Permitting Director

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Maintain a deep understanding of discretionary permitting requirements for utility scale solar and battery energy storage projects in assigned region.
• Develop a customized permitting strategy including comprehensive schedule and budget for each project by considering local regional, state, and federal requirements, site constraints, bankability, and other risks.
• Source and manage a team of external consultants including environmental, technical, public relations, local affairs, legal resources, etc.
• Directly manage the permitting process throughout the project.
• Regularly communicate and synchronize with internal stakeholders to minimize project risk.
• Direct and manage tax abatements, land use agreements, mitigation settlements, and various other agreements.
• Engage community, local, and state institutions for project.
• Engage with and manage relationships with local, state and federal regulatory authorities for each.
• 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.
• Negotiate with local officials regarding permit conditions and economic terms of entitlement.
• Oversee and support transition to Project Execution, EPC, O&M, Asset Management, and others to ensure a smooth handoff and compliance with issued permits and conditions of approval.
• Advise on permitting risks, cost, and schedule for potential new sites, both greenfield and M&A.
• Work collaboratively with and be responsive to requests from internal stakeholders.
• Develop and successfully deliver to meet aggressive project schedules.
• Build effective relationships with regulators, service providers and other relevant parties.
• Continue to support permitting and environmental compliance throughout the construction and operation of the project.
• Advise on permitting risks, cost, and schedule for potential new sites, both greenfield and M&A.

Education And/or Work Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science/studies, land use planning, geography, political science, or other relevant field; master’s degree preferred.
• A minimum of seven (7) years of experience obtaining discretionary land use permits (including conditional use permits, special use permits, zone changes/amendments, and general/comprehensive plan amendments, BLM/USBR/BIA/DOE Rights-of-Way) and natural resource permits.
• Arizona experience is strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple time-sensitive projects.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Highly resourceful and able to navigate through key risks.
• Ability to manage a large workload, often providing support to processes managed by colleagues, while prioritizing tasks and effectively juggling competing deadlines.
• Detail-oriented with a strong sense of personal responsibility and ownership of work.
• Excellent personal organizational, pattern recognition, and negotiation skills.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, analytical and planning abilities, and sound judgment.
• Ability to work as part of a team in a dynamic and fast-paced environment and field questions from internal team members on environmental and other topics pertaining to discretionary approvals.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

• Work is primarily performed in an office environment with periodic travel to sites and frequent travel to support permitting and local affairs.
• Must be able to sit, stand, bend, twist, and lift up to 20 pounds.