Responsibilities

• Develop and manage permitting strategies and execution of all applicable federal and state permitting and environmental topics

• Support project management’s oversight that the project is designed and constructed in compliance with all policies, and in consideration of best practices and guidance, and all permits are secured in a timely manner

• Manage the development of a comprehensive and inclusive community and stakeholder engagement strategy

• Responsible for proactive and clear communication with internal and external stakeholders, including senior management, on project’s permitting risks and progress in relation to schedule and budget

• Manage a team of permitting and external affairs specialists and delegate project tasks to establish a positive and constructive team spirit that encourages professional growth and collaboration

• Manage the development of a proactive and public facing position and brand identity in support of the project’s development goals within the market

• Maintain a proactive and inclusive stakeholder outreach effort across project workstreams

• Lead and manage federal and state permitting processes, including consultations with relevant federal and state agencies (e.g., BOEM, NOAA/NMFS, USACE, USFWS, USCG, USACE, etc.), internal and external stakeholder management, permit application preparation, submittals and approvals, etc.

• Lead and manage external consultancies engaged in support of projects’ federal and state permitting activities, and structure contract scopes and manage consultants to ensure timely delivery in accordance with agreed specifications and costs

• Lead development of offshore wind projects’ regulatory, communications, and outreach strategies, including, contract scoping, schedule and budget preparation

• Be responsible for evaluating and understanding other project permits and industry precedents, existing guidance, regulations, best practices, and lessons learned, and use that information to inform smart permitting strategy

• Travel as needed across project and company offices and to meet with regulatory and governmental stakeholders and other key interest groups

• Perform other tasks on additional duties as reasonably assigned by supervisor

• Advise internal stakeholders on all permitting-related topics and project requirements, including coordination across workstreams (e.g., technical, commercial)

Requirements

• 8+ years’ experience in environmental consulting, with experience in the offshore wind industry, including direct experience overseeing studies, surveys and permitting in support of BOEM, SAP and COP submittals

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, public policy or related field, advanced degree preferred

• Direct experience and demonstrated strong relationships with BOEM and other federal agencies involved with offshore projects (USCG, USACE, USFWS, NOAA Fisheries, EPA, DoD, FAA, BSEE, etc.), as well as with local, state, and federal government officials

• Experience in a management role in permitting offshore wind projects, including SAP and COP development and approval processes

• Expert understanding of related federal and state statutes, regulations, best practices, and industry precedents

• Experience with the National Environmental Policy Act

• Successful experience in permitting offshore wind projects or other equally complex large energy infrastructure project and electrical transmission lines

• Ability to proactively evaluate risks and opportunities associated with permit strategies and conditions and agency consultations

• Proven track record of delivering and/or managing multiple large-scale development projects with interdisciplinary teams

• Experience supervising, growing, and motivating a team

• Strong ability to clearly communicate ideas and concepts, both written and verbally

• Ability to work to tight deadlines and within a highly pressured environment

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