Planner III - CEQA Specialist

Welcome to Verdantas, where innovation meets sustainability, and your career finds purpose!

At Verdantas, we’re redefining environmental consulting and sustainable engineering through our use of cutting-edge modeling and digital technology and our genuine commitment to people. Our work spans high-growth sectors like water resources, resilient land use, energy transformation, and civil infrastructure.

Our commitment to excellence, across more than 90 offices, is championed by a team of over 2,000 experts, scientists, engineers, geologists, and technical specialists, embedded in a people-focused culture, prioritizing the well-being of our employees, clients, and the communities we serve. We partner with clients to deliver smart, data-driven solutions to complex environmental and infrastructure challenges. We don’t just solve problems; we help shape a more sustainable future.

Join a people-first culture that values your well-being, empowers your growth, and amplifies your impact. At Verdantas, your career goes beyond the expected, and your work helps build a better world.

Ready to shape the future of resilient communities?

About the Role

Verdantas is seeking an experienced environmental planning professional to join our growing California team. This senior-level position requires a seasoned CEQA practitioner who can independently lead complex environmental reviews, manage multidisciplinary teams, and serve as a trusted advisor to public- and private-sector clients.

The successful candidate must have demonstrated experience preparing and managing full Environmental Impact Reports from project initiation through certification, including scoping, technical oversight, impact and alternatives analysis, public review, responses to comments, CEQA findings, and mitigation monitoring.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation and management of CEQA documents, including Initial Studies, Negative and Mitigated Negative Declarations, full EIRs, Subsequent and Supplemental EIRs, Addenda, Findings of Fact, Statements of Overriding Considerations, and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Programs.
• Manage complex environmental planning projects from initiation through completion, with responsibility for scope, schedule, budget, staffing, document quality, risk management, and client communication.
• Direct multidisciplinary teams and integrate biological, cultural, tribal cultural, air quality, greenhouse gas, noise, transportation, hydrology, land use, and other technical analyses into clear and legally defensible CEQA documents.
• Develop environmental review strategies, evaluate impacts and alternatives, formulate feasible mitigation measures, and guide clients through complex CEQA decisions and approval processes.
• Lead agency consultation, stakeholder engagement, public meetings, and hearings while coordinating with project proponents, regulatory agencies, legal counsel, technical specialists, and decision-makers.
• Support client development, proposals, project scoping, fee development, and interviews while mentoring staff and providing QA/QC review of environmental documents and technical studies.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Planning, Environmental Science, Urban Planning, Geography, Biology, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible environmental planning and CEQA experience, preferably in environmental consulting.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage and prepare full EIRs, including scoping, impact analysis, alternatives, mitigation, responses to comments, findings, MMRPs, and certification support.
• Strong knowledge of the CEQA Statute and Guidelines, California environmental regulations, and the requirements for developing defensible environmental documents.
• Proven experience managing scopes, budgets, schedules, multidisciplinary teams, subconsultants, client expectations, and concurrent assignments.
• Excellent technical writing, editing, presentation, communication, and client management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with NEPA compliance, including Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements.
• AICP certification, an advanced degree, or another relevant professional credential.
• Experience supporting infrastructure, utility, energy, water, transportation, public agency, higher education, or community development projects.
• Established California client relationships and experience supporting proposals, interviews, and business development.
• Familiarity with GIS, environmental permitting, and regulatory compliance strategies.

Salary Range:

$135k-170k

Benefits:

• Flexible Work Environment
• Paid Parental Leave
• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Paid Time Off + Holidays

Verdantas strives to develop new ways to increase diversity awareness within our organization. We recruit and reward our employees based on capability and performance - regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, lifestyle, age, educational background, national origin, religion, or physical ability. For us, it is imperative to build balanced teams from all walks of life and we believe that a diverse workforce is a stronger workforce.

Verdantas is an EOE race/color/religion/sex/sexualorientation/gender identity/national origin/disability/vet