Principal Consultant, Renewable Energy Planner (Senior Level)

Environmental Resources Management, Inc. is hiring a Principal Consultant, Renewable Energy Planner in Denver, CO or Phoenix, AZ. The role involves managing permitting and environmental assessments for renewable energy and infrastructure projects. Candidates should have experience with local permitting processes and NEPA compliance. This office-based position requires some travel and offers an opportunity to advance in a global environmental firm focused on the low carbon energy transition.
ERM is seeking a Principal Consultant, Renewable Energy Planner in our Denver, CO or Phoenix, AZ offices to support and assist with permitting and environmental impact assessment for capital development projects. This role will focus on renewable energy, transmission and distribution, oil and gas, and technology infrastructure projects in the Mountain West region and beyond. The ideal candidate will have experience leading local permitting and land use processes, including but not limited to, conducting research to define permitting requirements, coordinating with local jurisdictions during permitting processes, developing permitting plans and schedules, coordinating and participating in public meetings and hearings, and developing or coordinating permit applications and required components, such as Site Plan and Comprehensive Plan consistency reviews, to support a variety of land development and infrastructure projects. AICP credentials and experience with western natural resource issues, local permitting (including Colorado 1041 regulations) are highly desired. In this role, you will work closely with ERM Project Managers and Partners on a variety of environmental permitting, due diligence, and impact assessment projects to support our renewable energy, oil and gas, power, and technology sector clients. You will also participate in teams conducting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance, state-level equivalent reviews, and environmental permitting for large-scale capital projects in the western states and beyond. This is largely an office-based role with some travel required based on client and/or project needs and expectations. This is an excellent opportunity for an environmental professional looking to advance their career with a global environmental leader and be part of ERM’s continuing growth and contribution to the low carbon energy transition. Our portfolio of projects are often fast-paced, multi-faceted, and geographically diverse. The position will require a candidate to work independently, and to manage teams of subject matter experts to produce permitting documents that are cohesive and fit for purpose. Candidates must be able to manage varying priorities and tasks to meet concurrent deadlines on multiple projects. RESPONSIBILITIES: Manage permitting and compliance associated with energy development projects with an emphasis on local, state, and federal permitting, including but not limited to compliance associated with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and regulations of federal agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Western Area Power Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and various state agencies. Manage various aspects of the permitting process, including stakeholder engagement, documentation development, and coordination with local, state, and federal governments. Manage and provide technical assistance on NEPA environmental assessment (EA) and environmental impact statement (EIS) projects and related activities. Contribute technical and subject matter or project management expertise on permitting strategies, due diligence reviews, environmental critical issues assessments, impact assessment deliverables, and overall quality control review. Manage and lead the preparation of permitting documents. Overseeing project delivery activities such as report writing, data collection, data and literature review, and developing recommendations for clients. Prepare technical proposals and participate in business development with existing clients and identified leads as well as help to expand our growing renewable projects and team. Manage and work within quality/budget/schedule expectations and scope-specific assignments. Collaborate with other ERM practitioners to execute impact assessment and capital project permitting (ERM services broadly include baseline studies, environmental impact assessment, routing studies, land planning, and facility siting & permitting). REQUIREMENTS: Bachelors degree in planning, environmental science, wetland science, geography or related natural resources science field of study. Master’s degree in relevant field strongly preferred. 6+ years of permitting experience, with strong project experience in renewable energy or similar practice preferred. Project management and program management experience a plus. Experience working local permitting in Colorado and Arizona is highly desired. Experience with the preparation of local permitting applications and documents related to the development of renewable energy projects. Experience preparing NEPA-type documents for federal and/or state agencies and providing strategic-level client support. Experience representing clients in public meetings and stakeholder engagement events. Strong public speaking skills are essential. Experience overseeing and coordinating desktop and online studies or research on natural resource or resource planning topics, Geographic Information System, map interpretation (National Wetland Inventory, U.S. Geological Survey, aerial photography). Demonstrated ability to research and prepare concise and accurate technical documents including presentation of findings to clients, stakeholders, and/or regulatory agencies. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and organization/analytical skills; experience recording/writing detailed technical data and reports. Ability to multi-task, maintain flexibility, travel, and work independently with minimal supervision. Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop team members – excellent people skills, responsive, collaborative, versatile, effective in a fast-paced environment, and service-oriented. Valid driver’s license and good driving record. For the Principal Consultant, Renewable Energy Planner position, we anticipate the annual base pay of $111,850 – $131,400 USD. An employee’s pay position within this range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, and business or organizational needs. We also may have instances where compensation may be outside of the range, based on the factors noted above. This job is also eligible for an annual discretionary based performance bonus. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, paid parental leave, medical, dental, vision, life, disability and AD&D insurance, 401(k) or RRSP/DPSP, and any other benefits to eligible employees as applicable. You can apply for this role through https://www.erm.com/careers/apply/ or through the internal careers portal if you are a current employee. Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law. Who We Are: As the largest global pure play sustainability consultancy, we partner with the world’s leading organizations, creating innovative solutions to sustainability challenges and unlocking commercial opportunities that meet the needs of today while preserving opportunity for future generations. At ERM we know that creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment is an essential part of making our company a great place to build a career. We also see our diversity as a strength that helps us create better solutions for our clients. Our diverse team of world-class experts supports clients across the breadth of their organizations to operationalize sustainability, underpinned by our deep technical expertise in addressing their environmental, health, safety, risk and social issues. We call this capability our “boots to boardroom†approach for its comprehensive service model that allows ERM to develop strategic and technical solutions that advance objectives on the ground or at the executive level. Please submit your resume and brief cover letter. ERM does not accept recruiting agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, ERM employees or any other company location. ERM is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes. ERM is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Thank you for your interest in ERM! At ERM, sustainability is our business. We are the world’s largest advisory firm focused solely on sustainability, offering unparalleled expertise across business and finance. ERM partners with clients to operationalize sustainability at pace and scale, through our unique combination of strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities. Our diverse global team of experts works with the world’s leading organizations to help them set clear sustainability targets, measure progress and operationalize strategy through deep implementation and business transformation. With more than 50 years of experience, our ability to integrate sustainability solutions and our depth and breadth of technical knowledge are why organizations choose to partner with us as their trusted advisor. Every one of us firmly believes in the potential to create value for our clients through an integrated approach to sustainability (because we have personally seen it and professionally achieved it). Our team members are passionate about client service. We work closely with our clients to help them operationalize their sustainability goals and meet their environmental, health and safety objectives while advancing ERM’s purpose through delivering tangible progress in what the United Nations coined The Decade of Action. Organizing our people across globally integrated communities of technical and strategic talent positions ERM to be a “boots to boardroom†leader in bringing that value creation to our clients, partners, and the world. We recruit exceptional professionals with a personal and professional passion for sustainability and nurture them to even greater success as specialists. We prepare our consultants to bring integrated, innovative and sustainable solutions to our clients and provide opportunities for ongoing development across a variety of subject areas related to technical, business, and personal growth. At ERM, effort pays off and becomes career defining work that leaves a positive imprint on our planet. ERM Homepage