Lead, Environmental Services

Are you an environmental professional who knows how to move transportation and municipal infrastructure projects through BC's regulatory landscape? Are you ready to lead a team of environmental specialists, with a capable and supportive team behind you and real work-life balance? Join ISL in the Lower Mainland as our next Lead, Environmental Services for British Columbia.

Environmental Services | Land and Environment | Langley or Burnaby, BC | Permanent, full time

A Little About Us

We are engineers, technologists, planners, landscape architects, biologists and support teams that work together to deliver infrastructure that minimizes environmental impact and maximizes benefit to the community.

More about what we do:

• ISL delivers on a variety of multidisciplinary projects.
• We have extensive expertise: our five sectors specialize in Transportation, Municipal and Community, Bridges, Buildings and Structures and Land and Environment. Learn more about our areas of practice.
• We are award winning and recognized in industry. Visit our #ISLLife blog and learn more.
• Learn more about our work by visiting us on Instagram @islengineering or LinkedIn, and feel free to join our ISL newsletter on LinkedIn: Inside ISL.

About the Role

This position will provide regional-level leadership within ISL’s Environmental Services team, acting as the primary point of coordination, technical oversight, and staff support for British Columbia. While collaborating closely with the leads in the other regions, this role focuses on understanding and responding to province-specific regulatory frameworks, client expectations, market conditions, and project delivery needs. This position ensures that teams operate effectively within provincial requirements while contributing to cross-provincial consistency and OneISL collaboration.

Responsibilities:

• Support the Manager in implementing strategic plans with a BC lens, aligned with provincial regulations, market drivers and client expectations.
• Monitor regional client pipelines, identify trends and upcoming regulatory shifts, and provide strategic input on proposals based on permitting requirements, environmental legislation and industry standards.
• Maintain strong relationships with key clients, sharing insights on emerging needs, changes in legislation and areas for service growth.
• Lead environmental projects on transportation, bridge, stormwater and municipal infrastructure, ensuring technical excellence, adherence to timelines and alignment with legislative requirements.
• Lead cost estimation, budgeting and scope management, accounting for local conditions and regulatory obligations.
• Coordinate project resourcing so staff deployment matches workflows, capacity and technical requirements, and support cross-provincial projects with your expertise.
• Ensure project documentation and reporting meet regulatory submission standards and ISL-wide expectations, and conduct peer reviews for regulatory accuracy, quality and consistency.
• Provide day-to-day leadership to BC environmental staff through regular check-ins, mentoring in regulatory understanding, permitting and technical skills, and support for performance and professional development.
• Support recruitment and onboarding in BC, and promote a positive, inclusive team culture that strengthens collaboration with the broader Alberta and BC Environmental Services group.
• Serve as the team's subject matter resource on BC legislation, environmental assessment requirements and permitting pathways, identifying training needs and building capacity in emerging areas.
• Conduct and oversee biophysical field work as needed, travelling for field programs mainly in BC and working outdoors in a variety of weather conditions.
• Provide day-to-day leadership to environmental staff within the region, ensuring alignment with local project needs and client expectations. 
• Mentor and guide team members by fostering development in regulatory understanding, permitting processes, and technical skills. 
• Conduct regular check-ins with staff to support performance, professional development, and alignment with team goals.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of staff within the region, ensuring new hires understand regional requirements, client needs, and workflows. 
• Promote a positive and inclusive provincial team culture, reinforcing collaboration with the broader AB–BC Environmental Services group.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, environmental assessment requirements, permitting pathways, and regulatory trends. 
• Serve as a subject matter resource to the Manager and broader team regarding province-specific environmental processes and compliance obligations. 
• Identify training needs and help build provincial capacity in emerging regulatory or technical areas. 

About the Team

ISL's Environmental Services team, part of our Land and Environment sector, provides environmental assessment, permitting, construction monitoring and support for transportation, bridge, municipal and land development projects. We serve clients across BC and Alberta from Langley, Edmonton and Calgary, and work side by side with ISL engineers every day. We are committed to career progression and offer a diverse range of projects on which to hone your skills.

Who We Are Looking For

Your application should highlight the following:

A cover letter is optional, so feel free to cover these points in your resume or a short note.

• Your growth into a leader, particularly in environmental consulting
• Your experience securing regulatory approvals on civil projects such as roads, highways, bridges, transportation or stormwater
• How you coordinate multiple environmental specialists and work with engineering teams
• How you prioritize work and stay organized in an environment that can change direction quickly

Your resume must display:

• A degree in environmental science, biology or a related field
• Professional registration or eligibility (e.g., R.P.Bio., P.Ag., EP)
• Progressive environmental experience, moving from technical work into project management, coordination or team leadership
• Experience navigating a civil engineering regulatory environment in BC, including the Water Sustainability Act, Fisheries Act, Wildlife Act, Environmental Management Act and other federal requirements
• Field experience in biophysical assessments (vegetation, wetlands, fisheries and/or wildlife) and reporting within a regulatory environment
• A valid driver's licence

Assets:

• Experience working directly with the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit, municipalities or other provincial agencies on environmental approvals
• Experience with GIS or other spatial analysis tools that support environmental planning
• A network of contacts within regulatory bodies and/or environmental consultancies
• Experience mentoring staff and peer reviewing technical reports Experience with civil infrastructure  is a strong asset.

What ISL Offers

Depending on your experience level, the salary range (based on a 40-hour work week) is:

$105,000 to $130,000 per year

Here are some of the benefits we provide:

• Hybrid model of work (3 days in office, 2 days from home).
• Immediate employer-paid benefits upon commencement which include health, dental and extensive paramedical services.
• Life insurance and AD&D options.
• Healthcare spending and lifestyle option accounts.
• Group RRSP with employer matching opportunities.
• Competitive annual bonus incentives.
• Paid professional development opportunities such as conferences and memberships.
• Parental leave top ups.
• 24/7/365 employee and family assistance program.
• Potential to become a partner and employee owner (based on performance).

Location

ISL is proudly located in 16 offices across Western Canada. This position will be located in:

• Burnaby, or
• Langley

Relocation support may be considered for the right candidate. Internal applicants are encouraged to apply.

At ISL your identity is part of our identity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) speaks to our core values and provides space for our teams to bring their authentic selves to work. ISL believes DEI creates the best outcomes for our clients while sustaining a happy and thriving work environment that allows for career development and opportunities for all staff. ISL is committed to a focused effort on continuous improvement and development of a respectful and safe workplace.

We thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position. Only those who will be selected for an interview will be contacted.