A Day in the Life of an Environmental Planner at HELIX Environmental Planning
A day for Julia, an Environmental Planner III at HELIX, involves prioritizing projects based on "timeline, budget, and what is needed," reviewing technical studies like "biological resources assessments" and drafting compliance documents. The role demands constant communication with internal teams and clients, proactive problem-solving ("challenges could include having limited project information"), and meticulous self-management of workload, time, and budget within a fully remote environment.
Project Management, Communication, Problem-Solving, Teamwork, Environmental Compliance
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Julia Pano
Environmental Planner III
HELIX Environmental Planning
University of California, Davis
N/A
Environmental & Related Sciences
Consulting & Related Professional Services
Climate, Environment and Sustainability
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Environmental planning involves reviewing various documents like site plans and technical studies (biological resources, cultural resources assessments, noise studies, geotechnical reports).
2. A planner's day includes prioritizing tasks based on deadlines, budget, and required information; drafting environmental compliance documents; and coordinating with internal and external teams.
3. Effective communication and time management are crucial, involving regular calls, Microsoft Teams communication, and self-managing workload, time, and budget to meet project requirements and client expectations. The work is remote, so digital communication is key.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of an environmental planner three look like each day?
A typical day in my life as an environmental planner includes reviewing projects that I'm currently working on or being assigned. I determine which projects have the strictest or closest deadlines.
Depending on the project schedule and the type of environmental compliance document, I work on a few projects throughout the day. I determine which one has the highest priority based on timeline, budget, and what is needed from the environmental planner.
For the majority of my day, I review site plans provided by the client or environmental technical studies. These include biological resources assessments, cultural resources assessments, noise studies, and geotechnical reports. I also work on drafting the environmental compliance documents themselves.
I often have weekly calls with my internal Helix project team, including our biological or cultural divisions. I also connect with clients if there are clarifying questions regarding the project or the environmental analysis. Each project comes with its own set of challenges that I have to identify and tackle daily.
Challenges could include limited project information that restricts us from drafting the environmental analysis, or having a document that needs to be submitted within a tight deadline. I coordinate with Helix staff through Microsoft Teams meetings, chats, or phone calls, as I am 100% remote.
As I am remote, it's important that I actively communicate with my team to find times that work with our busy schedules. I also have to ensure that we are on track to complete our tasks within the required timeframe and set budget, as that is really important to our clients.
I also diligently manage my own projects. To produce high-quality work for our clients, I keep a running list of all my current, past, and future projects to ensure our workload is manageable. I self-manage my workload, time, and budget for each project.
However, I also ask my project manager any questions that might come up. Helix definitely encourages asking questions, as our entire staff is knowledgeable on environmental compliance and easily approachable when you have a question.