Principal Project Manager - Generation and Energy

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants seeks a Principal Project Manager – Generation & Energy to help grow and strengthen our renewable generation and energy business throughout California and the West Region.

This position serves as a principal project and client leader responsible for developing and maintaining key client relationships, supporting strategic growth initiatives, and leading the successful delivery of large, multidisciplinary projects for renewable energy developers, utilities, independent power producers, and public-sector clients. The successful candidate will help identify and pursue new opportunities while guiding projects through environmental review, permitting, regulatory compliance, and implementation.

While primarily focused on California and the West Region, this role also serves as an important contributor to SWCA's national Generation & Energy team through collaboration, knowledge sharing, strategic pursuits, and relationship development across the company.

This opportunity is ideal for an accomplished project manager who enjoys developing trusted client relationships, supporting business development and capture efforts, leading complex projects, navigating regulatory challenges, and translating opportunities into successful project delivery. The successful candidate will work collaboratively across offices, disciplines, and regions to support both client success and the continued growth of SWCA's Generation & Energy practice.

Application deadline : Applications will be accepted through 11/2/2026 at 5:00 PM PT.

What you will accomplish

- Strategic Project Leadership: Strategically consults on and leads complex projects in pursuit of client objectives, overseeing the technical approach and ensuring quality assurance and quality control.

- Exemplary Leadership: Leads by example in both technical and soft skills, navigating client and team priorities to deliver projects that meet professional and oversight agency standards.

- Technical Expertise & Innovation: Innovates standards and practices to enhance the quality and efficiency of client projects and outcomes, ensuring alignment with industry and regulatory standards. Serves as a go-to technical expert and consultant, providing novel project strategies and applying technical excellence that considers client needs to meet project requirements.

- Project Accountability: Continuously guides projects, executing accountability for the performance of projects or delegated tasks and ensuring that project milestones are met and outcomes align with SWCA’s values and client expectations. Assesses risks and implements strategies for problem-solving. Revises or suggests revisions to project scopes, schedules, and budgets as necessary to meet evolving project requirements and ensure successful outcomes.

- Business Growth & Innovation: Drives business growth and client success through technical excellence, innovation, and development of new methods and standards that advance SWCA's technical reputation. Contributes to SWCA's strategic planning.

- Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Champions cross-disciplinary collaboration, working closely with specialists to provide comprehensive technical support for projects.

- Mentorship & Team Development: Mentors staff for impactful influence, coaching others in technical excellence, leadership, and strategy, and also develops specialized programs and protocols. Fosters team development and cross-training, modeling and promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration among team members to enhance project outcomes, as well as team depth and redundancy.

- Relationship Management: Establishes and grows effective consultative relationships with external and internal clients and/or agency regulators and industry partners (if applicable) to support successful projects.

- Follows applicable federal, Tribal, state, local, industry, contractual, and company regulations, standards, and specifications.

Additional Job-Specific Responsibilities

- Performs related work as assigned.

- Serve as a trusted advisor to renewable energy developers, utilities, independent power producers, and public-sector clients.

- Provide strategic guidance on permitting pathways, environmental risk, regulatory requirements, and project execution for complex generation and energy projects.

- Guide teams through environmental review, permitting, compliance, construction support, and implementation.

- Monitor energy-market and regulatory trends and translate insights into client strategies and business opportunities.

- Support strategic pursuits, key accounts, and business development initiatives across SWCA's Generation & Energy practice.

- Share market intelligence, best practices, and delivery approaches to strengthen consistency and scalability across the national portfolio.

- Assess capability needs and support strategic hiring and workforce planning to advance the practice.

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge normally obtained through a bachelor's degree. Ten years of relevant, progressively responsible experience, including 5 years of managing projects and some experience managing others. Twelve years of related experience, 7 years managing projects, and PMP certification is preferred; or any equivalent combination of experience, performance, training, and/or education.

Experience and qualifications for success

- Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Biology, Planning, Ecology, natural resources, or a closely related discipline

- Ten (10) years of environmental consulting, energy, utility, or infrastructure experience.

- 4 years of environmental consulting experience in California.

- Demonstrated success managing large, multidisciplinary projects and programs.

- Extensive experience leading renewable energy, battery storage, transmission, utility, or power generation projects.

- Strong understanding of environmental permitting, environmental review, and regulatory compliance processes.

- Experience managing complex project budgets, schedules, scopes, and client relationships.

- Experience contributing to capture planning, major pursuits, proposals, or strategic business line development.

- Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and manage complex stakeholder relationships.

Preferred qualifications:

- Master’s degree in a related discipline.

- Twelve (12) years of relevant natural resource project experience, including seven (7) or more years managing projects.

- PMP certification

- Experience with CEQA, NEPA, CESA, ESA, and environmental permitting programs.

- Existing relationships with California utilities, renewable energy developers, public agencies, and resource agencies

Other Job Conditions

Pay Range

SWCA is committed to salary equity and transparency. The expected pay range for this Pasadena, CA-based position is $124,078.50 per year to $163,390.50 per year. Actual pay may vary based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other factors permitted by law. Eligible employees may also receive performance-based bonuses.

As a 100% employee owned company, we invest in your future. Our Total Rewards package includes an Employee Stock Ownership Plan, 401(k) with profit sharing, medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, wellness programs, and professional development opportunities.

Closing

If you need accommodation due to a disability, please contact [email protected] or call 1 480 581 5378. If you require assistance with the application process, please contact [email protected].

Use of Technology in Hiring

SWCA may use approved technology, including AI-assisted tools, to support parts of the application and recruiting process. All selection and hiring decisions are made by SWCA employees, and candidates are not selected or rejected by automated systems. We are committed to a fair, transparent, and human-centered hiring experience.

Candidate Use of AI

Candidates may use AI tools to help prepare application materials and interviews. However, all application materials, assessments, and interview responses must accurately reflect their own experience, skills, and qualifications. AI must not be used to fabricate experience, complete assessments on their behalf, or otherwise misrepresent their background or abilities.

Equal Opportunity Employer

SWCA Environmental Consultants is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage applications from women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees can thrive.

SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers.