ABOUT THE POSITION
Senior Environmental Regulatory Specialist – Energy | Vermont or Albany, New York office preferred
VHB is seeking a Senior Environmental Regulatory Specialist to join our Vermont/upstate New York operation’s Energy Services practice. VHB’s diverse and challenging professional portfolio includes projects for utilities, renewable energy development, ski resorts, transportation infrastructure, municipalities, and real estate development. Our Energy Services provides critical support in this region to clients developing key energy infrastructure and generation projects in upstate New York. VHB is consistently rated as one of the Best Places to Work in Vermont, and in the northeastern U.S. and is one of the best places to live and work in the United States. This position would offer the flexibility of a remote in region or hybrid/office work environment, as well as the successful candidate’s preference to be based in VHB’s Vermont or Albany, New York office locations.
This position provides an excellent growth opportunity within a vibrant and expanding professional environment and is focused on leading the permitting phase of renewable energy generation, storage and utility infrastructure projects requiring review under various New York state and federal environmental permits and regulations. It will primarily involve in-office technical reporting and regulatory product development, agency coordination, project planning and design reviews, regulatory strategy, and project development, VHB and project public representation, as well as project/task and client management.
Responsibilities
- Develop the approach and lead, prepare and support various federal and New York land use, siting, and environmental permit applications
- Supervise and coordinate with other technical staff (including ecology and water resource specialists, civil engineers, land planners, etc.), applicants, and regulatory program stakeholders
- Lead and assist staff tasked with federal/state wetland and waters delineations, wetland function and value assessments, stream assessments, rare species and wildlife habitat assessments, ecological monitoring, and mobile data collection and mapping tasks
- Lead and assist with wetland and ecological data compilation and analysis, GIS support, and technical reporting
- Prepare and provide quality reviews of various natural resources reporting and permit application support documents
- Manage regulatory and siting law tasks within an integrated team of civil, water resource, and electrical engineers, ecologists, surveyors, transportation designers, project managers, attorneys, and landscape architects in developing site civil plans and specifications for a multitude of renewable energy infrastructure projects with a focus on sustainability and resiliency
- Perform project management responsibilities, including project deliverables, scope development, cost estimation, staff resource identification, implementation oversight, budget tracking, and administrative requirements
- Advise and/or manage project teams responsible for supporting the environmental permitting and licensing, engineering, and construction compliance phases of projects in the renewable energy market
- Attend/lead meetings with clients, regulatory agencies, and stakeholders to understand the objectives and discuss design/permitting issues
- Represent VHB at technical symposia, conferences, recruiting, and trade group learning and visibility events
- The opportunity to develop, manage, and mentor a technical support team focused on upstate New York
- Provide support or serve as an expert environmental witness during project siting approval reviews
Skills and Attributes
- Understanding of land use regulations such as the Clean Water Act Sections 401/404, NEPA, various New York state regulatory programs and siting laws, and permit application development, and coordination for projects that require land use and natural resource planning, and land-use regulatory approvals
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and also collaboratively in a team-focused group
- Excellent verbal, technical writing, organization, responsiveness, coordination, and interpersonal skills
- Proficiency preparing permit application materials and obtaining regulatory approvals and permits
- Ability to communicate between team members, clients, and state/federal officials
- Self-motivated and enthusiastic about natural ecology and/or environmental law/policy with a demonstrated eagerness for continual learning and professional growth
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, natural resources, ecology, wetland science, environmental policy, or a related field required, Master's degree a plus
- 8-11+ years of professional experience working for or with environmental regulatory programs, permit application development or review, and coordination for projects or applicants that require land use and natural resource planning (including some New York projects) required
- Experience supporting clients filing projects under Article VII, Part 102, and Section 94-C preferred
- Experience with field application of wetland delineation methods and identification of native flora, including: federal wetland delineation parameters and jurisdictional determination guidelines, various wetland function and value assessment methods preferred
- Experience with ArcGIS, ArcGIS Online and Collector, and the suite of Microsoft Office platforms preferred
- Professional Wetland Scientist and/or state delineator certification, or demonstrated track, preferred
- Ability to travel and work within the entire upstate New York region and ability to occasionally navigate and physically work in challenging mountainous terrain and various weather conditions
- Must have a valid driver’s license
Our best estimate of the salary range for this position located in Albany, New York is $90,000 to $115,000. The final compensation will be based on a variety of factors such as individual qualifications, education, and experience.
We are VHB! We’re an inspired and innovative team of engineers, scientists, planners, and designers who partner with clients in the transportation, real estate, institutional, and energy industries, as well as federal, state, and local governments. Our work helps improve mobility, enhance communities, and contribute to economic vitality. We do this while balancing development and infrastructure needs with stewardship of our environment.
Our people make us great! VHB provides a differentiating employee experience, which includes:
- Diverse and inclusive culture of collaboration and innovation
- Opportunity to work on complex, transformational projects
- Community and social responsibility as sustainable stewards
- Focus on learning, development, and career growth
- Best-in-class benefits, including flexible, hybrid workplace
We are consistently rated one of the top AEC firms to work for across our 30+ offices on the East Coast. We’re growing, and we hope you’ll join us!
VHB is a proud Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. Since our founding, we have intentionally fostered a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion—supported by deep-rooted core values, one of which is diversity. All individuals receive consideration for employment based on their qualifications without discrimination for race/ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, pregnancy, marital status, or any other basis protected by law.
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