Environmental Planner

Environmental Science Associates (ESA) is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm. We plan, design, permit, mitigate, and restore for projects across our communities, infrastructure systems, open spaces, and wildlands. We are 50 years strong in 21 offices across California, the Pacific Northwest, and the Southeastern United States.
ESA seeks a highly motivated mid-level
Environmental Planner
with
5+ years
of experience in CEQA and/or NEPA analysis and documentation to join our Community Development Business Group as part of our Central Valley Environmental Planning Team. The ideal candidate would be based out of ESA's Sacramento Office, and must be located close enough to allow for semi-regular in-person work one to two days per week or as needed. Qualified candidates located within a commutable distance to any of our Northern, CA ESA locations will also be considered.

Qualified applicants must have experience managing the preparation of CEQA and/or NEPA documentation, client management. Strong preference for candidates with professional working experience with both project management and marketing/business development. This opportunity is focused on collaboration, delivery, and client service.

This role may require occasional travel for in-person team collaboration and project related travel.

Who You Are

• You are a mid-level to senior-level professional with a strong desire to grow and advance your career and to develop your environmental planning and project coordination skills.
• You hold a bachelor's or master's degree with major course work in environmental planning, policy, and/or science; urban or natural/water resources planning; geography; or a related interdisciplinary field.
• You have a minimum of 5 years of professional experience, at least some of which working in a consulting environment, with responsibilities including conducting research, analyzing impacts, and writing sections of reports. Experience as part of a management team and/or substantial technical analysis experience with the California Environmental Quality Act, National Environmental Policy Act, similar state/federal regulations, or preparation of resource-related permit applications is required.
• You have strong analytical and oral presentation skills with the ability to prepare clear, concise, and well-supported written documents to convey complex information understandably to colleagues, clients, agency staff, teaming partners, other project stakeholders, and the general public.
• You are an effective team member and communicator who contributes constructively and inclusively to solve project or team issues while working collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary environment. You are curious and interested in understanding your teammates' and your clients' needs and motivations.
• Preference given to candidates with experience preparing analyses and evaluations related to the environmental review of water resources and water infrastructure projects in California.
• Strong preference given to candidates with strong working experience in project management, business development, and contract review.
• You can work in-person or in a hybrid fashion from an ESA Office. Primary remote work is also permitted with some in-office work expectation, contingent upon the individual's qualifications and experience.
• You have previous experience working as a consultant in which you've billed time to projects or other activities.

What You Will Do For ESA

• As a CEQA/NEPA Project Manager, you will serve as project manager for moderately complex and be an integral part of the project management team for more complex projects. You will be a contributing author for CEQA and NEPA documents for public and private sector clients.
• Within the Northern California Community Development Group, you will become integrated into multiple project teams focused on the planning and assessment of built environment projects (including, but not limited to, land use plans, residential, mixed use, commercial, industrial, sports entertainment, recreation, and transportation related projects). Depending on the project team's needs you will conduct research in specific or general project areas, including such topics as adopted plans, policies, and regulations, and other published information. While you will work primarily with the Community Development Group, you will have opportunity to engage in work with other ESA teams such as Water, Airports, and Energy Resources, as well as engage in data collection and analysis with technical practices such as biological/cultural resources and hydrology data collection teams.
• You will be responsible for managing the task or project delivery schedule, managing logistics, disseminating, and maintaining related information and resources, managing budget tracking and invoicing, meeting with team members to gauge progress toward task completion, and responding to team member or client questions about assigned tasks or projects.
• You will apply critical thinking and problem-solving to evaluate, select, and adapt standard techniques and procedures in the development of environmental planning documents. You will be required to effectively communicate with staff, clients, and teaming partners and serve as a trusted professional bringing creative and innovative solutions to clients.

Other Job Duties Include

• Business development including responding to request for proposals, preparing scopes and budgets and coordinating with subconsultants.
• Performing quality control of project deliverables; and
• Training and developing the careers of junior level staff.
• Periodic participation in networking and conference events.
• Other ad-hoc tasks as needed

What ESA Will Do For You
Joining ESA means becoming part of a close-knit team of environmental professionals who contribute to outstanding projects, improve environmental stewardship, and advance a more sustainable and resilient future for our communities and wild places.

At ESA, we provide benefits such as medical, dental, and vision insurance (paid at 70% for you AND your family), annual allocations of company shares through our ESOP, a 401(k) plan with company match, and paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, to name a few.

We also provide specific programs whether you want to further your technical expertise, sharpen your business acumen, or help lead the next generation of employee-owners. We want to support you in reaching your career goals through tuition reimbursement, professional development bonuses, and attendance at conferences.

What's Special About Our Team
Our growing Community Development Team is comprised of a mix of seasoned professional consultants and standout early career environmental planners. We are focused on a collaborative approach to delivery of high quality work for public and private clients in a variety of settings and contexts throughout Northern California. We work with clients to address challenges in the advancement of development projects, to address critical housing needs and the evolution of urban environments. Our top priority is the delivery of thoughtful and legally defensible work product in a variety of settings from urban to rural in nature.

We value creative thinking, teamwork, and multi-disciplinary and cross-disciplinary engagement and integration. We also espouse a team approach to career growth recognizing that each team member has a role in the collective advancement of one another's skills and experience. Our team values inclusion and incorporates those values into the way we work and interact.

ESA has established multiple pay ranges tailored to the economic factors in the geographies in which ESA staff reside. For this position, the range is approximately as listed based on our anticipated hiring locations as noted in the above job details. Actual compensation is determined by several factors including but not limited to an individual's related experience, education, skills, and the city in which the applicant lives.
CA Pay Transparency Clause

$91,194—$128,980 USD

Who We Are
We are a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm who values diversity and inclusion and celebrate the differences that make each of us unique. Our culture is built on mutual respect, recognizing that our variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives leads to better solutions, which fosters our continued success for our employee-owners and clients.

In accordance with ESA's duty and responsibility to provide and maintain a safe workplace that is free of known hazards and to minimize the exposure to potential hazards, any employee who works from an ESA office or conducts any other in-person ESA work-related activity is required to submit their proof of vaccination status or have received an approved exemption and accommodation in states which this applies.

If you are an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability—or unable to use—the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact our Human Resources Department via email: for assistance.
Please include the following in your message so we can promptly address your request:

• Full name
• The best method to contact you (phone number and/or email address)
• Title of Job Position Applied
• Description of your accommodation request

ESA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. (EOE M/V/F/D)