Manager, Environmental Planning & Compliance

About the role

The Manager of Environmental Planning & Compliance will report to the Deputy Director of Program Management and Environmental Compliance and is responsible for supporting capital projects through all phases of project delivery for the PCJPB (Caltrain). This role requires a balanced skillset across CEQA/NEPA environmental clearance, environmental permitting, and construction compliance.

Responsibilities

• Manage environmental work directives, oversee consultant performance, coordinate with regulatory agencies, and integrate environmental requirements into project delivery.
• Serve as subject matter expert on environmental laws and regulations including California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• Act as liaison with internal and external stakeholders on matters related to environmental planning and compliance.
• Coordinate with regulatory agencies including the Federal Transit Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
• Identify potential environmental risks and elevate issues to senior staff with recommended solutions.
• Manage and oversee environmental consulting teams assigned to analyze capital projects.
• Supervise staff, including hiring, mentoring, and taking appropriate corrective or disciplinary action while ensuring EEO policies and procedures are followed.
• Participate in staff selection, coordinate training and professional development, set objectives, and monitor and evaluate employee performance.
• Manage environmental clearance and documentation efforts under CEQA and NEPA, including preparation and review of technical studies and environmental documents.
• Develop and coordinate environmental clearance strategies with internal stakeholders in engineering, design, construction management, and operations.
• Develop environmental permit applications for approval from federal, state, and local agencies.
• Obtain applicable environmental permits from federal, state, and local agencies for capital programs.
• Track deliverables, schedules, and budgets for environmental consulting teams to ensure timely and high-quality work products.
• Manage development of scopes of work and work directives for environmental consulting services.
• Review consultant deliverables for completeness, consistency, and alignment with project objectives.
• Track environmental commitments, permit conditions, and mitigation measures across project phases.
• Manage construction-phase environmental compliance, including coordination with field staff, review of monitoring reports, and tracking of compliance issues.
• Conduct periodic site visits to observe construction activities and support compliance verification efforts.
• Manage environmental planning public outreach efforts to meet CEQA/NEPA requirements.
• Prepare technical memoranda, reports, presentations, and regulatory correspondence.
• Maintain organized project records, including permits, approvals, environmental documents, and compliance tracking logs.
• Participate in project meetings, document action items, and support follow-up on environmental tasks.
• Perform all job duties and responsibilities in a safe manner to protect oneself, fellow employees, and the public from injury or harm.
• Promote safety awareness and follow safety procedures to reduce or eliminate accidents.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, environmental planning, engineering, or a closely related field.
• Five (5) years of full-time progressively more responsible capital project environmental planning and compliance experience.
• Two (2) years of supervisory experience over project staff.
• In lieu of a degree, work-related experience that demonstrates the skills and experience necessary to perform this role will be accepted.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated two (2) years of experience supporting environmental clearances and permitting through management of deliverables for infrastructure or transportation projects (rail transportation agency experience strongly preferred).
• Demonstrated development and oversight of environmental compliance programming for capital projects involving CEQA, NEPA, SHPO, FTA, USACE, environmental permitting, site assessments (Phase 1 and 2), hazardous waste disposal, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to distill complex technical information.