How to apply for Senior Project Manager – Environmental Planning & Permitting (CEQA)

About Woodard & Curran

Woodard & Curran is an employee-owned engineering, science, and operations firm focused on clean water, a safe environment, and healthy communities. The firm describes an inclusive, collaborative culture with professional growth, flexibility, and work that affects clients, communities, and natural resources.

About the role

This senior project manager leads environmental planning and permitting for water resources, infrastructure, and environmental management projects across California and the West Coast. The role includes complex environmental review and permitting, multidisciplinary team management, agency coordination, project delivery, and business development. The person acts as a trusted advisor to clients and helps shape regulatory strategies for infrastructure investments.

A typical day

A typical day may include leading a multidisciplinary team meeting on an environmental review, coordinating with a regulatory agency on a permit, and advising a client on regulatory strategy. The role also involves project delivery tasks, mentoring staff, and business development work such as proposal preparation or client check-ins.

Who Woodard & Curran is looking for

• At least 15 years of environmental planning and permitting experience, with strong CEQA knowledge and practice.
• Experience leading complex environmental review and permitting efforts for water resources, infrastructure, or environmental management projects.
• Able to manage multidisciplinary teams, coordinate with agencies, deliver projects, and support business development.
• Based on the West Coast or able to work West Coast hours, since the role is hybrid or remote with West Coast preferred.

Tips for this application

• Show CEQA experience directly in your resume and cover letter. Name specific project types, your role, and the agencies involved.
• Quantify your 15+ years of environmental planning and permitting work. List project sizes, budgets, timelines, and permit types.
• Highlight any water resources, infrastructure, or environmental management projects, since the job description names these as the target portfolio.
• Mention business development work you have done, such as client relationships, proposals, or new project wins, because the role includes business development initiatives.
• State your West Coast location or willingness to work West Coast hours, because the role is hybrid or remote with West Coast preferred.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your specific CEQA project experience, including the types of environmental documents you prepared or managed.', 'Your record managing multidisciplinary teams and coordinating with agencies on complex permitting efforts.', 'Your experience as a client advisor, including how you helped clients navigate regulatory strategy for infrastructure projects.', 'Your business development contributions, such as growing client accounts or winning new work in California or the West Coast.']

Research before applying

• Read Woodard & Curran's website, especially their water resources, environmental planning, and West Coast project pages.
• Look up recent CEQA projects or environmental review work the firm has done in California and the West Coast.
• Understand the employee ownership structure at Woodard & Curran and what it means for project decisions and company culture.
• Check the firm's stated focus areas: clean water, a safe environment, healthy communities, and happy people, and find examples of how these appear in their work.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk through a complex CEQA project you managed from start to finish. What permits were needed, and how did you coordinate with agencies?
• How do you manage multidisciplinary teams on environmental review and permitting projects? Give an example of a conflict you resolved.
• Describe your experience with water resources, infrastructure, or environmental management projects. Which project best matches this role?
• How have you contributed to business development? Give an example of a client you grew or a proposal you helped win.
• Why do you want to work at an employee-owned firm like Woodard & Curran, and how does that ownership model affect your work?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without showing specific CEQA experience. The job title and description put CEQA in the title, so general environmental experience is not enough.
• Ignoring the West Coast preference. If you are not on the West Coast, address your ability to work West Coast hours or relocate.
• Writing a generic cover letter that does not mention water resources, infrastructure, or environmental management projects. The role is tied to that portfolio.