Senior Air Quality Specialist

Title: Senior Air Quality Specialist

Location: Portland, OR

Job Type: Regular Full-time

What’s the Opportunity?

Support our growing air quality and climate change practice as a senior technical leader and hands-on practitioner contributing to the development, execution, and review of technical analyses for criteria air pollutants and greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, advanced air dispersion modeling, regulatory compliance, air permitting efforts, and environmental planning (e.g., California Environmental Quality Act [CEQA], Washington State Environmental Policy Act [SEPA], National Environmental Policy Act [NEPA]). This role includes developing modeling strategies and protocols (e.g., AERMOD and related tools), coordinating with regulatory agencies, and ensuring technically defensible and policy-aligned impact assessments.

This position entails serving as a technical lead and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality environmental documentation and compliance strategies. The role includes direct client interaction, participation in agency coordination, development of project scopes and technical approaches, and meaningful contributions to proposal development and broader business development efforts.

Responsibilities:

Lead and independently execute air quality and GHG analyses in support of environmental review (e.g., CEQA/SEPA/NEPA) documentation, air permitting, and broader regulatory compliance strategies with some support from senior air quality specialists. Responsibilities include:

preparing and providing technical quality control for environmental documents and permit applications

developing and executing dispersion modeling approaches and protocols

preparing emissions inventories, health risk evaluations (as applicable), and compliance analyses

mentoring staff and coordinating and reviewing technical work across project phases

developing task scopes, budgets, and schedules, and supporting proposal and marketing efforts when requested

helping project managers to integrate air quality strategy into broader project planning and environmental compliance frameworks, including beginning to advise project teams and clients on regulatory interpretation and risk considerations and serving as a technical resource where appropriate in client and agency interactions

What Are We Looking For? 

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Atmospheric Science, Meteorology, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Civil Engineering, or related field, with 8+ years of relevant professional experience (consulting experience strongly preferred).

Extensive experience leading air quality and GHG impact assessments in support of broader environmental analyses (e.g., CEQA, SEPA, and/or NEPA).

Advanced, hands-on experience with air dispersion modeling (e.g., AERMOD), including model setup, execution, troubleshooting, documentation, interpretation of results, and agency coordination.

Experience using emissions models such as CalEEMod, EMFAC, MOVES, or similar tools.

Demonstrated ability to evaluate air pollution sources, control technologies, and mitigation strategies, and to assess regulatory compliance pathways.

Experience leading preparation and review of air permit applications and regulatory compliance analyses, particularly in California and Washington; multi-state experience is a plus.

Strong understanding of federal, state, and local air quality regulations and demonstrated ability to interpret and apply them independently in complex or novel situations.

Proven ability to independently lead technical deliverables, guide modeling strategy, and exercise professional judgment in defensibility decisions.

Strong project coordination skills, including experience developing scopes, budgets, and schedules for air quality tasks.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting technical findings to clients and regulatory agencies.

Ability to manage multiple concurrent assignments in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary, client service-oriented environment.

What Can You Expect? 

A senior-level environmental planner at Anchor QEA can expect:

Strategic, impact-focused role, shaping project approaches and outcomes

Highly supportive environment as part of multi-disciplinary, collaborative teams

Opportunities for client and agency interaction, helping to guide key decision makers

Contribution to business development strategies emphasizing valued relationships

Strong emphasis on professional development for technical and leadership growth

Culture of flexibility and accountability with an emphasis on work-life balance

Who Are We? 

Anchor QEA provides environmental planning, science, and engineering consulting services with the mission of transforming our environment and communities with integrity and vibe. With more than 500 people in offices across the United States, our collective vision is to be an inclusive, sustainable, and growing environmental innovator making generational impacts. By embodying our core values, we strive to be our clients’ first choice for solving their most challenging problems and to be our employees’ reason to be excited about going to work each morning. Learn more about Anchor QEA at
www.anchorqea.com.  

How to Apply?

Apply online through Anchor QEA’s Open Positions page at https://www.anchorqea.com/careers/careers-open-positions/.  Veterans are encouraged to apply.

Applicants with a disability, who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, may e-mail their request to [email protected]

Additional Information 

We work hard to embrace diversity and inclusion. As an equal opportunity employer, Anchor QEA is committed to a diverse, multi-cultural work environment. Anchor QEA does not discriminate in employment based on age, race, creed, gender, religion, marital status, veteran’s status, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.  Employment is contingent upon satisfactory results of a comprehensive background check.

Salary and Other Compensation:

Salary Range: $101,259 - $113,900

Annual Bonus

Other potential bonus types: Billable Time Bonus, Spot Bonus, Milestone Anniversary Bonus, Receiving Professional License/Certification Bonus, Peer-reviewed Publication Bonus, Employee Referral Bonus.

Base Level Benefits for Regular Full-Time Positions:

Healthcare: Medical, dental, vision, basic life and AD&D insurance

Paid Company and Floating Holidays: 7 paid company and 2 floating holidays annually

Vacation: 3 weeks accrued paid vacation based on length of service. Vacation may vary by level.

Sick and Safe Time: 80 hours annually

Retirement Plan: 401k plan with an employer match * Further information on benefits: https://anchorqea.com/careers/benefits/