Environmental Scientist

Environmental Scientist

Westwood Professional Services, Inc.

Westwood Professional Services, Inc. is seeking an Environmental Scientist to join our team in our Minneapolis, Denver, or Plano offices. The qualified individual will provide research and investigative services for technical environmental report preparation to support the planning, design, and permit approvals for wind, storage, and solar projects as well as residential and commercial land development projects. Westwood has a highly experienced and dynamic team of individuals dedicated to providing high-level professional services to our clients.

Conduct critical environmental issue analyses (hydrology reviews, rare species investigations, cultural resource inquiries, mapping public lands and easements, zoning and permitting reviews, soils investigations, and environmental hazard determinations).
• Perform permitting reviews at the federal, state, and local levels for projects across the country. Determine the applicable regulatory processes for solar, wind, and battery storage project approvals and the necessary studies to satisfy applicable regulations.
• Assess jurisdiction, lead and processing times, fees, and provide additional environmental study recommendations.
• Conduct desktop-based geospatial investigations for a variety of projects using publicly available GIS datasets and government resources.
• Provide client liaison services for utilities and developers to explain environmental assessments and permitting processes for various environmental circumstances.
• Consult with government officials to ensure all permit procedures are understood and communicated properly to our clients.
• Assist with permit drafting for large-scale renewable energy projects under a federal nexus or state regulatory requirement (Environmental Impact Statement, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Assessment Worksheets, Site and Route Permits,
• Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity, and more) and attend regulatory meetings.
• Provide general project assistance for report preparation, peer-reviews, technical writing guidance, GIS support, and organizational assistance to meet strict deadlines.

• Technical proficiency in report writing, and a solid understanding of state and federal energy facility construction regulations.
• Ability to assess environmental conditions and provide recommendations based on site conditions, regulatory guidelines, industry standards, and permit regulations.
• Familiarity with Geographic Information Systems including ArcPro, ArcMap, ArcGIS Online, Global Mapper, Google Earth, or other GIS programs.
• Generalist, adaptable, and willing to conduct research and discover environmental conditions.
• Degree in Environmental Science or similar field.

• Experience with property transfer due diligence including Phase I Environmental Site Assessments.
• Field wetland delineation experience with knowledge of US Army Corps of Engineers wetland delineation manual and regional supplements for multiple regions of the US.
• Rare species identification and birding experience.
• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) design, report preparation, and inspection experience.

Westwood Professional Services Inc. (Westwood) was established in 1972 and has since become a leader in many of the markets it serves. Westwood is a full-service, multidiscipline professional engineering firm and serves wind, solar, power delivery, residential and commercial development, and public infrastructure clients and their projects from multiple offices across the U.S.

In 2023, Zweig Group ranked Westwood nationally at #12 and #30 respectively on its Hot Firms and Best Firms to Work for lists. Zweig also awarded Westwood two national 2nd place awards for Marketing Excellence. Westwood was recently recognized as #79 in the ENR Top 500 Firms in 2023. The firm consistently ranks on industry top 25 lists and receives recognition for its involvement on award-wining projects nationwide.

Westwood provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. We believe that diverse backgrounds strengthen our business. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.