Planner III-Environmental Review (5298) Natural Resources and Lands Management Division-(Moccasin) SFPUC (167779)

City and County of San Francisco•Monson, MA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) is seeking an Environmental Planner to perform complex environmental planning, permitting, compliance, and lands management work. This role supports the operational and Capital Improvement Program activities of the SFPUC Water Enterprise. Key responsibilities include CEQA/NEPA environmental review, Chapter 31 implementation, resource-agency permitting, environmental construction compliance, professional-services administration, federal-land coordination, natural and cultural resources management, Tribal engagement, and strategic program development. The position reports to the Senior Environmental Planner and may supervise consultants and junior staff. It is an external-facing role requiring close collaboration with federal and state agency staff, City attorneys, Tribal representatives, and SFPUC multidisciplinary teams. The incumbent will develop project descriptions, evaluate environmental impacts and mitigation measures, prepare and manage technical studies and regulatory documentation, support contract administration, coordinate project teams, and provide technical guidance on environmental review, permitting, and compliance.

Requirements

Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university AND four (4) years (8000 hours) of verifiable full-time equivalent experience either performing environmental review functions OR in a city/regional/urban planning environment preparing documents for entities such as California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Water Quality Control Board, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
OR Master's degree from an accredited college or university in city/regional/urban planning, environmental studies, architecture, law, earth sciences, geography, economics, landscape architecture, civil engineering, urban studies or public administration AND two (2) years (4000 hours) of verifiable full-time equivalent experience either performing environmental review functions OR in a city/regional/urban planning environment preparing documents for entities such as California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Regional Water Quality Control Board, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Possession of a current valid California Driver’s License.
Knowledge of the principles, practices, purposes, scope, and techniques of environmental analysis.
Knowledge of methods and data sources for environmental investigations.
Public relations/interpersonal skills – ability to deal tactfully with public governmental officials, professional and technical persons, and other City employees.
Ability in problem solving.
Ability in written communication.

Nice To Haves

Experience interpreting or working with federal land management and permitting instruments including rights-of-way, special use authorizations, permits, easements, agreements, maps, land records, or historical authorizations.
Experience applying local, state, and federal environmental laws, regulations, and environmental review processes.
Experience with cultural resources identification, preservation, protection, consultation, and management practices.
Experience conducting environmental review and permitting for utility, infrastructure, operations, maintenance, or capital improvement activities.
Experience using GIS, databases, document management systems, or other tools to organize and analyze environmental, geographic, or regulatory information.
Experience developing scopes of work and supporting consultant contract administration, schedules, budgets, and multidisciplinary technical teams.
Experience coordinating with regulatory agencies, land management agencies, Tribal representatives, project managers, operations staff, consultants, attorneys, or other parties with differing responsibilities and perspectives.

Responsibilities

Analyze proposed project activities to determine environmental review, documentation, consultation, and permitting requirements.
Identify environmental and regulatory risks and recommend avoidance measures, mitigation measures, and best management practices.
Apply and interpret federal, state, and local laws, regulations, ordinances, permits, agreements, authorizations, and SFPUC policies, including the Raker Act.
Prepare or coordinate permit applications, right-of-way and special use authorization requests, and related submissions to local, state, and federal agencies.
Obtain authorizations under CWA §§401/404, NPDES §402, Fish & Game Code §§1602/1610, ESA/CESA, NHPA §106, ARPA, FLPMA, Raker Act, Wilderness Act, Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, and related federal/state authorities.
Prepare, review, and coordinate CEQA, NEPA, NHPA, FLPMA, and related environmental review and compliance documentation.
Prepare and manage technical studies and reports concerning environmental, biological, cultural, land, and other natural resource matters.
Critically review and evaluate consultant work associated with planning, permitting, environmental review, technical studies, and compliance monitoring.
Develop scopes of work and support consultant contract administration, including schedules, budgets, deliverables, and fieldwork coordination.
Coordinate interdisciplinary review of project proposals, technical studies, and environmental documentation.
Perform environmental review of third-party applications for use of SFPUC lands.
Identify environmental and regulatory risks, evaluate available information, and develop practical recommendations when requirements or project conditions are uncertain.
Represent SFPUC interests during interagency consultations, stakeholder meetings, public meetings, and field visits.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary staff, consultants, regulatory personnel, Tribal representatives, and other parties.
Exercise sound and objective judgment, including when information is incomplete, requirements are uncertain, or competing priorities must be reconciled.
Manage competing priorities and communicate emerging issues, schedule risks, and recommended actions to project managers and supervisors.
Communicate complex legal, technical, and procedural information clearly to technical and nontechnical audiences.