DescriptionThis Opportunity
WSP is currently initiating a search for a Vice President, Environmental Planning Lead for our Tempe, AZ office. This candidate may also be based in our Denver, CO or Salt Lake City, UT offices. Be involved in projects with our Advisory & Planning Team and be a part of a growing organization that meets our client's objectives and solves their challenges.
Provides leadership within a sector of organization to ensure environmental planning subject matter, technical deliverables, and programs are delivered with a level of quality that meets or exceeds acceptable industry and company standards. Responsible for SME innovation and administration; ensuring corporate compliance with all Local, State, and Federal environmental and safety regulations; and providing pragmatic direction to address current and future environmental planning challenges in a rapidly-changing and complex business climate.
Your Impact
- Ability to lead projects, pursuits, and a technical environmental planning team.
- Provide proactive and strategic leadership for the planning discipline and function, offering direction, expertise, and support to ensure project and work site deliverables are successfully achieved within the business sector.
- Oversee the appropriate use of topographic maps, aerial photographs, GPS data, and other visualization tools to determine exact locations of project areas, associated physical and wildlife sensitivities, and to uncover primary, secondary, and tertiary environmental impacts.
- Lead larger-scale more complex environmental planning projects ensuring contributors know what they are required to do and by when, preparing and overseeing relevant project budgets, monitoring external events, tracking hours and expenses, ensuring profitability and satisfactory performance, and supervising subcontractors, contract work, and employees.
- Responsible for the contribution and management of multi-disciplinary project teams in all phases of the execution and delivery of siting, impact assessment, and permitting for assigned business sector projects, as well as environmental planning and management projects.
- Actively foster compliance with applicable Federal, State, and Local environmental laws, policies, and regulatory requirements.
- Support the overall long-term strategy, growth, and pipeline development of Environmental Planning work for WSP in assigned area of responsibility, with a focus on opportunities in all disciplines (planning, design, strategic consulting, and program management).
- Lead technical aspects of contract negotiation, presentations, and meetings.
- Assist with the preparation of an annual update to business tactical action plans within the specified area.
- Ensure that planning discipline certifications, accreditations, and value proposition is developed and continuously improved.
- Conduct needs analyses and client value surveys to align the planning discipline’s function with business and project strategy, identifying and addressing any skill gaps or risks within the sector business operations.
- Schedule planning discipline meetings, providing updates and recommendations to ensure that all reasonable and proper measures are taken to inculcate discipline expertise and innovation into project work.
- Serve as one of the planning discipline’s lead representatives/liaison to a variety of external entities including Federal, State, and Local Agencies, Clients, Subcontractors, industry-related groups, and various government and community entities.
- Develop and inform proposal and project scopes, timelines, pricing, and budgetary metrics.
- Interpret and summarize data, including reports and documents that result in sound planning and regulatory conclusions to minimize impacts to the health of the environment and the population.
- Develop a client base for providing high level Environmental Planning services including identifying additional business development opportunities, and cross-selling of other WSP capabilities.
- Manage and provide performance guidance and leadership to assigned staff.
- Remain current in latest environmental planning subject matter, practices, regulations, and techniques.
- Collaborate with professionals from a variety of disciplines to provide “trusted advisor” service and future ready solutions for clients.
- Exercise responsible and ethical decision-making regarding company funds, resources and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
- Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.
Who You Are
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Planning, Urban Planning, Geography, Environmental Science, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience.)
- 12+ years of Environmental Planning experience in a corporate environment.
- Strong working knowledge of relevant environmental laws, regulations, compliance practices, and record-keeping requirements, and the business impact upon the organization.
- Excellent leadership and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to effectively, persuasively, and tactfully interact with employees at all levels of the organization.
- Tactical lateral thinking and strong analytical skills with attention to detail and prioritization of responsibilities in a pressure work environment.
- Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including senior management, clients, and company-wide staff, including those with whom no formal hierarchical relationship exits.
- Advanced proficiency with office automation and communication software, technology, and tools used in the corporate environment.
- Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
- Strong ability to quickly adapt to change and demonstrate flexibility to a variety of schedules and hours to meet business needs.
- Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s Degree is preferred.
- Experience with NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act).
- Essential professional licensure/certification. (AICP)
- Strong experience in managing the review and approval of documents and discipline-specific deliverables, certifications, processes, and plans in a multi-project environment is highly desirable.
WSP Benefits:
WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.
Compensation:
Expected Salary (Colorado only): $128,400 - $197,780
WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and/or offer for this position within the state of Colorado, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.
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