Manager, Regulatory

At RES, we're looking for purpose-driven individuals who are passionate about restoration and sustainability, and who want their work to make a lasting environmental impact. Our team members go above and beyond, bringing initiative, integrity, and a strong work ethic to every project. Collaboration is key-we thrive on teamwork, open communication, and diverse perspectives. In a field that constantly changes, we value those who are resilient, adaptable, and resourceful in the face of challenges. If you're intellectually curious, eager to learn, and ready to help restore ecosystems and protect natural resources, you'll find your place here.

As a Regulatory Manager at RES, you will lead a team of regulatory professionals supporting complex environmental projects across the region. This role combines deep technical expertise in permitting and regulatory strategy with people leadership, team development, and cross-functional coordination. You will guide staff through project execution, help shape regulatory approaches across multiple states, and ensure quality, consistency, and strong client service throughout the project lifecycle.

You'll serve as a trusted leader for your team and a key resource for the broader organization, helping staff navigate evolving agency requirements, supporting proposal and project planning efforts, and creating alignment across offices and disciplines. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced regulatory professional who enjoys mentoring others, solving complex permitting challenges, and building strong teams that deliver high-quality work.

Why You'll Love This Job

• You'll lead meaningful work. Your team's efforts will directly support restoration, mitigation, and infrastructure projects that create measurable environmental value.
• You'll shape regulatory strategy. You'll help guide permitting approaches across multiple jurisdictions and bring clarity to complex regulatory pathways.
• You'll grow people, not just projects. This is a true leadership role where coaching, mentoring, and developing staff are central to success.
• You'll influence quality and execution. From proposal to closeout, you'll help ensure projects are well staffed, well managed, and technically strong.
• You'll work across disciplines. You'll collaborate with scientists, ecologists, engineers, land professionals, and client-facing teams to move projects forward.

A Day in the Life

You might start your morning reviewing workload needs across your team, helping assign staff to active projects and making adjustments to keep priorities on track. Later, you may be advising a project team on a permitting strategy that spans more than one state, helping interpret agency expectations and identify the clearest path forward. By midday, you could be reviewing an RFP, assessing team capacity, and determining the right mix of staff to support a pursuit.

In the afternoon, you may coach a team member through a technical challenge, review deliverables to support QA/QC expectations, or facilitate a discussion across offices to share recent regulatory updates, best practices, and lessons learned. Throughout the day, you'll serve as both a technical and people leader-supporting staff development, strengthening consistency across the region, and helping teams deliver thoughtful, high-quality regulatory work.

We would love to talk to you if you have many of the following:

• Bachelor's degree in natural sciences, physical sciences, or a related field
• Advanced degree preferred
• 10+ years of experience in regulatory permitting or related environmental work, or 8+ years with an advanced degree
• Deep regional permitting and regulatory process knowledge
• Experience assigning staff and balancing workloads to meet project needs
• Experience leading or mentoring regulatory staff in a consulting, agency, or project-based environment

Technical Skills & Experience

• Advanced understanding of regional regulatory processes, including multiple USACE district and state-level SOPs and requirements
• Expert knowledge of established regulatory processes for at least one state within the region
• Ability to facilitate coordination across one or more states to share regulatory updates, best practices, and training opportunities
• Ability to manage and coach an interdisciplinary team performing technical site evaluations
• Ability to vet RFPs and other opportunities and assign project staff appropriately
• Ability to provide high-level guidance and strategy across project phases, including proposal, kickoff, development, and closeout
• Strong judgment in reviewing technical work and ensuring appropriate QA/QC practices are followed
• Ability to support teams in navigating changing regulatory expectations and agency coordination needs
• Direct experience working across multiple states or regulatory jurisdictions within the region

You Will Thrive in This Position If You:

• Enjoy leading both people and technical work
• Can balance strategic thinking with day-to-day team support
• Like helping others grow and succeed
• Are comfortable making decisions in a fast-moving, multi-project environment
• Bring both regulatory depth and a practical, solutions-oriented mindset
• Value collaboration and know how to build trust across teams and stakeholders

California Pay Range

$135,000-$163,000 USD

Please note that the "Day in the Life" section is not intended to be an exhaustive list of job duties, but rather a representative snapshot of typical responsibilities and work experiences at RES.

RES is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a VEVRAA Federal Contractor. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.