Associate Director or Director of Permitting
Mission Clean Energy is seeking an Associate Director or Director of Permitting with extensive utility-scale renewable energy experience to join our rapidly growing company either remotely or at our office location in San Francisco, California. Our team is located in Arizona, California, Colorado, D.C., Florida, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Washington, Texas, Maine, and beyond.
Mission Clean Energy (“Mission”) is a values-driven company focused on accelerating the clean energy transition. Our mission is to decarbonize the grid responsibly, one renewable energy project at a time. We are leading the way by providing clean, abundant, and reliable energy to communities throughout the US.
Mission is a newly founded, well-capitalized company with an established leadership team that has worked together for several years delivering extraordinary results. We value our strong employee culture rooted in collaboration and transparency and favor innovative thinkers who help us reach our ambitious growth and impact goals.
About the role:
The ideal candidate will have a broad skill set to work across a wide variety of specialties including business, finance, communications, biology, policy, and real estate as you manage with environmental diligence, discretionary permit acquisition, and environmental compliance for greenfield renewable energy projects (including solar PV and energy storage) throughout the US. This position will report directly to the Head of Development.
The Director of Permitting will oversee permitting workstreams, working closely with Developers, Development Managers, as well as the GIS, Engineering and Real Estate teams. This is a growth position within the company.
Key Responsibilities:
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Manage multiple projects, tasks, and deadlines for projects in the Development phase
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Directly manage junior staff; develop and mentor staff for career development
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Prepare, submit, and coordinate agency approval of applications for discretionary permits and other entitlements critical to project viability and success
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Manage a network of external consultants in the scoping of biological, cultural, and other resource surveys and the preparation of diligence documents (including legal counsel for permit opinions and guidance) necessary for environmental permitting and financing processes
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Coordinate with and solicit feedback from a network of geographically dispersed internal colleagues in the preparation of land use permit applications and environmental documents
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In partnership with the development team, review zoning, floodplain, biological resources, wetlands, cultural resources, permitting fees, entitlement processes, community attributes and other site-specific considerations to support early-stage project development
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Attend site visits in the field related to site assessment, community engagement, agency review, and construction
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Research and clearly/comprehensively summarize land, environmental review, and permitting requirements for early-stage project jurisdictions
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Attend local, state, federal land use planning and zoning meetings and industry association discussions; take clear, concise notes and summarize take-aways for internal teams
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Lead coordination of public meetings and project hearings
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Prepare external presentation materials for, and participate in meetings with, key external stakeholders including local, state, and federal agencies, elected officials, project communities, environmental NGOs, and Native American tribes
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Prepare and provide permit compliance documentation to regulatory agencies
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Manage and keep up to date project permitting schedules and budgets
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Develop internal presentation, communication, and approval materials for executive management and other internal stakeholders
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Review draft permit requirements, maintain project obligation tracker, and complete permitting exhibits for contracts with project engineering, procurement, construction contractors
Desired qualifications:
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Bachelor’s Degree or higher in a business, urban planning, engineering, environmental or finance related fields
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Seven or more years of work experience in environmental consulting, permitting, renewable energy, real estate, planning, policy, or other related fields.
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Ability to manage and support multiple projects simultaneously, with varying complexities and urgencies presented day-to-day.
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Represent the company with the utmost professionalism with internal and external communications.
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Bias toward action in decision making.
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Ability and inclination to continually evaluate business needs and practices while successfully facilitating problem solving and improvements.
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Superior preparation, presentation, time management & interpersonal skills
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Exceptional organization, attention to detail, communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
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Demonstrated ability to manage and work effectively with cross-functional employee groups; we’re looking for people whose references will say you’re a great teammate.
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Familiarity with land/environmental policy/law (particularly NEPA/CEQASEPA) a plus
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Familiarity with project management software and principles
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Familiarity with Google Earth, GIS a plus
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Demonstrated ability to manage and work effectively with cross-functional employee groups; we’re looking for people whose references will say you’re a great teammate.
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A valid driver’s license.
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Ability and willingness to travel within the United States as much as 40% of the time, or as required by project needs.
Mission offers highly competitive compensation. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, and health insurance; 401(k) plan with company match; both short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and generous time-off policies.
Compensation: $145,000 - $170,000 annual salary + bonus, depending on qualifications and relevant experience .
We seek a diverse candidate pool in this and every search. Mission Clean Energy is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
careers@missioncleanenergy.com. No phone calls please. US based applicants only. No recruiters, please.
