Senior or Principal Environmental Planner

Grounded in safety, quality, and ethics, our experts lead their fields and guide our work with rigor, a creative spirit, and vision for growth. We draw from more than 20 technical specialties around the globe and are committed to fostering an inclusive community of diverse talents, backgrounds, and expertise. We’re a place to apply your passion and collaborate with top environmental talents on work that’s critical to our clients and the communities they support. Join a team that has the environment down to a science.

Your Opportunity

Stantec is currently seeking a Senior or Principal Environmental Planner to join our Southern California Planning Group and broader Environmental Services Business Line. The Planning Group is comprised of environmental planners and scientists, regulatory specialists, and project managers providing environmental planning, permitting, environmental impact analysis, and permit condition/mitigation compliance services. The practice focuses on management of multi-agency jurisdictions involving diverse environmental resources constraints throughout all phases of a project life cycle. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10 years of broad professional environmental experience and regulatory knowledge with an emphasis on environmental planning; project management and business development.

Job responsibilities include leading a team of junior through senior-level planners, staff mentorship and training, workload balancing, coordination with other discipline teams and business operating units, leading and preparing proposals, environmental impact analysis documentation and related technical studies, discretionary permit applications, managing projects, and supervising staff. This position offers the selected individual the ability to apply their operational, technical, project management, and business development experience to a diverse range of projects and clients across California, as well as professional development opportunities within an established and rapidly growing consulting organization.

Your Key Responsibilities

The primary duties of this role are to:

• Manage and assist with technical delivery of environmental services related projects across a diverse range of market sectors that leads to an expected 60% direct utilization

• Primary point-of-contact for planning-related pursuits, inputs to operational and business planning efforts, conferences and training, hiring and resourcing needs

• Establish and maintain a peer network of planners that fosters an environment of shared learning, information sharing, and collaboration

• Liaise with the Southern California and Northern California planning teams as well as other Environmental Services groups to identify and enhance regional business development opportunities, develop proposals, and facilitate cross selling of services

• Track and manage the planning group’s overall utilization in collaboration with supervisors including identifying key leads and support staff for new pursuits and opportunities for workload balancing

• Identify and coordinate planning staff participation in professional societies, conferences, and stakeholder events related to planning, technical delivery and marketing/business development responsibilities

• Support training and mentorship related to planning-related deliverables, technical standards and industry best practices in coordination with Stantec’s Technical Area Leader and National Technical Leadership

• Support the growth of the business center through strategic hiring, professional development, as well as employee engagement and retention strategies

• Assist in the development, communication, and management of key performance indicators for team utilization, safety, and quality

• Project management responsibilities include client interfacing, interdisciplinary coordination, oversight of safety requirements, subconsultant management, team coordination/meetings, delegation and oversight of technical tasks, preparation and quality review of deliverables, budget forecasting and monitoring, and invoicing

• Project management and technical delivery is expected to include discretionary environmental permitting, California Environmental Quality Act/National Environmental Policy Act documentation, environmental technical studies, similar regulatory compliance services, and representation at stakeholder meetings/public hearings

• Lead and support successful marketing and business development activities including opportunity identification, pre-positioning, preparation of proposals, interviews, and contracting

• Manage client services including routine correspondence/meetings, opportunity capitalization, negotiation of commercial terms, health and safety metric reporting, feedback solicitation, and advocacy facilitation

• Promote a strong health and safety culture

Your Capabilities and Credentials

• Position requires strict adherence to health and safety procedures, good organization skills and a passion for people management and high quality of work

• Excellent analytic and communication skills, both written and verbal

• Ability to successfully communicate through multiple means including telephone/ teleconferences, email, and in-person meetings. Public speaking skills an asset

• An ability to efficiently manage several project and/or business development tasks simultaneously is essential

• Proficient in Microsoft Office

• Valid driver's license and good driving record required

• Ability for periodic travel (

• Prior to employment, this position will require the successful completion of a pre-employment physical

Education and Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of related professional experience.

• A bachelor’s degree in environmental science or a related field. A master’s degree is strongly preferred.

• High level knowledge of the California Environmental Quality Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Federal Land Policy and Management Act, Clean Water Act, /Federal Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act, California Fish and Game Code, and California Coastal Act.

Typical office environment working with computers and remaining sedentary for long periods of time. Field work may include exposure to the elements including inclement weather.

This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee and other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.

Stantec is a place where the best and brightest come to build on each other’s talents, do exciting work, and make an impact on the world around us. Join us and redefine your personal best.

#StayInquisitive

Pay Range:

• Locations in CO, HI, IL, MD & Various CA, NJ Areas - Min Salary $ 111,200.00 - Max Salary $ 166,900.00

• Locations in WA, DC & Various CA areas - Min Salary $ 119,300.00 - Max Salary $ 179,000.00

Pay Transparency: In compliance with pay transparency laws, pay ranges are provided for positions in locations where required. Please note, the final agreed upon compensation is based on individual education, qualifications, experience, and work location. At Stantec certain roles are bonus eligible. Actual compensation for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on the agreed number of working hours per week.

Benefits Summary: Regular full-time and part-time employees (working at least 20 hours per week) have access to medical, dental, and vision plans, a wellness program, health saving accounts, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase program, life and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, short-term/long-term disability plans, emergency travel benefits, tuition reimbursement, professional membership fee coverage and paid family leave. Regular full-time and part-time employees will receive ten paid holidays in each calendar year. In addition, employees will be eligible to accrue vacation between 10 and 20 days per year and eligible for paid sick leave (and if more generous, in accordance with state and local law).

Temporary/casual employees have access to 401(k) plans, employee stock purchase program, and paid leave, in accordance with state and local law.

The benefits information listed above may not apply to union positions because benefits for such positions are governed by applicable collective bargaining agreements

Primary Location: United States | CA | Irvine
Organization: 1858 EnvSvcs-US West S California-Irvine CA
Employee Status: Regular
Business Justification: New Position
Travel: Yes
Schedule: Full time
Job Posting: 15/10/2025 03:10:02
Req ID: 1002659

#additional

Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment. At Stantec we are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. If you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process then please inform a member of our Talent Acquisition team.