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Rincon Consultants

Environmental planning and advisory services firm

Senior Environmental Planner / Project Manager - Energy

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/21/2026
$110k - $150k
Expert
Bachelor's
Santa Barbara, CA, USA
HybridHybrid work; candidates may be prioritized within 50 miles of an office. Applicants based in California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, or Washington are considered.
Architecture & Civil EngineeringUrban Planning

About the job

Requirements
  • Bachelor's degree in Environmental Planning, Environmental Studies, Geography, Urban Planning, or a related field.
  • Ten or more years of progressively responsible environmental consulting experience.
  • Demonstrated experience managing CEQA documents.
  • Strong project management experience, including budget, schedule, scope, and client management responsibilities.
  • Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and coordinating technical specialists.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Strong organizational, problem-solving, and leadership abilities.
  • Individuals offered employment must successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of employment.
  • Employees assigned to federal projects are subject to further drug testing, including screening for cannabinoids (THC/marijuana), in compliance with applicable federal regulations.
Responsibilities
  • Lead environmental planning, permitting, and entitlement efforts for renewable energy, battery energy storage, grid modernization, and related infrastructure projects.
  • Manage mid- to large-scale projects, including scopes, schedules, budgets, staffing, quality assurance, and client communication.
  • Serve as a primary client contact and trusted advisor, providing strategic guidance regarding environmental review, permitting pathways, project risks, and agency coordination.
  • Support early-stage project siting, due diligence, fatal flaw assessments, and permitting strategy development.
  • Oversee interdisciplinary teams of technical experts.
  • Lead preparation and review of CEQA documents.
  • Support preparation of National Environmental Policy Act documents as needed.
  • Develop and implement land use entitlement strategies, including Conditional Use Permits, General Plan Amendments, zoning approvals, and local agency permitting processes.
  • Coordinate with local, state, and federal agencies and participate in public meetings, hearings, and stakeholder engagement efforts.
  • Build and maintain client relationships while identifying opportunities for additional work and strategic growth.
  • Support proposal development, interviews, project scoping, and cost estimating.
  • Contribute to strategic initiatives that expand the Energy Practice and strengthen the firm's presence in the renewable energy and infrastructure sectors.
  • Serve in a project delivery and client development role that supports project execution and long-term business growth.
  • Mentor and support junior and mid-level staff through technical guidance and professional development.
  • Promote technical excellence, quality, collaboration, and continuous improvement across project teams.
  • Help shape the growth and success of the Energy Practice through leadership and knowledge sharing.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience supporting renewable energy, battery energy storage, transmission, utility, or other major infrastructure projects.
  • Experience leading land use entitlement and permitting efforts with counties, cities, and other public agencies.
  • Experience conducting environmental due diligence, site feasibility evaluations, and permitting strategy development.
  • Existing client relationships within the energy, utility, infrastructure, or private development sectors.
  • Proven success in business development, proposal preparation, and client account management.

About the company

Rincon Consultants is a multidisciplinary environmental, planning, and advisory firm that partners with public agencies, utilities, developers, and private organizations on Healthy Communities, Transportation, Water, and Energy initiatives. Its teams blend planning, environmental science, engineering, and regulatory expertise to turn complex challenges into practical, sustainable solutions. It differentiates itself through over 30 years of experience, a collaborative approach, and an integrated, multi-discipline service under one roof. Its goal is to reduce risk, strengthen communities, and create lasting value by delivering implementable environmental and planning outcomes for clients and the public.

Company Size

201-500

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Ventura, California

Founded

1994

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Rincon won 2025 awards for Santa Barbara County climate work and Ventura planning.
  • Nevada County hired Rincon in February 2025 for a $400,000 climate plan.
  • Headcount reached 559 by March 2026, while active hiring continued across California offices.

What critics are saying

  • Public agencies can replace Rincon with cheaper in-house staff, like Fresno did in 2026.
  • A downturn in California environmental permitting would slash on-call contract volume within 12 months.
  • An existential risk: one adverse CEQA or contamination oversight case destroys municipal trust.

What makes Rincon Consultants unique

  • Founded in 1994, Rincon spans CEQA, biological, cultural, and climate-action consulting statewide.
  • It wins repeat municipal work in Ventura, Fresno, Santa Maria, Nevada County, and Ojai.
  • Its in-house technical depth covers remediation, shoreline resilience, wildfire, GIS, and regulatory advisory.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Hybrid Work Options

Company News

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Jun 12th, 2025
Senior Graphic Designer

Rincon Consultants is an award-winning leader in providing quality environmental consulting services throughout California and is recognized as a 'Best Environmental Services Firm to Work For' by the Zweig Group.

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Fullerton's Planning Department partnered with Rincon Consultants and Dudek to complete the Housing Element.

Human Resources Online
Nov 2nd, 2023
Singapore Polytechnic and ShenHao partner on new Robotics Solutions Development Centre

RINC 2023 announced new international partnerships for SP students' overseas exposure, including a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with Politeknik Negeri Batam (Indonesia) and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Sunway University (Malaysia) & Chongqing University (China).

Healdsburg Tribune
Dec 8th, 2022
Climate Mobilization Strategy Kicks off GHG Effort

The kick-off event will be managed by Rincon Consultants, which in November was contracted to develop a CMS for Healdsburg.