Director, Environmental Planning

NOACA•Cleveland, OH

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) is seeking a visionary, people-centered executive to serve as Director, Environmental Planning. This is a rare opportunity to lead one of the region’s most influential environmental programs, shaping air and water quality planning and sustainability outcomes for communities across Greater Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. As the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), NOACA integrates transportation, environmental, and economic development planning to deliver impactful, data-driven solutions. The Director, Environmental Planning plays a critical role in advancing that mission. The Director, Environmental Planning is an executive leadership role reporting directly to the Executive Director & CEO. This position provides strategic direction, operational leadership, and professional stewardship over NOACA’s environmental planning portfolio which includes air and water quality planning, as well as trend reporting, forecast verification, and brownfield remediation. The incumbent will provide strategic leadership to a highly skilled team advancing air quality and water quality planning, climate resilience, sustainability initiatives, and environmental stewardship consistent with federal requirements, while positioning Northeast Ohio as a leader in environmental innovation. At NOACA, leadership is grounded in service, trust, and accountability. The Director, Environmental Planning is expected to model, teach, and institutionalize NOACA’s Servant Leadership Accountability approach by leading with humility, empathy, and purpose, creating a culture of psychological safety, collaboration, and excellence, developing, mentoring, and preparing staff for growth and succession, communicating clearly, consistently, and productively, holding self and others accountable for results and behavior, and building trust internally and externally through transparency and reliability. This role is as much about growing people and culture as it is about delivering exceptional environmental outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Planning, or related field
10+ years of progressively responsible experience in environmental planning, air quality, water quality, sustainability, or related fields
Strong knowledge of Clean Air Act requirements and transportation-environment linkages
Knowledge and experience related to the implementation of federal clean air grant programs such as Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ)
Experience with federal planning processes and regulatory compliance
10+ years of experience leading and developing professional staff
Demonstrated success building strong, high-performing teams
Experience with and commitment to Servant Leadership and accountability-based management
Proven ability to communicate complex environmental concepts to diverse audiences

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree strongly preferred
Professional certifications (e.g., AICP) preferred

Responsibilities

Set and deliver a shared vision, advance innovation, and ensure excellence across all environmental planning functions
Lead air quality planning and air quality conformity and emissions analysis
Lead wastewater management and water quality planning
Lead the management of the Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund
Develop climate pollution and greenhouse gas reduction strategies
Manage environmental components of the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)
Oversee sustainability and resilience initiatives
Lead alternative fuels and clean energy planning
Provide NEPA coordination and environmental review support
Conduct data analysis, modeling, and environmental performance measures
Lead regional environmental policy development and implementation
Advance initiatives through proactive stakeholder engagement to support long-term environmental outcomes
Serve as NOACA’s senior environmental representative to regional and federal partners, including Ohio EPA, USEPA, FHWA, FTA, ODOT, and local governments
Engage with NOACA’s Board of Trustees, committees, and advisory councils
Provide executive leadership and strategic direction to Environmental Planning staff
Advance innovative environmental and sustainability strategies across the region
Ensure compliance with federal and state environmental regulations
Deliver high-quality plans, analyses, and technical outputs
Strengthen cross-divisional collaboration within NOACA
Represent NOACA at regional, state, and national levels
Enhance data systems, modeling tools, and performance tracking
Champion staff development, training, and succession planning