Environmental Planner

Title: Environmental Planner

State Role Title: Environmental Specialist II

Hiring Range: $71,797 to $116,670

Pay Band: 5

Agency: VA Dept of Transportation

Location: Hampton Roads District Office

Agency Website: www.virginiadot.org/jobs

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Hampton Roads District is seeking a Environmental Planner to provide environmental leadership, technical guidance and assistance by assessing the applicability interdivisional meetings or contributing to interdivisional work products.

Core responsibilities for job & position:
Ensure deliverables are reviewed for content and legal sufficiency per current Division policy. Compile environmental commitments on
project assignments and distributing them to other Divisions as appropriate. Manage time to accomplish work tasks and assignments within established deadlines.
Responds to legislative, local government, citizen, consultant and other concerns with regard to VDOT's environmental compliance.
Handles Divisional issues with statewide impact such as workload planning, General Assembly impact statements, audit coordination,
special programs etc.
Provides coordination and oversight of the assigned environmental programs. Ensures effective execution and continual compliance.
Determines improvements and works to execute approved changes to benefit the agency.
Coordinate with others to provide schedule and estimate of environmental deliverables, including NEPA and SERP documents
to project manager. Ensure all project documentation and files are available electronically to support administrative records. Request
schedule revisions for activities and maintain project files. Advocate options to design engineers for avoidance and, or minimization and identify mitigation alternatives. Ensure document deliverables are reviewed for content and legal sufficiency per current Environmental Division policy before distribution.
Collect input and comment from other members of the Environmental Division and consolidate and deliver this input to project teams in written format or by presenting at meetings. Document environmental reviews and clearances consistent with federal regulations and expectations.
Analyze proposed and existing environmental law, regulation, and guidance and determine its impact on VDOT operations facilitating
VDOT compliance with law and regulation. Reviews and analyzes law, regulation, bills and proposed rules and determines impact on VDOT.
Provides technical advisory subject matter expertise for assigned programs. May also develop and deliver training for assigned
programs and projects to a variety of stakeholders.
Provide professional technical expertise and guidance. Represent and coordinate written responses for internal coordination,
communication with other VDOT districts or divisions. Notify other environmental areas of plan availability and need for written
comments. Identify environmental risks to project development and strategies to minimize risk. Manage unplanned changes to project
development. Manage studies in support of environmental documents. Coordinate plan submissions to ensure comments from
previous submissions were addressed. Research and review other environmental study related public relations and complaint responses. Ensure all complaint and inquiry responses are reviewed before distribution and maintain copies in master file.
Provide oversight and assistance to VDOT's Locally Administered Project (LAP) program.
Attend meetings, provide technical environmental guidance to ensure applicant's regulatory compliance on Enhancement or Locally Administered Projects (LAP). Coordinate with staff developing LAPs, as well as VDOT SMEs and those engaged in current LAP policies to provide the most informed input to project development and delivery.

Required skills for job & position:
• Ability to read and interpret project plans, contracts, special provisions, laws, regulations and environmental program and project documents.
• Ability to effectively coordinate consultant activities.
• Skill in the use of computers and various software applications.
• Knowledge of environmental processes with an ability to assess how proposed actions may impact or be mitigated by proposed project plans.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing to include preparing and delivering presentations regarding construction projects and environmental impacts.
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