SWCA Environmental Consultants

Compensation

Full Description

About The Opportunity SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a self-motivated Senior or Principal Project Manager - Transmission Siting with strong interpersonal skills and significant experience in electric transmission siting, and client relationship management. This individual will support and lead electric transmission siting projects (both regulated and FERC order 1000 solicitation projects) with senior quality assurance and control for siting deliverables, siting strategy, business development efforts, and client management. Projects will primarily be located in the Midwestern, Northeastern, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.    The Senior or Principal Project Manager will have significant technical expertise and experience with electric transmission siting, competitive transmission process management, permitting requirements, Public Utilities Commission CPCN regulatory filings, client management and business development, and agency interactions at all levels. Required skills include the ability to provide senior guidance and review for siting deliverables, expert witness testimony (when needed), siting strategy and client advisory for competitive and regulated electric transmission line projects, and leading regulatory filings for regulated and FERC 1000 applications. Other important skills will include working in a matrixed organization, successfully integrating into multidisciplinary teams that involve development, engineering, and environmental team members; support development of permitting and permit compliance strategies; and oversight of quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC). The candidate should be experienced in managing multidisciplinary staff to complete project and proposal work and foster a positive working environment among team members.    This is a regular (with benefits), full-time or part-time, salaried position reporting to our Senior Director, National Transmission Business Line Lead. The position can be based out of one of our Northeast/Midwest subregion or be fully remote (= distributed). The pay rate will be based on individual qualifications and experience. SWCA offers a team-oriented work environment, competitive salaries, and a competitive benefits package, including retirement benefits in the form of an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). This Requisition Can Hire For Either Of Two Positions • Senior Project Manager - Typically with at least ten (10) years of relevant industry experience and expertise, including at least 3 years as a project manager. • Principal Project Manager - Typically with at least twelve (12) years of relevant industry experience and expertise, including 5 years as a project manager. Application Deadline: This requisition will close at 4:00 PM CDT on October 1, 2025 What You Will Accomplish Below please find the job responsibilities for a Senior Project Manager - a Principal Project Manager's responsibilities would include leading more complex, multi-disciplinary, and multi-location projects. • Advise, Lead, oversee, and/or execute the management of siting and routing efforts for transmission projects of all sizes and levels of complexity. • Foster a positive, collaborative working environment among project team members. • Work closely with project teams across all SWCA offices to navigate transmission project challenges and meet client needs. • Take the initiative and resolve issues to assure the client’s needs are met effectively. • Lead and advise on the development of siting and routing strategies, provide QA/QC of work processes and deliverables, and lead teams completing technical studies that support permitting efforts. • Annual planning and alignment of transmission business lines with overall corporate growth goals. • Develop teaming partners - both prime and sub - to meet pursuit goals. • Identify, lead, and support initiatives for enhanced business development performance and efficiencies for continued growth. This includes marketing and branding activities, pursuit tracking, and increased sales efficiency. • Mentor and provide project-specific technical support to junior staff. • Implement and administer SWCA’s safety procedures and standards of scientific and professional ethics. • Enhance SWCA’s relationship with Midwestern, Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic utilities and transmission developers. Experience And Qualifications For Success Required Qualifications • Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in planning, environmental science, natural resources management, law, geology, engineering or a related field. • A minimum of ten (10) years of electric transmission siting and/or permitting. • A minimum of three (3) years of project management experience. • Demonstrated experience leading or support proposal and business development activities in the Electrical Transmission market. • Demonstrated ability to write compelling, legally defensible siting studies for regulated Public Utility transmission filing and FERC 1000 siting applications. • A working knowledge of federal (e.g., NEPA, National Historic Preservation Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act) and state laws governing resource management. • Demonstrated experience with transmission projects and with federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and/or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and with state and local agencies. Experience with public utilities commissions desired. • Experience with supervising staff and/or project/proposal teams. • Experience and ability to manage complex transmission projects in diverse settings and with changing requirements. • Demonstrated experience working in a fast-paced work environment and desire to work in a highly collaborative team atmosphere. • Experience siting at least 25 transmission lines in varying geographic settings. • Demonstrated experience with Public Utility Commission filings in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Preferred Qualification • Expert Witness testimony experience strongly preferred. SWCA is a 100% employee-owned company, and we build our success together. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms. We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including a 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement). We are expanding our team in nationally, and are looking for motivated individuals who take pride in delivering high-quality project work. If you thrive in the pursuit of ensuring excellence and ownership in your work as well as collaborating in a dynamic team environment, this is a great opportunity for you! If you need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require a confidential conversation related to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact us at accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; other inquiries will not receive a response. SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees. In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency. An employee in this Chicago, IL-based position can expect a salary of: Senior Project Manager -- $99,754/year to $133,006/year; Principal Project Manager -- $115,807/year to $152,500/year. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive benefits package (https://www.swca.com/careers/benefits-wellness/), forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more. SWCA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success. SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.