Technical Director - Environmental Planning and Permitting

WSP•Portland, ME

About The Position

This Opportunity Play a key role in expanding WSP’s environmental planning portfolio across Maine and the broader New England region. This position combines business development, client relationship management, and high‑level technical environmental planning expertise to support and grow work in commercial, industrial, utility, energy, transmission, development, and transportation markets. You will provide leadership on environmental planning projects, including environmental impact assessments, site evaluations, hazard mitigation, resource and land use planning, permitting strategies, restoration and resilience planning, and public involvement. You will ensure that environmental planning processes are executed with exceptional quality and in full compliance with federal, state, and regional regulatory frameworks, particularly those governing New England ecosystems and infrastructure. This role includes advising project managers on complex environmental challenges, supporting permitting and mitigation strategies, ensuring long‑term ecological risks are appropriately assessed and addressed, and providing pragmatic direction to address current and future environmental planning challenges in a rapidly-changing and complex business climate. Your Impact Lead and oversee environmental planning and analyses across Maine and New England, including siting, impact assessment, and permitting with multi‑disciplinary teams. Manage large, complex environmental planning projects—setting expectations, coordinating contributors, tracking budgets, monitoring external factors, managing subcontractors, and ensuring profitability and performance. Ensure compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and Local environmental regulations and policies. Support long‑term strategy, growth, and pipeline development for Environmental Planning across planning, design, consulting, and program management. Lead technical components of contract negotiation, presentations, and stakeholder meetings. Assist in preparing annual updates to tactical action plans. Maintain and advance planning discipline certifications. Conduct needs analyses and client value assessments to align discipline capabilities with business strategy and identify operational risks or skill gaps. Serve as a primary liaison to regulatory agencies, clients, subcontractors, industry groups, and community entities. Develop and refine proposal scopes, schedules, pricing, and budget metrics. Interpret and synthesize data, reports, and documents to support sound environmental and regulatory conclusions. Build and maintain a client base for high-level environmental planning services, including business development and cross‑selling WSP capabilities. Mentor staff, providing leadership and performance guidance. Stay current on environmental planning regulations, practices, and technical developments. Collaborate across disciplines to deliver trusted‑advisor support and future‑ready solutions. Exercise responsible, ethical stewardship of company funds, resources, and conduct in alignment with WSP’s Code of Conduct. Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Planning, Urban Planning, Environmental Science, or a related field (or equivalent experience.)
12+ years of Environmental Planning experience in a corporate environment.
Strong working knowledge of relevant environmental laws, regulations, compliance practices, and record-keeping requirements, and the business impact upon the organization.
Excellent leadership and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to effectively, persuasively, and tactfully interact with employees at all levels of the organization.
Tactical lateral thinking and strong analytical skills with attention to detail and prioritization of responsibilities in a pressure work environment.
Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources, including senior management, clients, and company-wide staff, including those with whom no formal hierarchical relationship exits.
Advanced proficiency with office automation and communication software, technology, and tools used in the corporate environment.
Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
Strong ability to quickly adapt to change and demonstrate flexibility to a variety of schedules and hours to meet business needs.
Occasional travel may be required depending on project-specific requirements.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree is preferred.
AICP Certification is greatly preferred.
Strong experience in managing the review and approval of documents and environmental planning deliverables, processes, and plans in a multi-project environment is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Lead and oversee environmental planning and analyses across Maine and New England, including siting, impact assessment, and permitting with multi‑disciplinary teams.
Manage large, complex environmental planning projects—setting expectations, coordinating contributors, tracking budgets, monitoring external factors, managing subcontractors, and ensuring profitability and performance.
Ensure compliance with all applicable Federal, State, and Local environmental regulations and policies.
Support long‑term strategy, growth, and pipeline development for Environmental Planning across planning, design, consulting, and program management.
Lead technical components of contract negotiation, presentations, and stakeholder meetings.
Assist in preparing annual updates to tactical action plans.
Maintain and advance planning discipline certifications.
Conduct needs analyses and client value assessments to align discipline capabilities with business strategy and identify operational risks or skill gaps.
Serve as a primary liaison to regulatory agencies, clients, subcontractors, industry groups, and community entities.
Develop and refine proposal scopes, schedules, pricing, and budget metrics.
Interpret and synthesize data, reports, and documents to support sound environmental and regulatory conclusions.
Build and maintain a client base for high-level environmental planning services, including business development and cross‑selling WSP capabilities.
Mentor staff, providing leadership and performance guidance.
Stay current on environmental planning regulations, practices, and technical developments.
Collaborate across disciplines to deliver trusted‑advisor support and future‑ready solutions.
Exercise responsible, ethical stewardship of company funds, resources, and conduct in alignment with WSP’s Code of Conduct.
Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Benefits

WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs.
Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.

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