What are the responsibilities and job description for the Urban Planner (Environmental) - MTA Second Ave Subway position at PACO Group?
PACO Group, a 35-year leader in program and construction management, is expanding its Land Services team and seeks an experienced Urban Planner (Environmental) to guide public-park conversion efforts on major transportation and infrastructure projects—including the Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 and other NYSDOT, MTA, and NJDOT initiatives. You’ll steer projects through New York State legislative alienation, NYC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) approvals, and the New Jersey DEP Green Acres Program, ensuring regulatory compliance while balancing community and stakeholder needs.
The Urban Planner (Environmental) leads the coordination and approval processes related to the use, alienation, and mitigation of public lands within infrastructure projects. This role is responsible for managing agency approvals, legislative actions, and environmental compliance across multiple jurisdictions, including NYS OPRHP, NYC DPR, and NJDEP Green Acres. The manager conducts due diligence on land status, prepares regulatory documentation, and ensures adherence to SEQRA, CEQR, NEPA, and ULURP requirements. Serving as the primary liaison among legal, real estate, design, and governmental teams, the manager safeguards project schedules and mitigates risk through strategic oversight and stakeholder engagement.
Key Responsibilities
- Regulatory Strategy & Approvals
- Lead the full parkland-alienation process for NYS, NYC DPR, and NJDEP Green Acres projects.
- Draft and shepherd state legislation, city council resolutions, and agency applications through approval.
- Due Diligence & Documentation
- Confirm parkland status by reviewing deeds, titles, and historical maps.
- Prepare alienation statements, mitigation proposals, and replacement-land analyses that meet agency standards.
- Agency & Stakeholder Coordination
- Serve as primary liaison with NYS OPRHP, NYC DPR, NJDEP Green Acres, and municipal officials.
- Coordinate closely with legal counsel, ROW, environmental, design, and real-estate teams to keep deliverables aligned.
- Environmental & Land-Use Compliance
- Integrate SEQRA/CEQR, NEPA, and ULURP requirements into project schedules and submissions.
- Track compliance milestones and ensure all mitigation commitments are documented and met.
- Public Outreach & Hearings
- Develop presentation materials and brief community boards, elected officials, and advocacy groups.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning, Environmental Science, Civil Engineering, Real Estate, or a related discipline.
- Demonstrated success obtaining NYS legislative alienation or NJDEP Green Acres approvals for transportation or municipal projects.
- Working knowledge of SEQRA/CEQR, NEPA, ULURP, and related land-use statutes.
PACO Group, Inc. is committed to furthering opportunities for everyone in the national construction market. The firm periodically reaffirms this commitment through an active affirmative action plan. It provides Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) to all employees without unlawful discrimination regarding race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, religion, military status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or citizenship status. As an equal opportunity employer, we have recruited, hired, promoted, and retained an ethnically and socially diverse professional staff. Our efforts to date have produced a multidisciplinary workforce - a record of diversity that extends to the highest levels of the firm's management.