Environmental Compliance Lead

We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services. More information about us on our website.

We are committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

Metro Transit is one of the country's largest transit systems, employs more than 3,000 people, and prior to COVID provided more than 80 million rides a year through an integrated network of buses, light rail and commuter trains, as well as resources for those who carpool, vanpool, walk or bike in the Twin Cities.

Metro Transit's Planning and Capital Programs Division is responsible for the development and construction of Metro Transit's METRO Network, including light rail transit (LRT), guideway bus rapid transit (BRT) projects such as the Gold Line and Purple Line, and arterial BRT projects such as the B, E, F, and G lines.

How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities region:

The Environmental Compliance Lead will support multiple projects in the Planning and Capital Programs Division, leading environmental review and compliance during construction for METRO Purple Line BRT and Blue Line Extension LRT projects, and support other projects as directed. This hybrid position will report to project offices in St. Louis Park and downtown St. Paul.

Note: This position is eligible for a hybrid (both remote and onsite) telework arrangement. Candidate's permanent residence must be in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

1. Environmental Documents: Lead environmental reviews to secure federal (NEPA) and state (MEPA) approvals as applicable for guideway BRT and LRT projects.

• Lead class of action documentation, complete analysis, and produce environmental documents, maps, and graphics to satisfy federal and state environmental requirements.
• Develop scopes of work, manage procurement processes, and oversee consultant contracts for support on corridor environmental processes.
• Assign tasks to consultants and manage execution in support of environmental document completion.

2. Interagency environmental process: Manage regulatory agency consultation and involvement in NEPA and MEPA processes across projects.

• Manage Section 106 process, engaging with the State Historic Preservation Office, local consulting parties, FTA, FHWA, and other partner agencies when necessary.
• Manage tribal consultation process as required by Federal and state law.
• Manage Section 4(f) process, engaging with park jurisdictions, resolving issues, and appropriately defining future phase commitments based on judgment and precedent.
• Coordinate engagement of interagency staff for Section 106 and 4(f) processes with planning activities.
• Apply sound judgment to elevate issues needing resolution above the staff level to the respective project leadership teams.

3. Program-wide FTA communication coordination: Coordinate communication with FTA Region V across multiple active projects to ensure compliance with federal environmental requirements, and provide consistency across projects.

• For projects in active environmental review and/or Capital Investment Grants project development, coordinate meeting agendas, schedules, notes, action items, and key messages for regular FTA coordination, and provide content for monthly FTA reports and regular FTA project meetings.
• Coordinate schedule of NEPA activities and milestones with other Environmental staff program-wide in order to forecast and communicate upcoming project needs with FTA staff.
• Coordinate with project managers to provide updates to quarterly communications trackers and grant reporting.

4. Post-approval environmental coordination: Serve as environmental subject matter expert (SME) within guideway BRT program and LRT projects across engineering and construction phases to ensure environmental document commitments are met.

• Serve as environmental SME for projects post-environmental (NEPA and MEPA) decision document issuance; answer questions, advise on project issues, and provide input on plans/specifications.
• Oversee integration of environmental requirements and commitments in engineering and construction phases, ensure compliance measures are in place, and integrate best practices and lessons learned from engineering/construction phases into future program environmental documents.
• Working within interdisciplinary project teams, serve as subject matter expert to coordinate environmental requirements across project phases, including regulatory agency coordination.
• Monitor the need for, and lead execution of, environmental analysis reevaluation and any necessary supplements to previously completed environmental documents, including decision documents.

5. Work direction and coordinated plan review: Provide work direction to staff and consultants supporting environmental document completion to ensure staff/consultant utilization, coordinated process, and high-quality environmental process deliverables.

• Coordinate work plans and schedules across projects. Assign environmental tasks, monitor progress, provide review, and ensure accountability for completion.
• Review, advise, and provide quality control on documents.

Union / Grade: Non-Represented / Grade I
FLSA: Exempt
Safety Sensitive: No

What your work environment would be:
You would perform your work in a standard office setting. Work may sometimes require travel between your primary work site and other sites.

What steps the recruitment process involves:

1. We review your minimum qualifications.
2. We rate your education and experience.
3. We conduct a structured panel interview.
4. We conduct a selection interview.