Environmental Practice Leader

Job Description

Job Description

About Ardurra

At Ardurra, we’re more than an engineering and consulting firm—we’re a team dedicated to shaping the future through smart solutions and strong partnerships. Our mission is simple: empower our people to deliver innovative, sustainable projects that make a real impact on communities. Guided by our core values—Client Driven, Uniquely Nimble, Low Bureaucracy, Team Collaboration, Unlimited Opportunities, Relationship Focused, and Entrepreneurial Spirit—we foster a culture that puts people first.

Position Summary

The Environmental Practice Leader is responsible for overseeing a multidisciplinary environmental services team within Ardurra and assuring the delivery of high-quality environmental solutions across infrastructure, transportation, utilities, energy, and urban planning sectors. This includes NEPA and SEPA compliance, preparing Environmental Impact Statements, Environmental Assessments, and supervising technical reports prepared by the team. This role combines strategic leadership, technical expertise, business development, and operational management to grow the environmental practice across the region. The Group Leader ensures projects meet scope, schedule, budget, and compliance expectations while fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture across disciplines and geographies. This position is available on a Hybrid schedule out of either Seattle, WA or Everett, WA office locations.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Delivery & Operational Management
• Lead the delivery of environmental projects, ensuring adherence to scope, schedule, budget, and contract terms.
• Oversee project financial performance, including forecasting, financial controls, and minimizing write-offs.
• Ensure consistent safety awareness and compliance for environmental projects.
• Meet contractual commitments and maintain exceptional quality standards across all deliverables.

Team Leadership & Staff Development

• Supervise and mentor a diverse technical team including natural resource scientists, environmental planners, cleanup specialists, permitting experts, community planners, and GIS professionals.
• Support professional growth through training, certifications, and participation in professional associations.
• Lead recruiting, onboarding, retention, and career development of high-performing environmental staff.

Technical Expertise

• Provide leadership and technical oversight on environmental planning and compliance, including experience with Environmental Impact Statements through NEPA and SEPA reviews, and related federal, state, and local requirements.
• Guide development and delivery of environmental services supporting major infrastructure projects.
• Maintain and promote relevant professional certifications (PE, PG, CEG, AICP, or equivalent).

Client Engagement & Business Development

• Build and maintain strong relationships with municipal and public-sector clients.
• Represent the firm in industry and professional organizations (e.g., APWA, NWEBC).
• Lead and support proposal development, presentations, and cross-selling across business lines.
• Leverage market knowledge, existing client relationships, and industry partnerships to grow the environmental practice.
• Achieve annual sales goals and contribute to long-term market strategy.

Strategic Leadership & Collaboration

• Support the Regional Environmental Practice Leader by providing strategic direction and market positioning across Washington, Oregon, and California.
• Collaborate with Market Segment Teams to align environmental services with regional business goals.
• Partner with transportation, utilities, energy, planning, and other disciplines across the firm’s network to deliver integrated solutions.
• Support regional growth initiatives and manage environmental team financials to ensure positive performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Planning, or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in environmental services, including infrastructure project delivery.
• Demonstrated experience with NEPA/SEPA processes and regulatory frameworks.
• Professional certification such as PE, PG, CEG, AICP, or equivalent.
• Proven leadership experience managing multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Strong client relationship, communication, and presentation skills.
• Track record of successful business development and proposal leadership.

Key Competencies

• Technical expertise to support complex environmental permitting processes.
• Strategic thinking and market awareness
• Financial acumen and project management discipline
• Collaborative leadership across diverse teams and geographies
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Ability to influence, mentor, and develop high-performing teams

Why Ardurra?

While Ardurra offers competitive compensation and rich benefits programs, it is our culture that truly sets us apart from our peers. We nurture a family-like culture, striving to create a work environment that is enjoyable, challenging and rewarding but also fun. We are acutely focused on developing our staff, whether through our internal Ardurra Academy or through our industry-leading Leadership program. We have made a deliberate and focused commitment to nurture a people-centric culture where people are: valued as individuals; supported in their professional and career development with multiple, varied career paths; provided the tools and resources to be successful, engaged, and satisfied in their work; and positive benefits, time-off programs, and flexibility to help maintain a healthy balance between work and home.

Ardurra is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or sexual orientation.

NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES:

Ardurra does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Agency Agreement, Ardurra will not consider or agree to payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee. If a resume or candidate is submitted to any hiring manager without a previously signed agreement, Ardurra reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. These candidates will be considered property of Ardurra. We’re not currently looking to add any more agencies to our list of approved vendors, so please do not contact any of our managers or recruitment team with sales calls or details of your candidates.

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