Environmental Planner

Company Description

Applied Ecology, Inc., a small, but rapidly growing environmental consulting firm, is seeking a highly motivated and qualified Environmental Planner with a strong GIS and technical writing background to support public sector environmental consulting projects. This role focuses on integrating spatial analysis with environmental planning to guide sustainable land use, infrastructure development, and regulatory compliance initiatives. The ideal candidate will apply GIS tools, communication skills, and planning principles to analyze natural resources and climate conditions, assess impacts, and support federal, state, and local government agency projects.

AEI has three offices located in Florida (Orlando, Melbourne, and Tampa) and is a regional leader in managing water and natural resources, engineering, planning, and geospatial applications. This is an onsite position to support our Planning and Geospatial Team in the Melbourne, FL office. 

As a small business, we are involved in diverse yet challenging environmental research projects that require innovative approaches and out-of-the-box solutions. Our business provides a great opportunity for an individual passionate about research to solve real-world environmental problems while working with a highly qualified multi-disciplinary team of scientists, analysts, and engineers. This position is ideal for someone who prefers a high-energy environment working on diverse projects ranging from developing lake restoration plans, habitat management plans, sustainability plans, comprehensive plans, guiding ordinance development and application, evaluating climate assessment risks on natural and manmade assets, and many more. 

Candidates must demonstrate experience in communicating effectively, developing plans, and applying spatial analyses to understand environmental issues in Florida and the southeastern US. Additional competency is desired in one or more areas including sustainability planning, participatory planning, transportation planning, comprehensive plan development, coastal management, habitat and species management and monitoring, resiliency and climate adaptation planning, shoreline restoration and monitoring, and/or environmental protection policies and programs. The ideal candidate has a minimum of 2 years of professional experience in environmental planning or similar discipline, is a solid technical writer, possesses willingness to step into project task management, and is a great communicator and team collaborator. 

Responsibilities

• Perform GIS-based environmental analyses to support public sector projects, including land use, wetlands, habitat, floodplains, and environmental constraints.

• Develop high-quality maps, exhibits, and spatial datasets for use in environmental studies and regulatory submissions.

• Support environmental reviews and permitting processes (e.g., NEPA, CEQA, state/local environmental regulations).

• Conduct site suitability and impact analyses for infrastructure, transportation, and resilience projects.

• Analyze environmental data such as vegetation, soils, hydrology, wildlife habitats, and climate risk factors.

• Assist in the preparation of technical reports, environmental impact statements (EIS), environmental assessments (EA), and planning documents.

• Assist in developing and updating sustainability, climate resilience, energy efficiency, and environmental management plans and policies.

• Maintain and manage geospatial databases, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and compliance with public sector standards.

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (engineers, scientists, planners, and public agencies).

• Support stakeholder engagement by developing clear, visually compelling maps and communication materials.

• Conduct fieldwork to collect and validate environmental and spatial data when required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Urban, Regional or Environmental Planning, Environmental Policy, Geography, GIS, Natural Resources Management, Environmental Management, Sustainability, or a related field.

• 2–6+ years of experience in environmental planning, GIS analysis, or environmental consulting.

• Proficiency in GIS platforms such as ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and/or QGIS.

• Strong understanding of environmental regulations and permitting frameworks (e.g., NEPA, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, State of Florida ERPs).

• Experience working with public sector clients (federal, state, or local agencies).

• Ability to integrate spatial and analytical data with environmental policies and planning processes.

• Strong analytical, data management, and problem-solving skills.

• Excellent technical writing and communication skills.

• Ability to work on DOD contracts (US citizenship required).

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred.

• Experience with climate resilience, vulnerability assessments, coastal management, or sustainability planning.

• Experience with planning practices, policies and initiatives specific to Florida communities.

• AICP certification (or ability to obtain certification within 2 years).

• Knowledge of environmental impact analysis tools and modeling techniques.

• Proficiency in scripting or automation (e.g., Python, ModelBuilder, SQL).

• Experience with remote sensing, LiDAR, or geospatial data science.

• Familiarity with grant-supported public sector projects or federally funded programs.

• Experience with visualization tools (e.g., StoryMaps, dashboards, Adobe Illustrator)

• UAV Remote Pilot Certification (or ability to get certified within 6 months). 

• Public sector project experience (state, local, or federal government).

• Prior project management experience, including developing scopes and budgets, managing workflows, and completing quality review of deliverables.

• Training or supervisory experience

• Experience presenting data and final products to technical peers and/or clients