Solid Waste Planner

Herrera Environmental Consultants•Seattle, WA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Envision yourself at a growing, employee-owned company that inspires and empowers you to deliver your best performance while making a difference in the world. We are Herrera, a science, planning, and design consulting firm dedicated to working with clients to develop holistic solutions that provide social and environmental benefit. We protect the environment every day by providing a diverse range of consulting services to cities, counties, state and federal agencies, Tribes, non-profits, and private clients throughout Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, and western Canada. For over 40 years, Herrera has cultivated a collaborative, caring, and values-driven culture that empowers our employee-owners to achieve excellence while ensuring we have fun along the way. By providing our employee-owners with the autonomy to pursue their professional interests and through encouraging them to grow, we benefit from high employee-owner retention that contributes to our longstanding partnerships with clients. Our Values Treat everyone with respect and dignity, always. Insist on integrity, objectivity, and social and environmental ethics in our work. Act as stewards of the environment upon which we depend. Research and outreach, learn and teach. Employee owners, employee leaders. Your Opportunity Herrera is seeking an Environmental Planner with solid waste related experience to join our team. As an Environmental Planner, you will play a role in developing, implementing, and managing strategies for effective solid waste management. This role will focus on environmental sustainability and regulatory compliance, including permitting related tasks for various environmental projects. You will collaborate with various stakeholders, including government agencies, environmental organizations, and community groups, to develop solutions for waste reduction, recycling, and disposal while gathering feedback on various projects. In this role, we will count on you to: Analyze data on waste generation, composition, and disposal trends to assess the effectiveness of waste management strategies and identify opportunities for improvement Develop solid waste management plans, integrating environmental sustainability principles and regulatory requirements to establish waste reduction targets Evaluate impacts of proposed waste management projects and review compliance with local, state, and federal regulations Conduct outreach about waste management practices and participation in recycling and composting programs Prepare reports, presentations, and recommendations for policymakers, stakeholders, and the public on solid waste management initiatives and developments in environmental regulations, industry standards, and sustainability practices. Prepare permit applications for a variety of projects, including building permits Other duties you will be responsible for: Assisting with various sampling and other environmental monitoring field work Contributing to written reports and design documents Interacting with clients, contractors, and other consultants Providing project consulting support working on multi-disciplinary, complex project teams

Requirements

1+ years of relevant experience
Bachelor's degree in environmental science, environmental engineering, urban planning, or a related field
Excellent research, analytical and problem-solving skills.
Outstanding verbal, written, and interpersonal skills
Collaborator and team builder with capacity to work with staff from diverse technical disciplines
Ability to carry out detailed instructions while also being able to think creatively
Dedication to health and safety practices
Self-starter with a desire to learn new skills
Managing collected data using spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel) or a database (Microsoft Access)
Flexibility to work on a variety of project types and field conditions

Nice To Haves

3 + years of relevant experience
Project management skills
Experience in solid waste management, environmental planning, or a related field, preferably in a municipal or consulting environment
Knowledge of environmental regulations, waste management practices, and sustainability principles
Prior experience working on comprehensive solid waste management plans for jurisdictions within Washington State
Experience in stakeholder engagement and community outreach
Consulting experience in NEPA/SEPA compliance.
Experience with Bluebeam

Responsibilities

Analyze data on waste generation, composition, and disposal trends to assess the effectiveness of waste management strategies and identify opportunities for improvement
Develop solid waste management plans, integrating environmental sustainability principles and regulatory requirements to establish waste reduction targets
Evaluate impacts of proposed waste management projects and review compliance with local, state, and federal regulations
Conduct outreach about waste management practices and participation in recycling and composting programs
Prepare reports, presentations, and recommendations for policymakers, stakeholders, and the public on solid waste management initiatives and developments in environmental regulations, industry standards, and sustainability practices.
Prepare permit applications for a variety of projects, including building permits
Assisting with various sampling and other environmental monitoring field work
Contributing to written reports and design documents
Interacting with clients, contractors, and other consultants
Providing project consulting support working on multi-disciplinary, complex project teams

Benefits

Flexible hybrid work culture
Medical/prescription drug/dental/vision insurance for employees and dependents; employees covered at no cost on base plan with buy-up options available; company contribution for dependents
Section 125 flexible benefits plans – healthcare and dependent care
Company-paid life insurance for employees; option to purchase additional life insurance for employees and dependents at employees’ expense
Company-paid long term disability insurance for employees; option to purchase short-term disability insurance at employees’ expense
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) – we are 100% employee owned!
401(k) retirement plan
Paid vacation, accrued bi-weekly, equivalent to 10 days per year for a 40 hour/week employee and prorated for employees working 24-39 hours/week
Paid sick leave, accrued bi-weekly, equivalent to 10 days per year for a 40-hour/week employee and prorated for employees working 24-39 hours per week
Flexible paid holidays (10)
Paid volunteer time (8 hours annually)
Company-paid annual membership dues for one professional organization
Professional development / continuing education allowance
Discretionary annual bonus
Transit benefit