Director of Environmental Planning

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.

We are looking for a highly motivated Director of Environmental Planning in the Northern California area
. The ideal candidate will have 20+ years of related work experience and excel at leading a team of talented environmental professionals, managing various complex CEQA and NEPA projects, pursuing new business development opportunities, and providing solid client stewardship.

• You are an experienced Senior Consultant in the environmental planning field seeking a new leadership opportunity and looking to join a dynamic and growing organization.
• You have a minimum of 20 years of experience leading complex projects and guiding high‑performing teams in California, and in particular, Northern California, and a bachelor's degree or a master's degree with 18 years of relevant experience.
• You are excited and motivated by the prospect of continuing to advance an established team of expert environmental professionals. You take pride in managing people, mentoring and advancing professional development, fostering teamwork, and growing your team.
• You have the knowledge and proven ability to serve as a primary author or a senior reviewer of specialized and highly complex environmental documents.
• You have comprehensive knowledge of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and similar state/federal regulations.
• You have intellectual curiosity and thrive in collaborative environments. Your experiences are varied enough to be creative and nimble in delivering meaningful and strategic solutions to address some of the most complex environmental challenges for both public agency and private development clients. You possess excellent communication skills and have the ability to speak persuasively about complex topics to individuals and groups.
• You have significant experience managing the overall project life cycle, from developing project proposals to overseeing day‑to‑day project assignments and tracking financial performance. You excel at managing people, budgets, and resources. You know how to get things done—you demonstrate a high degree of creativity, judgment, and foresight in planning and organizing activities and programs.
• You have regular client interactions and routinely cultivate clients through your work and through business development and marketing activities. You are motivated by business development, pursuing new opportunities, and building long‑term client relationships. You are confident working with clients independently, leading cross‑practice and cross‑regional initiatives, and making decisions that advance both project and company goals.
• You hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with major coursework in environmental science or related interdisciplinary field.

• As a Director of Environmental Planning, you will lead large, complex projects and tasks as well as serve as a technical specialist, leveraging your expertise to develop technical approaches and strategies to address project issues for a wide range of complex environmental planning studies, and interdisciplinary projects.
• You will demonstrate a clear understanding of project and client management principles and practices and be responsible for the development of technical documents and creative solutions in accordance with applicable guidelines and requirements, while delivering assignments within budget and schedule.
• You will provide mentorship and support for junior and mid‑level staff, including providing career development guidance while working on projects together and providing constructive feedback when reviewing reports for accuracy and clarity. You will participate in regional leadership and decision‑making relating to the successful operation and growth of the firm. Where necessary, to meet client expectations and…