At Isani, you'll work for a company that strives to provide opportunities for employees to learn, grow, and thrive.
We have an immediate opening for an enthusiastic, highly organized, team-oriented Senior Environmental Project Manager. The successful candidate will be a client-facing leader for local projects with solid technical writing skills, a deep understanding of environmental compliance documents, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment. The candidate will lead our NEPA, permitting, and Public Involvement work, with an emphasis on transportation and infrastructure projects.
The ideal candidate will bring strong GIS and mapping skills, working knowledge of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) regulations and permitting, and experience with threatened and endangered species surveys. They will apply their knowledge of NEPA, planning, and state and federal regulatory processes to our Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and local government projects; lead the preparation of all levels of NEPA and TxDOT documents, technical studies, and permit applications; and provide quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) of documents prepared by in-house staff or outside consultants. The candidate will coordinate with USACE, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), local stakeholders, and members of the public.
Additional desired skills include familiarity with the TxDOT Environmental Compliance Toolkits, strong task management, effective communication, and the ability to work successfully in both collaborative and self-directed settings. The exceptional candidate will have experience with traffic noise and air quality modeling.
Responsibilities:
Serve as Senior Project and Task Manager for NEPA documents, regulatory permitting, and Public Involvement activities.
Develop scope, schedule, and fee estimates for transportation and infrastructure projects, and manage projects to scope, schedule, and budget.
Manage and guide technical staff in preparing NEPA documents, including Categorical Exclusions (CEs), Environmental Assessments (EAs), and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs).
Lead Clean Water Act Section 404 and Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10 permitting, including Nationwide Permit Pre-Construction Notifications (PCNs) and Individual Permits, and serve as the primary point of contact with USACE through permit issuance.
Oversee waters of the U.S. and wetland delineations, jurisdictional determinations, and compensatory mitigation strategies.
Plan and lead threatened and endangered species habitat assessments and surveys; oversee biological evaluations and Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultation with USFWS and coordination with TPWD.
Direct GIS analysis and map production for NEPA documents, permit applications, technical reports, and public meetings, and review figures for technical accuracy and quality.
Oversee traffic noise analyses, including noise modeling and abatement evaluations, and air quality analyses for transportation projects.
Manage and guide technical staff in developing and running effective Public Involvement events.
Lead and mentor staff on special studies such as Section 106, Section 4(f), and other regulatory requirements; serve in Subject Matter Expert and QA/QC roles.
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Biology, Wildlife Ecology, Geography, Environmental or Urban Planning, Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
5 to 10+ years of progressive experience in environmental planning, permitting, and/or natural resources.
Demonstrated working knowledge of NEPA, including coordination of supporting technical studies.
Working knowledge of USACE regulations and the Section 404/Section 10 permitting process, with a track record of successfully obtaining permits for clients.
Experience conducting and managing threatened and endangered species habitat assessments and surveys, and working knowledge of the Endangered Species Act.
Strong proficiency in GIS (ArcGIS Pro preferred), including spatial analysis, geodatabase management, and quality control of spatial data.
Strong cartographic skills, with the ability to produce both technical exhibits for regulatory submittals (e.g., USACE permit figures, NEPA document maps) and clear, public friendly maps for public meetings and non-technical audiences.
Deep knowledge of Public Involvement best practices.
Experience interacting with clients to communicate findings and develop environmental process and permitting strategies.
Experience representing clients on project teams and in agency-to-agency coordination.
Ability to manage scope, schedule, and budget effectively and to produce high-quality work products that meet and exceed client expectations.
Excellent technical writing, computer, and verbal communication skills, with strong organizational, time management, and analytical skills.
Ideally, You'll Also Have Experience with traffic noise modeling using FHWA's Traffic Noise Model (TNM) and TxDOT noise guidance, and with air quality analyses.
USFWS or TPWD species-specific survey permits or qualifications (e.g., for listed birds, bats, mussels, or plants found in Texas).
Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS) certification and experience with stream and wetland mitigation, including mitigation banks and in-lieu fee programs.
GIS Professional (GISP) certification, or experience with web mapping, story maps, or Python scripting in ArcGIS.
Complex EA and/or EIS experience, and experience with the TxDOT Environmental Compliance Oversight System (ECOS).
Experience with Texas state and local environmental requirements, including TxDOT and Harris County Flood Control District projects.
Experience leading or participating in proposal preparation and interviews.
Strong relationships with clients in the Houston region and other Texas markets.
