Manager, Permitting (Southwest Region)

About the role

The Permitting Manager is responsible for planning and overseeing discretionary land use and natural resources permitting in support of Strata’s Southwest development portfolio. This position will work in close coordination with cross-functional teams including Development, Land, Engineering, Transmission & Interconnection, Project Finance & Execution/EPC.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement and lead project specific permitting strategies.
• Directly manage the permitting process throughout the project lifecycle, from early-stage site diligence through permit issuance, condition satisfaction, and construction handoff.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive permitting schedules and budgets for each project by considering local, regional, state, and federal requirements, site constraints, bankability, community acceptance, and other risks.
• Source and manage a team of external consultants including environmental, technical, public relations/community engagement, legal, cultural resources, biological, hydrology/drainage, fire/code, and local counsel resources.
• Evaluate early-stage Southwest sites for fatal flaws and permitting complexity, including zoning/land-use compatibility, CUP/SUP requirements, general plan amendments, BLM/BOR/BIA/DOE rights-of-way, biological/cultural constraints, water/drainage, FAA/glare, fire code, and decommissioning requirements.
• Engage with and manage relationships with local, state and federal regulatory authorities, AHJs, county staff, fire departments, elected/appointed officials, and agency personnel for each project.
• Represent the project company at public hearings, community meetings, and other local events, and prepare high-quality presentation materials and documents to support project approval.
• Oversee and support transition to EPC, O&M, and others to ensure a smooth handoff and compliance with issued permits and conditions of approval, including creation/maintenance of a permit obligations matrix and closeout documentation.
• Build effective relationships with regulators, service providers and other relevant stakeholders, while representing Strata professionally in politically sensitive or high-visibility forums.
• Travel throughout the Southwest region and nationally, as needed, to effectively carry out Strata’s business goals and objectives.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of local, county, state, federal, and tribal permitting processes for utility-scale renewable energy and battery storage projects.
• Ability to manage multiple permitting workstreams across a regional portfolio while maintaining schedule, budget, and risk visibility.
• Ability to evaluate complex land-use, environmental, cultural, biological, drainage, fire/code, FAA, and decommissioning issues and propose practical mitigation strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to manage external consultants and hold them accountable for scope, schedule, budget, and deliverable quality.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present publicly in a professional, credible, and compelling manner.
• Ability to perform desktop review of environmental, land-use, engineering, and community-risk materials and translate findings into project-level recommendations.

Education and/or Work Experience

• A bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, biology, land use planning, geography, urban/regional planning, engineering, public policy, renewable energy development, or other relevant field; master’s degree preferred.
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience obtaining discretionary permits and land entitlements; Southwestern U.S. experience (e.g., Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, California, and/or Utah) strongly preferred.
• Experience obtaining discretionary land use permits (including conditional use permits, special use permits, zone changes/amendments, and general/comprehensive plan amendments, BLM/BOR/BIA/DOE Rights-of-Way) and natural resource permits.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

Work is primarily performed in an office or remote environment, with periodic travel to project sites, agency offices, and communities to support permitting and local affairs. Must be able to sit, stand, bend, twist, and lift up to 20 pounds.