Most Important Skills for an Environmental Planner III at HELIX Environmental Planning
Julia, an Environmental Planner III at HELIX, emphasizes the importance of strong communication, both internally within the team and externally with clients, to manage projects effectively and meet deadlines. Adaptability is also crucial, as Julia notes the need to adjust to "diverse client needs or the constant changing of legal state or federal environmental regulations," highlighting the dynamic nature of the work.
Project Management, Communication, Problem-Solving, Adaptability, Teamwork
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. Effective communication is crucial, both internally within your team and externally with clients, to ensure projects stay on track, on budget, and meet everyone's expectations.
2. Proactive learning and skill development are essential. Seek out training opportunities and engage with knowledgeable colleagues to expand your expertise in areas like environmental regulations and documentation.
3. Adaptability is key. Be prepared to adjust to changing project requirements, client needs, and evolving environmental regulations throughout the project lifecycle.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
At Helix, we focus on learning. By doing so, I work with my project managers and ask questions to ensure that I prepare the environmental appliance documents accurately and within the desired timeframe.
For each project I'm assigned, we have an internal Helix kickoff meeting with the project manager and the Helix team. This team could include the bio division, the cultural division, the GIS team, and others, depending on the project type. During this meeting, we assign tasks and expectations for each team member. This is really important when determining deadlines and budget.
We also ask questions regarding the project description and determine if we have any pending project needs to ask the client. We have a separate kickoff meeting with the client to ensure that we are on the same page regarding the project description, budget, and timeline.
It is super important in this industry to communicate with both your internal Helix team and your client. This ensures that throughout the course of the project, you're staying on budget, on time, and on the same page regarding the project as a whole.
I find it super helpful to keep a tracking list of all my projects and their due dates to make sure I'm not missing a deadline. I also find it important to communicate your interests with your project manager or boss. This includes any training or webinars you might want to be involved in.
At Helix, we offer a variety of trainings to participate in remotely or in person on a wide variety of topics. These could include CQA legislation, NEPA documentation, air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions, noise, etc. Helix staff is very knowledgeable on many topics, so it's helpful to reach out to your project manager to see who you can be put in contact with if you're interested in a certain topic.
I also find it really important to be able to adapt to any situation. With some projects, the client may change the project or deadline midway through drafting the environmental compliance report. With these revisions, you need to see what changes were made and adapt your schedule or budget accordingly. It is also important to adjust to diverse client needs or the constant changing of legal state or federal environmental regulations.