Planning Director

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Planning Director to lead the growth and expansion of our Planning and CEQA team in the Northern/Central California subregion. This role requires a strong technical background in CEQA and the ability to lead a team of experts across the planning discipline to consistently deliver high-quality work. In addition, the ideal candidate will possess excellent leadership skills to effectively manage project execution, drive business development, exceed client expectations, and build an exceptional planning team. The Planning Director will report directly to the Vice President for Northern/Central California.

This is a full-time, salaried position with benefits, and compensation will be based on individual qualifications and experience. The role can be hybrid, based out of any of SWCA's Northern or Central California offices (San Luis Obispo, Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, or Sacramento). The director will be required to travel to additional offices within the subregion on a regular basis, in addition to spending time in their local office, as well as attend leadership events throughout the year.

We continuously strive to be the premier environmental consultancy in the California Environmental Planning market. SWCA offers a work environment that promotes entrepreneurship, employee engagement, and development. The successful candidate will coordinate closely with peers across the West Region and throughout the company. This position offers a unique opportunity for team leadership and professional development in this dynamic and growing market.

Candidates must submit a brief letter of interest with their application that describes their vision for this position.

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

People Leadership (35% of workload)

• Lead the growth and expansion of our Planning and CEQA team in Northern/Central California.
• Provide leadership and connection with our Southern California planning team.
• Identify gaps in planning resources expertise, identify, and attract top talent to SWCA, and advocate for strategic hires when needed.
• Support career mobility and growth within SWCA through active coaching and mentorship of team members.
• Promote a positive culture of leadership, teamwork, engagement, high-quality service, and client satisfaction in alignment with our core values.
• Serve as an ambassador for SWCA's safety culture.
• Directly manage principal and lead-level staff.
• Drive engagement of the team by recognizing high performance and implementing approaches that build and sustain high levels of motivation.
• Connect with staff, peers, and senior management by leading regular staff meetings, brown bags, and trainings and contributing to regular regional and national leadership meetings.

Technical Leadership (30% of workload)

• Take responsibility for implementing SWCA Quality Control Procedures within the Northern/Central California Planning Program. Ensure that the program meets its commitments to quality and create an environment of accountability for meeting agreed-upon expectations through the use of tools and controls, such as quality audits.
• Support the execution of work by managing projects and contracts, as well as providing senior-level technical leadership and support.
• Achieve a 50% productivity target on a regular basis.
• Stay current on relevant regulations and communicate changes and trends to staff and clients.
• Work closely with the Southern California planning team to ensure efficient workload sharing and alignment when it comes to business development strategies and technical oversight, including supporting Southern California with director level review of proposals.
• Coordinate with West Region planning leads and directors, nationwide Planning Technical Director, Practice Group Champions, and the Practice Group in general to advance local and nationwide technical needs and initiatives.
• Represent Northern/Central California in regional and national conversations concerning CEQA, planning, and policy.

Client and Market Leadership (25% of workload)

• Maintain and generate awareness of market and industry trends, particularly the latest regulatory changes or technical advances, which impact the business through news sources, event attendance, and using your professional network. Build SWCA's brand as a thought leader in the science of environmental consulting.
• Identify new technically focused opportunities to diversify the business, contribute to go/no-go analyses, and lead teams (or act as leading technical contributor) in their pursuit. Provide senior review of proposals.
• Contribute to the growth and maintenance of client relationships, both locally and regionally.

Financial Leadership (10% of workload)

• Contribute to the development and management of the operational budget, particularly with regards to tools and trainings needed to accomplish program goals and ensure that budget objectives are achieved throughout the year through tracking and sound financial decision making.
• Ensure appropriate level of review and approval of proposals, contracts, budgets, and expenditures.
• Monitor financial KPIs and redirect efforts as needed (e.g., productivity/utilization, multipliers, overruns, sales, etc.).
• Work with Project Controls to conduct quality audits of projects within area of responsibility to ensure that projects are on track, risks are mitigated, and issues are escalated and resolved.

• Bachelor's degree in planning, environmental studies, environmental management, or a field related to SWCA's planning services.
• A minimum of twelve (12) years of experience in CEQA. Experience should include leading teams, office work, and report completion including EIRs, as well as reviews of technical work products, and scheduling and budgeting of projects.
• Expert-level understanding of federal, state, and local regulations relevant to CEQA and environmental permitting in Northern/Central California.
• Demonstrated success mentoring, developing, and coaching staff.
• Extensive experience building and maintaining strong partnerships, both internal and external.
• Strong client-facing skills (e.g., communication, relationship building, problem solving).
• Proven record of developing new business and leading major proposal efforts.

Preferred Qualification:

• Knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations relevant to NEPA
• Working knowledge of the Northern/Central California market and deep familiarity with its resources.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services.

Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GivesBack. We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record's Top 200 Environmental Firms. We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including a 100% employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).

If you are seeking an opportunity to work in a culture of exceptionally skilled and diverse professionals who embrace sound science and creative solutions, then SWCA will be a great fit for you!

If you would like to contact SWCA regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please email accomodations@swca.com or call 480-581-5378. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees. In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

An employee in this California-based Director position can expect a salary of $130,800/year-$195,786/year. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA's Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive Benefits package, forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more.

EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA's continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.

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