OverviewAbout the Role: The Senior Director, Environmental Management & Permitting is the functional leader and single point of accountability for all environmental workstreams across the Generation Development’s development portfolio. This includes environmental due diligence, field surveys and studies, and the development and execution of permitting strategies needed to achieve Financial Close and support project delivery from site origination through construction.
In the Company's matrix structure, Project Directors remain accountable for project economics and key project decisions. The Senior Director, Environmental Management & Permitting provides direct line management of environmental permitting staff within the Site Development & Permitting department, and will coordinate with Project Directors on project staffing, scope, schedule, budget, and assessment of risk associated with environmental workstreams.
Responsibilities
What you will do:
- Lead the development and execution of environmental permitting strategies across the development portfolio, ensuring alignment with project schedules and FID/NTP/COD milestones.
- Direct all federal, state, and applicable local (e.g., Soil Erosion & Sediment Control) environmental permit applications, including Clean Air Act authorizations (PSD/NSR, Title V), Clean Water Act permits (Section 401/404), NEPA documentation, and applicable state siting and environmental review processes.
- Work closely with Site Selection & Planning to ensure consistency among applications and support local permitting efforts as needed.
- Oversee environmental due diligence and survey programs for prospective and active development sites, including Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments, wetland delineations, threatened and endangered species surveys, and cultural resource investigations.
- Serve as the senior environmental representative in regulatory agency negotiations, permitting hearings, and interagency consultations, including engagement with USACE, USFWS, SHPO, and applicable state agencies.
- Evaluate due diligence findings and translate results into actionable risk assessments, mitigation strategies, and go/no-go recommendations for Project Directors and senior leadership.
- Build and lead a high-performing team of environmental permitting professionals; assign staff to project teams in coordination with the VP Site Development & Permitting and Project Directors to ensure clear environmental ownership across the portfolio.
- Establish and manage a preferred panel of environmental consultants and technical specialists; define scopes, lead competitive procurement, manage contracts, and maintain quality control over deliverables.
- Ensure cross-functional alignment with Site Selection & Planning Engineering & Construction, Interconnection, Legal, Regulatory Affairs, and Government Affairs so that environmental permits and approvals support project timelines and commercial objectives.
- Define and enforce department standards for environmental permit files, document control, and records retention; maintain audit-ready files consistent with regulatory obligations and Company policy.
- Prepare and present environmental permitting status updates, risk assessments, and mitigation plans for executive review and internal governance.
- Monitor federal and state regulatory developments; assess impacts to the Company's permitting strategies and advise leadership accordingly.
Qualifications
We want you on our team because you…
- Bring expert command of environmental permitting frameworks applicable to large-scale power generation, including Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, NEPA, ESA, NHPA, and state siting processes.
- Have a track record of successfully permitting complex energy infrastructure, with preference for combined cycle generating facilities.
- Are a credible and confident presence with regulatory agencies, community stakeholders, and executive leadership alike.
- Lead with urgency and rigor — able to manage multiple high-priority workstreams simultaneously without sacrificing quality or documentation discipline.
- Thrive in a matrixed organization and build trust with Project Directors, functional peers, and external counterparties.
- Communicate complex environmental and regulatory issues clearly, translating technical risk into business-relevant terms.
Ideally, you have
- Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Policy/Regulation, or a related field.
- 15+ years of progressive experience in environmental permitting, siting, and energy development, with demonstrated success managing permitting programs for complex, utility-scale generation projects.
- Significant experience permitting new combined cycle generating facilities, including PSD/NSR air permitting, state siting approvals, and associated federal and state environmental authorizations.
- Deep familiarity with federal and state regulatory agencies (USACE, USFWS, and state environmental and siting bodies) and experience managing contested or complex permitting matters.
- Demonstrated success building and leading teams of environmental professionals, including management of third-party consultants and technical specialists.
- Ability to scale permitting processes and standards across a growing development portfolio.
