director, Environmental Scientist to provide technical and strategic leadership for our Natural Resources Planning and Permitting team in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

The position will focus on environmental planning and permitting for major New Jersey infrastructure projects. The successful candidate will work closely with WSP’s transportation and infrastructure teams while supporting projects in the electric utility, renewable energy, and oil and gas sectors.

This role is ideal for an established environmental professional who wants to remain technically engaged while leading complex projects, advising clients, developing staff, and growing WSP’s New Jersey permitting practice.

Your Impact

• Serve as a senior technical authority for New Jersey environmental planning, natural resource assessment, and permitting.
• Develop permitting strategies for transportation, electric transmission and distribution, substations, pipelines, renewable energy, and other infrastructure projects.
• Lead regulatory coordination with NJDEP, USACE, USFWS, the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, and other agencies.
• Direct wetland, stream, flood hazard, threatened and endangered species, ecological, and environmental constraints assessments.
• Review engineering plans and advise project teams on environmental risks, regulatory requirements, avoidance measures, and project schedules.
• Oversee preparation of permit applications, environmental reports, agency consultation materials, alternatives analyses, and supporting technical studies.
• Serve as Project Director, Project Manager, or senior adviser on complex multidisciplinary assignments.
• Lead project strategy, scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk management, and client communication.
• Build relationships with transportation agencies, utilities, energy companies, regulatory agencies, and other infrastructure clients.
• Lead or support proposals, interviews, client development, and strategic business growth.
• Mentor environmental scientists, planners, biologists, and permitting professionals.
• Promote technical excellence, collaboration, safety, and consistent quality across projects and offices.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, environmental planning, biology, ecology, natural resources, or a related field.
• Extensive progressively responsible experience in environmental consulting, permitting, natural resource planning, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated leadership of complex environmental permitting projects in New Jersey.
• Advanced knowledge of New Jersey freshwater wetlands, flood hazard area, coastal, waterfront development, CAFRA, threatened and endangered species, and Pinelands requirements.
• Strong working knowledge of the Clean Water Act, Rivers and Harbors Act, Endangered Species Act, and related federal permitting requirements.
• Experience coordinating with NJDEP, USACE, USFWS, and other regulatory agencies.
• Experience supporting transportation, electric utility, pipeline, oil and gas, renewable energy, or comparable infrastructure projects.
• Proven project or program management experience, including responsibility for scope, schedule, budget, quality, and client relationships.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and reviewing complex technical documents.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to travel to client offices, agency meetings, and project sites as needed.
• Valid driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related discipline.
• Relevant professional certification, such as PWS, PMP, AICP, or New Jersey Professional Planner.
• Established relationships within New Jersey’s transportation, utility, energy, and regulatory communities.
• Experience with major transportation programs, electric utility corridors, pipelines, or renewable energy facilities.
• Experience with NEPA documentation, public meetings, regulatory hearings, or expert testimony.
• Familiarity with GIS-based environmental constraints analysis.

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation:

Expected Salary (all locations): $176,000 - $221,000

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.