The posting
About the opportunity
SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Principal Natural Resources Team Lead to join our Natural Resources Program in Half Moon Bay, California. In this leadership role, you will provide strategic, technical, and operational direction for multidisciplinary natural resources projects throughout Northern California, with a primary focus on aquatic resources, waters permitting, federal and state Endangered Species Act (ESA) permitting, environmental compliance, and regulatory permitting strategy.
As a principal leader within the program, you will oversee complex permitting and resource management projects across transportation, water resource, renewable energy, restoration, utility, and land development sectors. You will serve as a senior technical advisor and trusted consultant to clients, guiding permitting strategy, navigating regulatory challenges, and ensuring the successful delivery of high-quality project outcomes.
This role combines regulatory permitting expertise, project management, leadership, staff supervision, and business development responsibilities. You will lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams, oversee project performance and financial success, cultivate key client and regulatory relationships, and help drive the continued growth of SWCA's Natural Resources practice throughout the region.
The successful candidate will have a demonstrated track record of managing complex natural resources and permitting projects, developing and growing client relationships, leading high-performing teams, and securing new business opportunities. Experience developing permitting strategies and obtaining authorizations under federal, state, and local environmental regulations is highly valued.
This is a full-time, regular (with benefits), salaried/exempt, hybrid opportunity based out of our Half Moon Bay, California office. You will work closely with the Northern California Natural Resources Director, other Natural Resources leadership, project managers, and technical specialists to support project delivery, client engagement, business growth, and long-term regional success.
Qualified candidates must submit a Letter of Interest and current resume to be considered for the position.
Application Deadline: Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews may be scheduled as qualified candidates are identified. This position may close without prior notice once a strong candidate pool is established.
What you will accomplish
- Team Leadership: Manages team operations to enhance efficiency and productivity, identifying and implementing process improvements. Attracts, recruits, develops, and retains top talent, focusing on staff development and mentoring. Tracks and manages workload distribution and productivity, making staffing adjustments in collaboration with other leads. Ensures accountability and clearly communicates the team's vision and priorities.
- Strategic Project Leadership: Strategically consults on and leads complex projects in pursuit of client objectives, overseeing the technical approach and ensuring quality assurance and quality control.
- Organizational Expertise: Supports innovation of standards and practices to enhance the quality and efficiency of client projects and outcomes, ensuring alignment with industry and regulatory standards. Serves as a go-to technical expert and consultant, providing novel project strategies and applying technical excellence that considers client needs to meet project requirements.
- Project Accountability: Continuously guides projects, executing accountability for the performance of projects or delegated tasks and ensuring that project milestones are met and outcomes align with SWCA’s values and client expectations. Assesses risks and implements strategies for problem-solving. Revises or suggests revisions to project scopes, schedules, and budgets as necessary to meet evolving project requirements and ensure successful outcomes.
- Business Growth & Innovation: Drives business growth and client success through technical excellence, innovation, and development of new methods and standards that advance SWCA's technical reputation. Contributes to SWCA's strategic planning.
- Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Champions cross-disciplinary collaboration, working closely with specialists to provide comprehensive technical support for projects.
- Relationship Management: Establishes and grows effective consultative relationships with external and internal clients and/or agency regulators and industry partners (if applicable) to support successful projects.
- Follows applicable federal, Tribal, state, local, industry, contractual, and company regulations, standards, and specifications.
- Performs related work as assigned.
Additional Job-Specific Responsibilities
- Lead the preparation and review of biological resources reports, biological assessments, wetland delineation reports, and biological resource sections of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documents.
- Develop survey protocols and oversee field surveys for sensitive habitats and species, including focused, protocol-level, and pre-construction surveys.
- Prepare and review permitting, compliance, and planning documentation associated with the NEPA, CEQA, ESA, and Clean Water Act (CWA).
- Partner with the Northern California Natural Resources Director and regional staff to support Natural Resources team planning, growth, and operational objectives across the CALPAC region.
- Provide project-specific technical direction and mentorship to Natural Resources project managers, technical staff, and field personnel.
- Serve as a liaison between Natural Resources staff, regional leadership, other technical teams, and corporate support functions to promote effective communication and coordination.
- Support team readiness by coordinating resources related to safety, equipment, training opportunities, and regulatory or research updates.
- Lead proposal development efforts and evaluate business development opportunities in support of regional growth objectives.
- Represent the organization through participation in industry organizations and professional networks to expand client relationships and market presence.
Experience and qualifications for success
- Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management, Biology, Environmental Science, Fish and Wildlife Science, Ecology, or a related field.
- Minimum ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in biological fieldwork, environmental consulting, and project management, including development and management of project budgets, schedules, and scopes of work from project initiation through final deliverables.
- Demonstrated experience authoring or contributing to natural resources technical reports and environmental documentation for a variety of projects, agencies, and jurisdictions.
- Demonstrated technical expertise in biological resource studies, habitat assessments, special-status species surveys, or related natural resources disciplines.
- Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local environmental regulations, including the NEPA, CEQA, and ESA.
- Demonstrated experience supervising, mentoring, or providing technical direction to professional staff.
- Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, solve complex problems, exercise sound judgment, and drive projects to successful completion.
- Ability to learn and apply company procedures, adapt to changing project needs, and implement new approaches or techniques as appropriate.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in Natural Resource Management, Biology, Environmental Science, Fish and Wildlife Science, Ecology, or a related field.
- Minimum twelve (12) years of progressively responsible experience.
- Advanced expertise in one or more specialized biological resource disciplines, such as rare plant identification, aquatic resource delineation, special-status species subject matter expert, or sensitive habitat assessments.
- Experience preparing environmental documentation and permitting materials under NEPA, CEQA, ESA, CWA, Coastal Zone Act, or related regulatory programs.
- Experience in transportation, water, and land development is preferred.
- Demonstrated success in business development, including client relationship management, proposal development, and identification of new project opportunities.
- Established professional relationships and experience working with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies and clients within California and the Western United States.
