Principal Environmental Professional (Geologist or Engineer)

Onterris•Santa Ana, CA

12d•Remote

About The Position

Onterris is seeking a Principal Environmental Professional to serve as a strategic leader, technical expert, and mentor for site assessment and remediation projects. The role represents the firm with clients, staff, and teaming partners, supports project success and client relationships, and contributes to long-term business growth. The position may be performed remotely; the ideal candidate is based in California and brings industry contacts and knowledge of California and/or other western states, including relevant regulatory and environmental expertise. The Principal Professional leads efforts to obtain new project opportunities, from early strategy through execution, and ensures high-quality, organized deliverables ready for client delivery. The role leads and develops teams, prepares and directs proposals, supports business development, and manages projects obtained through those efforts. The position requires effective collaboration with clients, staff geologists and engineers, regulatory specialists, and agency partners, along with the ability to work independently and with the core leadership team. The compensation range is $120,000 to $150,000, commensurate with experience, skills, and geographic location. Local travel may be required as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in geology, engineering, environmental science, or a related field.
15+ years of relevant professional consulting experience, or 12+ years with a Master’s degree, including public sector experience.
Proven consulting experience and success as a Project Manager overseeing technical studies and documents completed within schedule and budget.
Experience serving as Project Manager and senior client representative, with responsibility for consulting products and services.
Demonstrated success in proposal leadership and teaming for sole-source and competitive pursuits.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to oversee and provide quality assurance for complex technical documents and make presentations, including interviews for competitive proposals.
Strong familiarity with California and other western state regulations, industry standards, and Federal, State, and local procurement processes.
Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams while also operating independently.
Willingness and ability to travel locally as needed.

Responsibilities

Lead team growth through outreach to potential clients and proposal preparation.
Collaborate with client contacts, staff geologists and engineers, regulatory specialists, and agency partners.
Support client retention by fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and supportive work environment.
Ensure operational effectiveness, productivity, and profitability for personal work and the team.
Pursue $1M–$2M in new annual work through competitive pursuits, sole-source opportunities, on-call contracts, and strategic teaming arrangements.
Lead proposal efforts for projects of all sizes, including strategy development, teaming decisions, and win themes.
Guide proposal managers on proposal structure, approach narratives, cover letters, scopes of work, and qualifications sections.
Ensure proposal schedules, budgets, and deliverables are accurate, compliant, and submitted on time.
Lead and prepare teams for proposal interviews.
Evaluate new leads and cultivate long-term client and partner relationships.
Manage projects obtained through business development efforts and ensure work meets the firm’s quality standards.
Delegate tasks, provide direction, and ensure work remains within project constraints.
Stay current on industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices.
Work independently and collaboratively with the core leadership team.
Perform additional duties as needed to support project and company success.