Principal Client Services Lead

About the opportunity:

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Principal Client Services Lead to support strategic growth initiatives in North Carolina and the Southeast region.

This role is designed for a highly experienced environmental professional who brings deep expertise in NEPA, environmental permitting, and regulatory strategy, along with a strong network and proven ability to support business development and client engagement efforts.

As an on-call team member, you will partner with regional leadership and technical teams on a flexible, as-needed basis, contributing to high-priority pursuits, client strategy, and complex projects.

What you will accomplish:

• Support business development and capture efforts for key opportunities in the Southeast region.
• Provide strategic guidance on pursuits, including positioning, teaming, and win strategies.
• Leverage existing relationships to help expand client networks with federal, state, and local agencies.
• Advise on and contribute to NEPA compliance strategies, permitting pathways, and regulatory positioning.
• Review and provide input on proposals, technical approaches, and client presentations.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for complex projects, particularly those involving NEPA (EA/EIS), ESA consultations (Section 7) and/or Clean Water Act permitting (Sections 401/404).
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure technical defensibility and quality of deliverables.
• Provide mentorship and insight to staff on client engagement and regulatory strategy, as needed.
• Represent SWCA in select client meetings, industry events, or strategy sessions, as appropriate.

Experience and qualifications for success:

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Natural Resources, Planning, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in environmental consulting or a related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in NEPA compliance and environmental permitting.
• Proven experience supporting or leading business development efforts and pursuits.
• Established relationships with federal, state, or local agencies and/or key clients.
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to contribute at a high, advisory level.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Environmental Science, Natural Resources, Planning, or related field.
• Experience with agencies such as DOE, USACE, USFWS, or NOAA Fisheries.
• Background in energy, infrastructure, water resources, or coastal/marine projects.
• Experience supporting or leading EIS-level NEPA analyses and complex regulatory coordination.
• Prior experience in a consulting or advisory capacity on a project-based or on-call basis.

SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms.

SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees. In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges on all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency.

An employee in this Raleigh, NC-based position can expect an hourly pay rate of $59.16 to $81.60/hour. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law.

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.

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success.

If you need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require accommodations at any point during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us at [email protected] or call 1-480-581-5378. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; other inquiries will not receive a response.