Senior Project Manager - Energy Permitting

About The Opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is actively seeking a Senior Project Manager - Energy Permitting with strong interpersonal skills and experience in project permitting and project management to join our team and primarily support renewable energy generation and transmission projects. Projects will be located throughout the Rocky Mountain Plains, Minnesota, Dakotas, Great Lakes, and other subregions. This individual will work with a dynamic and company-wide team to successfully drive projects throughout all phases, from early planning and permitting through construction.

What You Will Accomplish

• Work closely with project teams to navigate permitting challenges and meet client needs.
• Take initiative and resolve issues to assure client needs are met effectively.
• Lead and advise on all aspects of project implementation, including the development of permitting strategies, provide QA/QC of work processes and deliverables, and lead teams completing technical studies that support permitting efforts.
• Aid the North subregional VPs and Directors in the development/updating and implementation of regional business plan(s).
• Manage & support regional projects, and other projects in the Rocky Mountain Plains, Minnesota, Dakotas, Great Lakes, and other subregions.
• Help develop existing and new clients in the energy marketplace.
• Develop internal SWCA network via relationship-building with peers and directors across the North region.
• Engage with SWCA’s Technical Director team to support quality initiatives, and development of policies & procedures in your areas of expertise.
• Attend & contribute to office Business Development meetings in North offices as appropriate (especially Minneapolis/St. Paul, Sheridan, Denver, and Chicago).
• Pursue opportunity hires to help build SWCA’s regional team.
• Engage with professional organizations, including attendance at conferences, Board appointments, etc., on behalf of SWCA.
• Mentor regional staff - act as a technical advisor and quality control agent in areas of your particular expertise (especially regional permitting).
• Manage projects that include NEPA compliance, biological resource assessments and constraints analyses, state and federal Endangered Species Act consultations, Clean Water Act Section 404 and Section 401 permitting, state-level siting permits, and cultural resources studies.
• Supervise, mentor, and provide project technical support to junior staff.
• Work closely with SWCA’s resource scientists, environmental planners, managers, and directors in both natural and cultural resources groups throughout the company to promote SWCA’s business interests in adherence to its mission, vision, and values.
• Drives compliance of safety policies and reporting requirements to ensure overall team safety.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, botany, wildlife management, or a closely related field.
• Eight (8) years of natural resources consulting experience required on a variety of project types and sizes, regions, and agencies.
• Two (2) years’ experience managing natural resources projects with renewable energy clients.
• Three (3) years of experience managing projects, including developing and implementing budgets, schedules, and scopes of work.
• Demonstrated experience with energy facility siting and constraints studies, permitting, and/or NEPA compliance.
• Demonstrated experience with state and federal agencies such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, state wildlife agencies, US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), US Forest Service, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
• Prior primary report authorship and finalization for clients and agencies in a natural resource consulting context for a variety of project types and sizes, regions, and agencies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten (10) years of natural resources consulting experience required on a variety of project types and sizes, regions, and agencies.
• Three (3) years managing natural resources projects with renewable energy clients.
• Five (5) years of experience managing projects, including developing and implementing budgets, schedules, and scopes of work.
• Prior permitting project experience within the Rocky Mountain Plains, Minnesota, Dakota’s, Great Lakes, and similar subregions.