{"id":1751864,"url":"https://alion.io/job/nwra-principal-environmental-planner-ferc","title":"Principal Environmental Planner - FERC","company":{"id":2213906,"name":"NWRA","domain":"nwra.org","url":"https://alion.io/company/nwra-org","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"iCIMS","truth_index":null},"role":"Operations","role_family":"Operations","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Houston, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":114594,"max":149320,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":149320},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":10,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-03T09:11:07Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-03","last_verified_at":"2026-10-20T16:58:50Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":17,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":17},"description":"About the opportunity\nSWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Principal Environmental Planner to support our growing portfolio of complex, multidisciplinary environmental projects across the Gulf Coast and the broader Southeast. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity for a seasoned project manager who thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and is passionate about delivering technical excellence, driving client success, and mentoring high-performing teams.\nThis is a regular (with benefits), full-time, salaried position open to candidates based in the Gulf Coast, with flexibility for distributed (remote) work. Pay rate will be based on individual qualifications and experience. SWCA offers a team-oriented work environment, competitive salaries, and a competitive benefits package, including an employee stock ownership retirement plan (ESOP).\nIn this role, you will lead projects spanning infrastructure, energy, resilience, and environmental planning efforts, ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. You will play a key role in shaping technical approaches, strengthening client relationships, and advancing SWCA’s reputation for quality and innovation. Periodic travel throughout the region will be required to support client engagement, project oversight, and team collaboration.\nApplication Deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.\nAbout SWCA\nThe selected Principal Environmental Planner will primarily be responsible for performing and leading regulatory strategy and environmental review for complex interstate energy infrastructure projects subject to permitting under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The successful candidate may also oversee multi-disciplinary project planning, environmental assessment, impact analyses, permitting, and similar tasks across a diversity of industries (e.g., oil/gas pipelines, transportation, disaster relief) and other State/Federal Agency requirements (e.g., US Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA), US Department of Energy (DOE)).\nSpecific Responsibilities Include:\nLead and deliver complex, multidisciplinary projects across the Gulf Coast and Southeast with full accountability for scope, schedule, budget, and quality. \nServe as a technical leader on FERC projects and impact assessments. \nDirect and manage permitting strategies, application development, and agency coordination.\nAct as a trusted advisor to clients, providing strategic guidance on regulatory risk, project feasibility, and environmental constraints. \nManage project financials, including scoping, budgeting, forecasting, and invoicing, ensuring strong performance and client satisfaction.\nProvide QA/QC oversight of field data to support report writing, land use planning, NEPA documentation, FERC filing documents, and permitting.\nMentor and develop staff, while fostering collaboration across disciplines to deliver integrated, high-quality results.\nManage client relationships and conduct business development with new and existing clients.\nAssist SWCA with its business development goals and objectives and help ensure the financial success of project activities.\nMaintain SWCA’s culture by fostering a friendly, positive, productive, and scholarly working relationship with team members while promoting teamwork, engagement, integrity, quality service, and customer satisfaction.\nExperience and qualifications for success\nMinimum Qualifications\nMinimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology, Ecology, Environmental Science, or other related field (Master’s preferred).\nMinimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience.\nMinimum of five (5) years of project management experience in a consulting environment, including proposal writing, scheduling, budget management, change management, leading meetings with clients and agencies, directing project teams or tasks, and preparing or directing staff in the preparation of technical studies and NEPA documents.\nDemonstrated experience in the development of environmental permit applications and NEPA documents pertaining to the authorization of interstate natural gas facilities regulated by the FERC (preferred) or other federal agencies.\nProven experience with agencies such as: FERC, DOE, USACE, and/or similar state agencies, primarily in the Gulf Coast and surrounding states.\nExperience with project financials (budgets, forecasting, invoicing). \nDemonstrated client management and business development experience (seller-doer). \nStrong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. \nPreferred or Helpful Qualifications\nMinimum of twelve (12) years of relevant experience. \nMinimum of seven (7) years of project management experience in a consulting environment,\nFirst-hand experience in developing environmental permit applications and documents pertaining to the authorization of FERC-regulated facilities, including projects that utilize FERC’s Pre-filing Process.\nEstablished credibility with reviewing agencies and clients.\nEffectively engaged in resource agency consultations, received stakeholder/agency input and provide informed responses.\nDemonstrated experience with construction compliance or environmental inspection. \nExcellent communication skills, both verbal and technical writing, in a variety of professional settings.\nWHY WORK AT SWCA\nSWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing, 100% employee-owned company that offers a full range of environmental services. Our North Star is to be the best place to work and a leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges, all while staying true to our commitment to employee ownership. At SWCA, we live our core values every day: we collaborate as #OneSWCA, we’re #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack to our communities. With offices across the country, we’re proud to be one of the largest environmental compliance firms in the U.S. and to rank among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms.\nIf you need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require accommodations at any point during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us at  or call 1-480-581-5378. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; other inquiries will not receive a response.\nSWCA is committed to salary equity and transparency. In alignment with this commitment, we post good faith pay ranges in all job postings.\nA Principal Environmental Planner in this Gulf Coast-based position can expect a base salary of $114,594.00 to $149,320.00/year. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package (https://www.swca.com/careers/benefits-wellness/), which includes a competitive Benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, wellness, life, and disability coverage, as well as access to our Employee Assistance Program. Employees may also participate in SWCA’s 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan and Trust.\nEOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.\nAt SWCA, we’re committed to helping our team members grow into industry leaders. Our award-winning Career Landscape program offers a clear and structured path to meaningful career development. We support your growth through conference attendance, internal and external training, education reimbursement, our Science and Leadership Program, and bonuses for qualifying publications.","description_format":"text","description_chars":8592,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":10,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":true},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity","Retirement plans"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Event Technology"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-03T09:11:07Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":28,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.628,"p_room":0.45,"age_days":16,"expected_fill_days":9,"reasons":["conf:2","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-10-20T05:45:00Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":149320,"is_top_pay":false},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/nwra-principal-environmental-planner-ferc","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/nwra-principal-environmental-planner-ferc.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-20T18:25:42Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":21200,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-21T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":2213906},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=2213906"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fnwra-principal-environmental-planner-ferc"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fnwra-principal-environmental-planner-ferc"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fnwra-principal-environmental-planner-ferc"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/nwra-principal-environmental-planner-ferc\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fnwra-principal-environmental-planner-ferc"}]}