NEPA Environmental Lead

Jacobs has an immediate opening for an enthusiastic, highly-organized, team oriented, Senior NEPA Transit Planner to support our NEPA planning work in our Chicago office.

Our employees work to shape the communities we live in by creating world-class projects that transform the future development patterns of those communities. The Jacobs business model allows us to successfully serve our clients, leverage our integrated services, and provide our employees with growth opportunities while delivering global solutions to our client's local programs.

As a member of a supportive team of environmental professionals, you will help identify opportunities, participate in marketing pursuits, and lead projects through planning phases and conducting analyses of state and federal regulations such as NEPA, ESA, CWA and other applicable regulations. You'll have the opportunity to work with teams based in the Midwest and throughout the nation.

The successful candidate must be a client-facing leader for local projects, demonstrate solid technical writing skills, have a deep understanding of environmental compliance documents, demonstrate excellent organizational skills as well as an ability to work collaboratively in a team environment. Strong relationships with clients in the Illinois market is preferred. Responsibilities include

• Serve as the project manager or task lead on the planning of urban and regional transit projects.
• Maintain and grow relationships with our regional and local transit clients.
• Work directly with clients and deliver superior service.
• Manage multiple, simultaneous projects on various topics and complexity.
• Work with scientists, planners, engineers, and community involvement specialists in the preparation of technical studies and public and agency involvement communications in preparing complex environmental studies.
• Become part of a team of supportive, respectful, and inclusive peers who are consistently recognized by our clients for outstanding service.

Types of work assignments:

• Project and task manager for NEPA documents.
• Organize and direct technical staff on research on a variety of subjects to support document preparation.
• Lead processes of scoping, developing purpose and need, developing alternatives and preparing documents in compliance with NEPA.
• Prepare NEPA documents, including Categorical Exclusions (CEs), Environmental Assessments (EAs) and Environmental Impact Statements (EISs).
• Lead special studies such as Section 4(f), Section 7 ESA, permitting, or other regulations.

• Understanding of and experience with environmental compliance processes for transit infrastructure projects.
• 10 years of experience in transit-related work.
• Exceptional writing and verbal skills, and ability to work in a collaborative team internally and externally.
• Deep knowledge of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements and processes required.
• Experience interacting with clients to communicate findings and develop environmental process strategies. Experience representing clients on project teams and in agency-to-agency coordination.
• Ability to manage scope, schedule, and budget projects effectively.
• Ability to produce high quality work products that meet and exceed client expectations.
• Experience leading or participating in proposal preparation and interviews.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) software.

Ideally, you'll also have:

• Masters' degree in urban or regional planning, geography, civil engineering, or related field.
• Ability to travel locally and nationally to support project work.
• Valid driver's license and safe driving record.
• Experience with ArcGIS is a plus.