Environmental Scientist – Planning Waters Team Lead

Grounded in safety, quality, and ethics, our experts lead their fields and guide our work with rigor, a creative spirit, and a vision for growth. We draw from more than 20 technical specialties worldwide and are committed to fostering an inclusive community of diverse talents, backgrounds, and expertise. We’re a place to apply your passion and collaborate with top environmental talents on work critical to our clients and the communities they support. Join a team that has the environment down to a science.

Your Opportunity

Stantec is seeking an experienced Environmental Scientist to serve as a Planning Waters Team Lead for a large utility client within our environmental planning and natural resources practice. This position will provide technical and operational leadership for planning-related waters work, including jurisdictional waters and aquatic resources assessments, regulatory permitting, technical documentation, and environmental review.

The successful candidate will function as an experienced professional who applies advanced practical knowledge, exercises independent judgment, and resolves complex technical and project-delivery issues within established professional and regulatory practices. The role will also provide mentoring, work coordination, quality oversight, and technical direction to environmental scientists and other multidisciplinary team members.

Location

This role is based out of our Stantec office in San Diego, CA; however geographic alignment with other Stantec offices can be considered based on experience. Stantec offers flexible work locations (including working from home), flexible work hours, and a robust compensation and benefits package. Typical office environment working with computers and remaining sedentary for long periods of time.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical and functional leadership for planning-related waters assignments, including aquatic resource evaluations, jurisdictional waters delineations, desktop assessments, field investigations, permitting, and environmental documentation.
• Coordinate team workloads, assign or recommend assignments based on staff qualifications and availability, monitor schedules and deliverables, and identify resource needs or delivery risks.
• Provide technical direction, coaching, mentoring, and quality-control support to junior and intermediate staff.
• Develop regulatory strategies for projects requiring aquatic resource approvals or consultation.
• Prepare and review permit applications and supporting materials associated with Clean Water Act Sections 404 and 401, Waste Discharge Requirements, and California Fish and Game Code Section 1600 Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreements, as applicable.
• Prepare, review, and provide quality assurance and quality control for jurisdictional waters delineation reports, Aquatic Resources Delineation Reports, technical memoranda, biological resources reports, and permit packages.
• Interpret federal, state, and local environmental requirements and advise project teams on applicable regulatory pathways, risks, data needs, and recommended next steps.
• Coordinate with clients, project managers, technical specialists, and regulatory agencies regarding project requirements, technical findings, schedules, deliverables, and permitting strategies.
• Lead or support agency coordination and negotiations, including responding to agency comments and requests for supplemental information.
• Review work prepared by team members for technical accuracy, consistency, regulatory defensibility, completeness, and adherence to applicable quality standards.
• Develop and improve team procedures, templates, quality-control tools, technical guidance, and training materials to support consistent project delivery.
• Lead by example in applying Stantec and client health, safety, security, and environmental requirements.

Your Capabilities and Credentials

• Advanced practical knowledge of aquatic resources, jurisdictional waters, wetlands, streams, riparian systems, and related environmental planning and permitting requirements.
• Working knowledge of the Clean Water Act, including Sections 404 and 401; applicable state water-quality requirements; Waste Discharge Requirements; and California Fish and Game Code Section 1600 requirements.
• Experience developing aquatic resource permitting strategies and preparing or reviewing permit applications and supporting technical documentation.
• Ability to independently evaluate complex technical and regulatory issues, interpret available information, and recommend practical, defensible solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical workstreams, coordinate workloads, guide teams, and deliver assignments within established scope, budget, schedule, and quality expectations.
• Experience mentoring staff, reviewing technical work, providing constructive feedback, and supporting employee development.
• Strong technical writing, editing, verbal communication, presentation, and organizational skills.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly to clients, project managers, multidisciplinary teams, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to build productive professional relationships and work collaboratively across offices, disciplines, and business lines.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to technically accurate, complete, and high-quality deliverables.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and Adobe Acrobat.
• Must have valid driver's license and clean MVR

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, biology, ecology, wetland science, natural resources, soil science, botany, environmental planning, or a related discipline.

Minimum of five years of directly related professional experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience successfully leading the technical aspects of small to medium projects or significant workstreams within larger, multidisciplinary projects.

Experience supporting utility, energy, transportation, infrastructure, restoration, or land-development projects is preferred.

This description is not a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that may be required of the employee and other duties, responsibilities and activities may be assigned or may be changed at any time with or without notice.

About Stantec

Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.
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Pay Range 3: Locations in CO, HI, IL, MD & Various CA, CT, NJ, VA Areas-$82,700.00 - $119,900.00 Annually

Pay Range 4: Locations in WA, DC & Various CA, MA, VA Areas-$88,700.00 - $128,600.00 Annually