Senior Environmental Planner / Project Manager (Houston)

Our client is seeking a Senior Environmental Planner / Project Manager to lead and grow its environmental practice. This is a leadership role for someone who wants to do more than manage projects. You'll be responsible for building client relationships, setting technical standards, mentoring staff, and helping expand the firm's environmental services throughout Texas. The ideal candidate has a strong TxDOT NEPA background, established agency relationships, and the ability to grow both a team and a business.

NEPA documentation and technical delivery

• Manage and prepare NEPA documents, including Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Assessments, and Environmental Impact Statements, for transportation and other infrastructure projects in accordance with TxDOT and other state and federal agency requirements.
• Serve as subject matter expert on NEPA, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and other federal, state, and local environmental regulations.
• Perform and oversee environmental technical studies and supporting report preparation, including biological, cultural, hazardous materials, noise, air quality, community impacts, and indirect and cumulative effects analyses.
• Manage document processing, review cycles, and re-evaluations through TxDOT's environmental review workflow, including ECOS submittals.
• Provide senior technical review and quality control of environmental documents and technical reports prepared by staff and subconsultants.

Agency and public coordination

• Lead coordination with CCRMA, TxDOT districts and divisions, FHWA where applicable, USACE, USFWS, TCEQ, THC, and other resource and regulatory agencies.
• Manage Section 404 permitting coordination, Section 7 consultation, and Section 106 consultation, including coordination with the Texas Historical Commission and consulting parties.
• Plan and facilitate public involvement, including public meetings and hearings, stakeholder engagement, comment response, and outreach to communities with limited English proficiency consistent with Title VI requirements.

Project and business management

• Own all aspects of environmental project delivery, including scope, fee, cost estimates, schedule, budget, staffing, and financial performance.
• Direct interdisciplinary teams of technical specialists and subconsultants and manage their project delivery efforts.
• Prepare and support proposals, RFQ responses, and statements of qualifications; lead environmental technical content.
• Develop and maintain client relationships with TxDOT, local agencies, transit authorities, toll authorities, and municipal clients.
• Partner with firm leadership on business development and growth of the environmental practice.

Team development

• Supervise, mentor, and develop environmental planners and analysts, building durable NEPA capability in the Houston office.
• Support staff in achieving TxDOT precertification and professional credentials.

What You Will Need

• Bachelor's or master's degree in environmental science, environmental planning, transportation planning, or a related discipline.
• 12 years of environmental planning and NEPA consulting experience — or 10 years with a demonstrated record as lead NEPA project manager on TxDOT projects.
• Established and successful history managing and leading NEPA studies for transportation projects, including CEs and EAs.
• TxDOT NEPA experience is required.
• TxDOT precertification in work category 2.14.1 (Environmental Document Preparation), or eligibility to obtain precertification based on prior experience.
• Practical working knowledge of Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 4(f) and Section 6(f), Title VI and community impacts assessment, and applicable state regulations.
• Working familiarity with the current NEPA regulatory environment, including Texas's NEPA Assignment program and recent statutory and case law developments affecting scope, timelines, and document content.
• Demonstrated ability to manage project budgets, schedules, and interdisciplinary teams.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including technical writing and presentations to agencies, elected officials, and the public.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and demonstrated leadership ability.
• Proficiency with ArcGIS or ArcGIS Pro for environmental analysis and graphics.
• Valid Texas driver's license and an insurable driving record.