Principal Project Manager-Energy

Environmental Science Associates seeks a Principal Project Manager-Energy with 20+ years of experience in environmental compliance for renewable energy projects. The role involves project management, quality assurance, and collaboration, requiring proficiency in CEQA and NEPA. Candidates should be based in Northern California and can work remotely with occasional onsite visits. Strong project management, writing, and analytical skills are essential, along with experience in business development and mentoring.
ESA is looking for a highly motivated Energy Planner and project Manager with 20+ years of related work experience, who can support various environmental compliance and regulatory processes for renewable energy and electrical infrastructure projects. This opportunity places a high value on collaboration, delivery, and quality work in a dynamic environment. We're looking for a candidate based out of Northern California who can work remotely and go onsite when needed.

Who You Are
• You are a senior-level professional with a minimum of 20+ years of related professional experience, at least some of which working in a consulting environment, with responsibilities including conducting research, analyzing impacts, writing sections of reports, and overseeing quality assurance/quality control reviews of deliverables. Proficiency with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and experience with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and similar state/federal regulations is required. Successful proposal writing experience is a plus.
• You hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with major coursework in environmental science or a related interdisciplinary field.
• You have strong project management, business development, writing and analytical skills, and effective oral presentation skills with the ability to convey complex information understandably to various audiences. You are known for building teams, mentoring staff, and effectively managing sub-consultants. You contribute constructively and cooperatively to solve project and team challenges, and you provide coaching to foster teamwork and elevate others.
• You have led and directed marketing and business development pursuits including developing capture strategies and leading proposals, interviews, and presentations.
• You ideally have experience preparing analyses and evaluations related to renewable energy and electrical infrastructure projects.
• You are located in California, ideally in Northern California and can work remotely.

What You Will Do For ESA
• You will serve as project manager, senior project manager, and/or contributing author for CEQA and NEPA documents for a variety of energy-related projects.
• You will be responsible for managing tasks, project or task budgets and invoicing, and project delivery schedules; handling project logistics; disseminating and maintaining related information and resources; meeting with team members to gauge progress toward task completion; serving as the point person for team member or client questions; preparing or directing project research and analysis; supporting or leading public outreach efforts relating to environmental review; and delivering project assignments on time and within budget.
• You will also consistently demonstrate your solid writing and attentive listening skills; participate in and/or lead client meetings; and present information understandably and speak persuasively about complex topics to clients, agency staff, teaming partners, other project stakeholders, and the general public.
• You will lead marketing and business development pursuits for selected tasks and/or projects of moderate complexity. These efforts will include having the responsibility for preparing scopes of work, schedules, and budgets, providing technical input, and participating in interviews for new work.
• You will provide mentorship and potentially supervise junior staff, including reviewing their work for accuracy and clarity and providing constructive feedback and career development guidance while working on projects together.
• You will thrive in a fast-paced, challenging environment and be able to manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines, while working on a team or independently.

What’s Special About ESA

Joining ESA means becoming part of a close-knit team of environmental professionals who contribute to outstanding projects, improve environmental stewardship, and advance a more sustainable and resilient future for our communities and wild places.

At ESA, we provide benefits such as medical, dental, and vision insurance (paid at 70% for you AND your family), annual allocations of company shares through our employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), a 401(k) plan with company match, and paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays, to name a few. Spot and annual bonuses are available to reward the highest caliber work.

We also provide specific programs whether you want to further your technical expertise, sharpen your business acumen, or help lead the next generation of employee-owners. We want to support you in reaching your career goals through tuition reimbursement, professional development bonuses, and attendance at conferences.

What’s Special About Our Energy Team in Northern California

We have managed the environmental analysis and permitting of more than 1,000 miles of electric transmission line and analyzed more than 16,000 MW of solar energy and nearly 1,300 MW of wind energy, as well as geothermal, biofuel and green hydrogen fuel energy generation projects on both private and federal lands. ESA’s energy and infrastructure clients range from regulating agencies to power producers, ports and surface mining concerns.

Learn about our Energy work, click here.

ESA has established multiple pay ranges tailored to the economic factors in the geographies in which ESA staff reside. For this position, the range is approximately as listed based on our anticipated hiring locations as noted in the above job details. Actual compensation is determined by several factors including but not limited to an individual’s related experience, education, skills, and the city in which the applicant lives.

CA Pay Transparency Clause

$166,502—$185,003 USD

Who We Are

We are a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm who values diversity and inclusion and celebrate the differences that make each of us unique. Our culture is built on mutual respect, recognizing that our variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives leads to better solutions, which fosters our continued success for our employee-owners and clients.

In accordance with ESA’s duty and responsibility to provide and maintain a safe workplace that is free of known hazards and to minimize the exposure to potential hazards, any employee who works from an ESA office or conducts any other in-person ESA work-related activity is required to submit their proof of vaccination status or have received an approved exemption and accommodation in states which this applies.

ESA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. (EOE M/V/F/D)