Environmental Attorney Jobs in Norfolk, VA

Managing Environmental Planner

Location: Norfolk, VA, Baltimore, MD or Remote

Job Type: Regular Full-time

What’s the Opportunity?

Lead multidisciplinary project teams in the planning, design, permitting, and implementation of coastal resilience, habitat restoration, and sediment management projects throughout the U.S. East Coast, with a particular focus on the Mid-Atlantic region. In this role, you will oversee technical staff and coordinate with engineers, scientists, planners, and regulatory specialists to deliver a wide range of projects, including living shorelines, oyster reef restoration, thin-layer placement (TLP), beneficial use of dredged material, marsh restoration, sediment remediation, and other nature-based infrastructure initiatives.

This position includes responsibility for managing project scope, schedule, budget, and client relationships while guiding projects from concept development through design, permitting, construction, and post-construction monitoring. The successful candidate will work closely with federal, state, and local agencies, port authorities, military installations, non-governmental organizations, and private-sector clients to develop innovative and sustainable solutions that enhance coastal resilience, improve habitat, and address complex environmental challenges.

The role also offers some opportunities for business development and strategic growth, including cultivating client relationships, identifying new opportunities, preparing proposals, and helping expand Anchor QEA's coastal resilience and restoration practice throughout the East Coast and beyond.

Responsibilities

The Managing Environmental Planner responsibilities include:

• Manage coastal resilience, habitat restoration, sediment management, and nature-based infrastructure projects from planning through design, permitting, construction, and post-construction monitoring.
• Oversee the planning, design, and implementation of living shoreline, oyster reef restoration, marsh restoration, thin-layer placement (TLP), beneficial use of dredged material, sediment remediation, and coastal resilience projects.
• Develop and manage project scopes, schedules, budgets, resource allocations, and contract requirements.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients, maintaining strong relationships and ensuring client objectives are achieved.
• Coordinate with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies to support project permitting, environmental compliance, and stakeholder engagement efforts.
• Manage subcontractors, teaming partners, and specialty consultants to ensure timely and high-quality project delivery.
• Provide technical review and quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) for project deliverables, including reports, plans, specifications, permit applications, and construction documents.
• Support field investigations, site assessments, monitoring programs, and data collection efforts related to coastal, ecological, and sediment management projects.
• Facilitate project meetings, workshops, and stakeholder engagement activities with clients, agencies, community groups, and project partners.
• Prepare and deliver technical presentations to clients, regulatory agencies, public stakeholders, and professional organizations.
• Identify emerging opportunities related to coastal resilience, climate adaptation, beneficial use of dredged material, habitat restoration, and nature-based infrastructure.
• Support the development of innovative and sustainable solutions that improve coastal resilience, ecosystem function, and long-term project performance.

What Are We Looking For?

Ideal candidates will have the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in Coastal Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Marine Science, Coastal Geology, Environmental Science, Ecology, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• 6+ years of progressively responsible experience managing coastal resilience, habitat restoration, sediment management, environmental remediation, or related environmental consulting projects.
• Proven ability to develop and manage project scopes, schedules, budgets, contracts, and subcontractors.
• Demonstrated experience managing multidisciplinary teams and successfully delivering projects on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with client expectations.
• Experience leading the planning, design, permitting, construction, and/or monitoring of projects such as:
  • Living shorelines
  • Oyster reef restoration
  • Marsh restoration and enhancement
  • Thin-layer placement (TLP)
  • Beneficial use of dredged material
  • Sediment remediation
  • Coastal resilience and nature-based infrastructure projects
• Strong understanding of coastal processes, sediment dynamics, habitat restoration, and climate resilience principles.
• Experience coordinating with federal, state, and local agencies, including organizations such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state environmental agencies, and local governments.
• Experience preparing, reviewing, and overseeing technical reports, engineering plans, permit applications, specifications, and other project deliverables.
• Strong client management skills with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships with federal, state, municipal, port, military, and private-sector clients.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills, including experience facilitating meetings and presenting technical information to diverse audiences.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a fast-paced consulting environment.
• Professional Engineer (PE), Project Management Professional (PMP), Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS), or other relevant professional certification is preferred but not required.

What Can You Expect?

A managing environmental planner at Anchor QEA can expect:

• Strategic, impact-focused role, shaping project approaches and outcomes
• Highly supportive environment, leading multi-disciplinary, collaborative teams
• High-visibility client and agency interaction, helping to guide key decision makers
• Ownership of business development strategies, emphasizing valued relationships
• Opportunities to shape the firm’s future with visibility into strategic planning
• Culture of flexibility and accountability with an emphasis on work-life balance

Who Are We?

Anchor QEA provides environmental planning, science, and engineering consulting services with the mission of transforming our environment and communities with integrity and vibe. With more than 500 people in offices across the United States, our collective vision is to be an inclusive, sustainable, and growing environmental innovator making generational impacts. By embodying our core values, we strive to be our clients’ first choice for solving their most challenging problems and to be our employees’ reason to be excited about going to work each morning. Learn more about Anchor QEA at
www.anchorqea.com.

How to Apply

Apply online through Anchor QEA’s Open Positions page at https://www.anchorqea.com/careers/careers-open-positions/. Veterans are encouraged to apply.

Applicants with a disability, who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, may e-mail their request to recruitment@anchorqea.com

Additional Information

We work hard to embrace diversity and inclusion. As an equal opportunity employer, Anchor QEA is committed to a diverse, multi-cultural work environment. Anchor QEA does not discriminate in employment based on age, race, creed, gender, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national origin, disability or sexual orientation. Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results of a comprehensive background check.

Salary and Other Compensation

• Salary Range: $129,298 - $145,460
• Annual Bonus
• Other potential bonus types: Billable Time Bonus, Spot Bonus, Milestone Anniversary Bonus, Receiving Professional License/Certification Bonus, Peer-reviewed Publication Bonus, Employee Referral Bonus.

Base Level Benefits for Regular Full-Time Positions:

• Healthcare: Medical, dental, vision, basic life and AD&D insurance
• Paid Company and Floating Holidays: 7 paid company and 2 floating holidays annually
• Vacation: 3 weeks accrued paid vacation based on length of service. Vacation may vary by level.
• Sick and Safe Time: 80 hours annually
• Retirement Plan: 401k plan with an employer match * Further information on benefits: https://anchorqea.com/careers/benefits/