Senior Consultant, Environmental Planning(Transportation Infrastructure)

Job Description

WSP is one of the world’s leading professional services firms, uniting its engineering, advisory and science-based expertise to shape communities to advance humanity. From local beginnings to a globe-spanning presence today, WSP operates in over 50 countries and employs approximately 73,000 professionals, known as Visioneers. Together we pioneer solutions and deliver innovative projects across sectors: Transportation & Infrastructure, Property & Buildings, Earth & Environment, Water, Power & Energy and Mining & Metals.

This Opportunity

WSP Planning and Advisory Services team has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Environmental or Transport Planner to join our WSP Utah or Colorado offices.

This position will play a key leadership role in delivering existing environmental programs and shaping and growing the environmental planning practice across the region. Experience with FHWA NEPA regulations and a proven track record with transportation infrastructure projects, as well as working relationships with UDOT and/or CDOT NEPA procedures, is required.

Duties include providing technical transportation and environmental planning assistance to minimize the environmental impacts of transportation and/or development projects. Tasks may include providing support and guidance for developing alternative analyses for corridor studies, assessing the environmental impacts of proposed transportation actions, public involvement, stakeholder coordination, and ensuring regulatory compliance.

The role also involves serving as a key coordinator with subject matter experts, local, state, and federal agencies, and private entities. You will substantiate documentation to advise on project areas by applying and integrating urban and regional planning with a focus on sustainability. Additionally, you will assist project leadership and/or lead environmental reviews following standard NEPA procedures, including the coordination and preparation of categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, or environmental impact assessments. You will support corrective/mitigation strategy development, permitting, and/or mitigation activities, ensuring that responsibilities are delivered with a level of quality that meets or exceeds industry standards.

The role also supports and/or leads business development activities, including identifying, pursuing, and securing project work. You will need to demonstrate relevant qualifications, best practices, project management expertise, and a strong familiarity with stakeholder coordination needs.

Your Impact

• Lead the development of NEPA documentation for transportation projects.
• Assist with business development and proposal activities across the Southwest.
• Assist with overseeing and working with cross-functional teams in executing project work.
• Interact with regulatory agencies, subcontractors, and clients in a confident and professional manner.
• Provide environmental risk identification and impact assessment, offering input with moderate to high-level threat mitigation and permitting activities projects to minimize impacts to the health of the environment and the population.
• Determine well-defined data collection methods for identifying and compiling observational, spatial, operations, and environmental data from multiple sources for projects, investigations, and surveys.
• Comply with regulatory requirements pertaining to the data integrity, documentation, procedures, training, monitoring systems, reporting, and record compliance and retention.
• Use GIS, topographic maps, aerial photographs, GPS data, and other visualization tools to determine and map exact locations of project areas, site impact, and associated resource sensitivities.
• Prepare data and visualizations such as tables, charts, accurate reports, and illustrations for the interpretation or presentation of data, findings, or analyses Prepare and assist with completing environmental survey reports, data entry, impact assessment, and permitting activities for assigned projects (e.g. Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act permitting, NEPA, etc.).
• Prepare technical reports and presentations that explain research, findings, and recommendations to address, prevent, control, or restore environmental impacts.
• Perform professional environmental planning work and conduct investigations, inspections, and environmental studies and surveys to gain further information on a particular environmental problem or issue, verify site characteristics, and/or to plan for future environmental needs.
• Assist with scoping, strategic planning, and developing permitting execution strategy for clients on projects.
• Support and/or lead proposal development activities, including research, writing, staff coordination, budgeting, and documentation.
• Remain current in latest environmental planning subject matter, practices, regulations, and techniques.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.
  
  
  

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Planning, Biology, Urban Planning, Geography, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related field. Or equivalent years of relevant professional experience.
• 5 to 7 years of experience working in the transportation and environmental planning field, completing impact assessments, permitting, design support, and public involvement.
• Working knowledge and experience with relevant environmental laws, permitting requirements, notification and compliance practices, and applicable Regional/State/Federal regulatory framework.
• Familiarity with local, state, and federal permitting agencies, including FHWA, UDOT and CDOT.
• Demonstrated experience contributing to technical reports, preparing environmental impact evaluations, siting reports, and environmental permit applications, including field surveys and reporting, and resource and impact evaluations.
• Project management experience including tracking hours and expenses for project work.
• Demonstrated experience with consulting practices, conducting NEPA analysis for transportation related projects, and preparation of associated documentation.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills when interacting with others, expressing ideas effectively and professionally to a technical and non-technical audience.
• Highly capable self-leadership with attention to detail, multi-tasking, and prioritization of responsibilities in a dynamic work environment.
• Ability to work independently and provide guidance and leadership to junior team or project members, with strict adherence to QA/QC.
• Experience with discipline-specific software (i.e., ArcGIS).
• Proficiency with business writing, office automation and communication software, technology, and tools.
• Developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills required to reach conclusions from testing results, data collation, and identify the most effective solutions to accomplish objectives of assigned projects.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
• Ability to work schedules conducive to project-specific requirements that may extend beyond the typical workweek.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.
  
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree is preferred.
• Essential Professional Licensure/Certification.
  
  
  

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 (Colorado only): $72,800 - $119,570

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and/or offer for this position within the state of Colorado, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and 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.