Who We Are & What You’ll Do

Denver International Airport (DEN) is the third-busiest airport in the United States and one of the top ten busiest airports in the world, connecting our community globally through flight and business. DEN is the primary economic engine for the state of Colorado, generating more than $47.2 billion for the region annually and employing nearly 37,000 people. At DEN, we are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. We celebrate individuality and uplift all races, ethnicities, gender identities, national origins, ages, abilities, religion, and LGBTQIA+ communities. We know that our diversity makes us stronger, and we strive to keep diversity, equity and inclusion at the center of all that we do.

This position manages DEN’s Environmental and Sustainability Planning Programs, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental reviews and the application of LEED and Envision independent verification frameworks to build high performing green buildings and sustainable infrastructure in support implementation of DEN’s $8B 2024-2035 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). 

Specifically, as the Environmental Planning Manager, you will be responsible for:

• • Implementing DEN’s environmental and sustainability planning work plans based on DEN’s environmental and sustainability objectives and Vision 100 and Operation 2045 strategic plans, supervising two positions operationally and functionally focused on planning and executing work, resolving complex issues, and achieving goals while ensuring resources including in-house staff and consultant services are utilized appropriately.
  • Leading the management and coordination of NEPA environmental reviews for DEN’s largest and most complex, multi-disciplinary programs, including those for runways, aircraft gates, and regional surface transportation, from inception to completion. Management includes organizing, administering, and monitoring one or more NEPA environmental reviews conducted for different federal agencies, simultaneously. This requires a global, strategic understanding of the intersectionality of runway, aircraft gate, and regional surface transportation projects with potential environmental effects and sustainability principles.
  • Supporting the development of NEPA roadmaps and managing their implementation throughout all phases of a project life cycle including concept development, airport and regional planning, programming, initiation, project level planning, design, construction, and closeout, interfacing during the development of planning studies to inform how responses to transportation demand, project construction, and project phasing can set the stage for the scope of actions and underlying studies needed to transition to a NEPA environmental review. 
  • Developing and implementing other elements of DEN’s sustainability and environmental programs for facility development projects to enable achievement of long-term strategic objectives, including the internal project level environmental review process and the application of the LEED and Envision independent verification frameworks to build high performing green buildings and sustainable infrastructure, assisting DEN in formulating strategies and identifying project opportunities to achieve net zero construction.
  • Managing planning and permitting for special purpose laws including the development of general conformity reviews, wetlands permitting, and historical, cultural, and biological resource consultation. Identifies strategic opportunities to develop facility-wide inventories for emissions, wetlands, and biological and cultural resources to inform regional air quality planning and streamline permitting for future development projects.    
  • Representing DEN as the main point-of-contact for coordination with major stakeholders (i.e., federal agencies, regulatory agencies, political leaders, DEN divisions, and other City Departments), and serving as the process and technical expert for community and public involvement aspects of the NEPA process. Builds effective relationships and leverages those relationships to navigate challenging circumstances.
  • Contributing expertise to DEN’s sustainability and environmental programs including an Environmental Management System (EMS) that is certified to ISO Standard 14001:2015.

What You’ll Bring

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• • Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Biology, Environmental Planning, Natural/Biological Resource Management or related field.
  • Direct experience with NEPA evaluations for large, complex, and multi-disciplinary programs.  Experience that necessitated an understanding of underlying drivers of transportation demand and various types of project purposes such as operational efficiency, safety improvement, transportation capacity, demand management, and infrastructure resiliency/reliability.   
  • Working knowledge of CEQ Regulations, FAA, FHWA and CDOT policies, and experience implementing projects during a time of regulatory and policy transition and navigating case-specific circumstances and process in times of change.   
  • Direct experience and certification with other laws, regulations, procedures, and frameworks appliable to this position, such as LEED, Envision, net-zero construction, Denver Green Building Code, ISO Standard 12001:2015, the Endangered Species Act, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, and the general and transportation conformity requirements of the Clean Air Act.
  • Experience supervising a team of environmental professionals or related work group.
  • Project and contract management experience with the ability to influence and resolve complex problems, identify and eliminate barriers, contribute creative solutions, and leverage support when needed to deliver exceptional results on time.
  • A proven ability to build and maintain effective high-stakes internal and external working relationships and function in various roles across large and diverse teams with unique reporting structures.
  • A readiness to strengthen a positive and respectful organizational culture.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education requirements: Bachelor's Degree in Public Health, Environmental Health, or in a related field based on a specific position.
• Experience Requirement: Three (3) years of experience at the type and level of functional or operational management, which must have included management of professional individual contributors.
• Education/Experience Equivalency: One (1) year of the appropriate type and level of experience may be substituted for each required year of post-high school education. Additional appropriate education may be substituted for the minimum experience requirements.
• License/Certifications: Requires a valid Driver's License at the time of application. Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.