Senior Regulatory Waters Permitting Specialist

Grounded in safety, quality, and ethics, our experts lead their fields with dedication, a creative spirit, and a vision for growth. We draw from more than 20 technical specialties worldwide and are devoted to fostering a community of diverse talents, backgrounds, and expertise. Here, you can apply your passion and collaborate with top environmental professionals on work that’s vital to our clients and the communities they serve.

Join a team that’s naturally committed to the environment.

Stantec’s Northern California Region (serving Northern California and parts of Nevada) is seeking a Senior Regulatory Waters Permitting Specialist with at least 10 years of experience leading and preparing environmental permits for State and Federal agencies within California. The position is to be based out of either our San Francisco, Walnut Creek, Petaluma, or San Jose office; geographic alignment with other Stantec offices will be considered based on experience.

Stantec provides for a flexible working arrangement, including a hybrid model (office and remote working) and a robust benefits package. As a Senior Regulatory Waters Permitting Specialist, you will provide preparation, negotiation, and oversight of water resources across a variety of projects for a diverse range of industries and clients, including federal, state, and local projects. This could include leading and providing senior technical review and assistance with the preparation of water quality technical studies and environmental documents under U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 404 wetland permitting, California Department of Fish and Wildlife 1600 Agreements, RWQCB and SWRCB 401 certifications, review of baseline reporting, incidental and/or disturbance take permits, preparation of mitigation plans, and other work.

Our regulatory permitting work involves: water infrastructure and generation (hydroelectric licensing), renewable projects (photovoltaic solar, battery energy storage, transmission, and terrestrial wind projects), transportation, utility, community development and other sectors. Some projects trigger NEPA analysis when they cross public lands (e.g., Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). Based on your interest, you will be afforded the opportunity to participate on other projects ranging from private redevelopment initiatives to long‑range policy plans — we allow our team to pursue their individual passion.

Successful candidates will be comfortable handling project development, management, and technical responsibility of environmental compliance and natural resources projects.

• Conduct completeness reviews of technical documentation and prepare impact analyses across a variety of natural resources and work to ensure the team and project efficiency and success.
• Lead, author and assemble technical reports including writing narratives, providing code/policy, conducting analysis, achieving analytical findings, producing exhibits, and providing potential recommendations.
• Interact and interface with environmental regulators and clients; proactively assess and resolve concerns.
• Plan, strategize, implement, and orchestrate the team to deliver complicated projects related to natural resources, wetlands, biophysical impact assessments, environmental assessments, and regulatory approvals.
• Manage tasks and projects according to approved scopes of work and deliver quality reports on schedule and within budget.
• Provide senior technical reviews relating to natural resource science and biology on multidisciplinary projects.
• Apply technical and business knowledge and methods to develop creative, effective, and economical solutions to address current and potential project issues.
• Assist in analyzing current and emerging technical issues, and implementing actions to proactively address market, business, regulatory, and/or economic issues.
• Champion Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) policies, procedures, standards and guidelines in the execution of all work.
• Provide supervision, training, technical direction and mentoring to more junior staff.
• Contribute to and lead business…