Senior NEPA Manager

Overview

ABOUT THE POSITION

VHB’s growing Washington, DC office is looking for a Senior NEPA Manager to join our National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) team. This is an exciting opportunity to work within a dynamic team and across diverse disciplines, giving you exposure to a wide variety of projects in size and scope at the regional and national level. Our office is currently engaged in a number of the region’s most exciting projects as well as energy, transportation, and Federal lands projects nationwide.

 

In this role, you would lead NEPA reviews in the Washington, DC region and nationwide. VHB is involved in some of the most transformative transportation and urban development projects in the Washington, DC region. Outside the Washington, DC region, the DC office supports planning and NEPA reviews for a range of agencies including the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Surface Transportation Board, Federal Transit Administration, and Federal Highway Administration. The Washington, DC office also collaborates with agency counsel and some of the country’s top law firms in NEPA-related litigation before U.S. District Courts, Circuit Courts of Appeals and even the Supreme Court.

 

This is an excellent opportunity for an senior environmental planner looking to make a bigger impact in planning and NEPA. This position requires the ability to work collaboratively with multiple disciplines, including planners, urban designers, environmental scientists, historians and archaeologists, and engineers, to navigate the NEPA and permitting processes for large-scale infrastructure projects and federal lands planning activities.      

 

Responsibilities:

• Manage Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) and Environmental Assessments (EAs) as well as related studies and activities, such as purpose and need development, alternative analyses, agency consultation, impact analyses, and public engagement.
• Lead or participate in the development of strategies to navigate the NEPA and permitting processes.
• Provide litigation support on the agency or applicant side of EISs and EAs as appropriate.
• Consult, coordinate, and communicate with regulatory agencies, clients, and internal and external project team members to advance EISs and EAs in a timely manner.
• Direct the consultation process and review requirements for other special purpose statutes such as the Endangered Species Act (Section 7), National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106), Clean Water Act (Section 404), and Department of Transportation Act (Section 4(f)).
• Responsible for client relationships, visibility, and business development.
• Seek client feedback on VHB projects to maintain reputation, address gaps, and guide team to
• Provide excellent level of service.
• Oversee schedule adherence. Provide proactive guidance and efficient resource management.
• Establish and monitor budgets to assess profitability of projects.
• Recruit, train, assign, and direct work.
• Provide strategic leadership to VHB’s NEPA Practice.
• Provide and demonstrates leadership, clear communication, and mentoring of team members.
• Act as senior advisor supporting individuals with complex project challenges.

Skills and Abilities:

• Well-developed knowledge of and experience with NEPA and related statues and associated regulations and guidance.
• Understanding of project management principles and experience with collaborative problem solving with stakeholders, clients, and teammates.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Team oriented with ability to perform multiple tasks independently in a timely manner and collaborate effectively and positively with team members.
• Self-motivated, highly organized, and detail oriented.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 11-15 years’ work experience.
• 15-20+ years of relevant work experience preferred.
• BA in relevant area of study (e.g., Environmental Studies, Ecology/Natural Resources Studies, Urban Planning, Regional Planning, Sustainability Planning, Economics, Transportation Planning).
• Master’s degree a plus.

Work Environment:

• Requires ability to work in a busy, collaborative office environment. VHB continues to embrace a flexible, hybrid work environment.
• Occasional travel to clients’ offices and off-site locations for public meetings, presentations, and workshops.
• Occasional travel to project locations, agency, and public meetings nationally.

The base salary range for this position