Environmental Planner

VHB • Boston, MA

4d • $100,000 - $113,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

VHB is hiring an Environmental Planner for its Environmental Planning Team in Boston, Massachusetts, with a hybrid work environment. The team works with private, institutional, and public-sector developer clients to navigate entitlement permitting for real estate, transportation, energy, and aviation projects. The role involves coordinating and conducting environmental impact analyses, preparing regulatory submissions, and guiding projects through public review. It includes working with regulators to refine project designs, address environmental and community impacts, demonstrate compliance, and secure approvals needed to advance projects to final design and technical permitting.

The position offers exposure to many aspects of land development, with opportunities to develop expertise in areas such as sustainability, energy, climate resiliency, housing, multimodal transportation, campus planning, and policy and regulations. The Environmental Planner works with interdisciplinary teams of design professionals, including urban designers, architects, landscape architects, civil engineers, transportation planners, sustainable design consultants, climate resiliency planners, and energy modelers. The work also involves regular interaction with regulators, developers, public agencies, institutions, attorneys, advocacy groups, and professional real estate organizations. VHB describes a supportive environment with career development, knowledge sharing, learning and development, and a flexible hybrid work environment.

Requirements

• 5–8 years of professional experience in planning, permitting, or a related field.
• Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Regional Planning, Environmental Studies, Sustainability Planning, Public Administration, Real Estate, Business, Economics, or a related field.
• Strong technical writing skills and ability to synthesize complex information into clear, well-organized regulatory submissions and public documents.
• Ability to review and summarize third-party technical studies and translate their findings into permitting narratives.
• Attention to detail and precision with regulatory language.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and track deadlines, agency comment periods, and public hearing schedules.
• Experience coordinating across project teams, including architects, engineers, attorneys, and clients.
• Confidence presenting to project teams, government agencies, and public audiences.
• Ability to translate regulatory requirements into plain language for clients.
• Ability to assess regulatory situations and identify practical paths forward, including navigating feedback and anticipating concerns.
• Familiarity with environmental and land use regulatory frameworks, including MEPA, NEPA, municipal development review and approval processes, municipal zoning, and state permitting programs.
• Understanding of the real estate development process from site control through permitting and construction.
• Ability to read and interpret plans, drawings, and technical studies produced by engineers and architects.
• Working knowledge of relevant regulations, agencies, and permit triggers.
• Experience with public presentations and community engagement.
• Experience with Chapter 91, wetlands permitting, climate resiliency compliance, and/or sustainable building design.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree preferred.
• MEPA and/or Article 80 review experience preferred.
• Policy literacy and curiosity about how land use law and environmental regulation evolve.
• Familiarity with sustainability frameworks such as LEED, ISI, Passive House, or climate resilience standards.
• Background or interest in urban planning, housing policy, or community development.
• Existing relationships with Boston-area regulators.
• Experience in business development, proposal writing, or contract preparation.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and conduct environmental impact analyses for development projects.
• Prepare regulatory submissions and public documents.
• Guide projects through the public review and entitlement permitting process.
• Work with regulators to refine project designs, address environmental and community impacts, demonstrate compliance, and secure approvals.
• Review and summarize third-party technical studies, such as traffic, stormwater, and environmental studies, and translate findings into permitting narratives.
• Manage multiple projects at different stages of the permitting process.
• Track submission deadlines, agency comment periods, and public hearing schedules.
• Coordinate with architects, engineers, attorneys, clients, and other project team members.
• Present to client and project teams, government agencies, and public audiences.
• Explain regulatory requirements to clients in plain language.
• Build working relationships with regulators and agency staff.
• Assess regulatory situations, identify practical paths forward, respond to agency feedback, and anticipate potential concerns.

Benefits

• Best-in-class benefits
• Flexible, hybrid work environment
• Learning and development supported by evolving tools and technologies, including AI
• Support to grow skills and lead through change
• Collaborative, inclusive culture

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level