Lead Environmental Permitting and Licensing Consultant

Sargent & Lundy is seeking a Lead Environmental Permitting and Licensing Consultant in Chicago, IL. The role involves reviewing and implementing environmental regulations for electric power and industrial projects, mentoring staff, and managing permit applications. The consultant will serve as a liaison with clients and stakeholders, support proposals, and conduct environmental impact studies. Travel to client offices and project sites, including potential international travel, is required.
Description
• As a member of Sargent & Lundy's Environmental and Permitting team, you will utilize your academic background and experience to review, evaluate, and implement federal, state and local environmental regulatory requirements as they apply to a variety of electric power and industrial projects. You will be asked to use your knowledge of environmental regulations and engineering principals to meet project team and client needs for defining, evaluating, and implementing environmental mitigation, compliance, and permitting projects.
• Drive growth by developing target markets, winning strategic pursuits, and expanding key accounts across consulting, engineering/design, owner's engineering, and project services in power, grid, industrial, decarbonization, and government sectors.
• Serve as primary liaison for environmental topics with clients, agencies, landowners, and community stakeholders; support public meetings and comment response.
• Mentor and develop environmental staff; champion knowledge sharing, templates, and continuous improvement
• Support proposals, statements of qualifications, and interviews; shape win themes, level of effort, schedule, and risk/commercial clarifications
• The position will offer you the opportunity to expand your knowledge of federal, state and local environmental regulations as they apply to major industrial projects, and to work with multi-disciplined project teams to:
• Review and implement federal, state, and local regulatory requirements as they apply to specific projects and develop strategies to implement cost-effective mitigation compliance plans.
• Manage site-specific environmental impact studies to evaluate the suitability of a site for a proposed fossil fuel power plant, nuclear power facility, wind energy farm, solar generating station, electric substation, or transmission line.
• Work with project engineers to ensure projects are designed and developed using criteria that recognize all relevant environmental requirements.
• Manage permit applications and interface with federal, state, and local permitting agencies.
• Manage complex technical reports including site selection studies, environmental and social impact assessments, compliance audits, and regulatory reviews.
• The position offers the opportunity to travel to client offices and project site locations for project reviews. Some international travel may be required.

Qualifications

We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

Essential skills and experience:
• A BS in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, or related field, MS preferred.
• 15 or more years of experience in environmental compliance, environmental impact assessment, and/or permitting for complex industrial projects.
• Familiarity with environmental laws and regulations that apply to large industrial facilities, including the National Environmental Policy Act, Threatened & Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
• Environmental impact assessment/permitting experience, including specific experience in one or more of the following fields:
• Environmental Impact Assessments.
• Subsequent License Renewals and associated Environmental Reports.
• NPDES wastewater and construction stormwater discharge permitting.
• Wetlands permitting.
• Major source air permitting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to interact and multitask with project team members, clients, and regulatory agencies
• Ability to work on multiple projects at the same time and coordinate various inputs between the internal engineering team, client and regulatory agency.
• Ability to provide guidance to younger staff members.

Award-Winning Benefits

At Sargent & Lundy, we care about the health and well-being of our employees. Our commitment extends beyond the workplace, offering comprehensive healthcare plans and generous paid time off to support our team members in every aspect of their lives. We understand the importance of work-life balance, which is why we are proud to provide competitive, award-winning benefits. Our dedication to employee satisfaction has earned us the prestigious Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Award for compensation and benefits in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Health & WellnessFinancial BenefitsWork-Life Balance
• Health Plans: Medical, Dental, Vision
• Life & Accident Insurance
• Disability Coverage
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Back-Up Daycare
• FSA & HSA
• 401(k)
• Pre-Tax Commuter Account
• Merit Scholarship Program
• Employee Discount Program
• Corporate Charitable Giving Program
• Tuition Assistance
• First Professional Licensure Bonus
• Employee Referral Bonus
• Paid Annual Personal/Sick Time (PST)
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Bereavement Leave
• Flexible Work Arrangements

Compensation Range

$142,710.00 - $215,440.00

Transparency Statement

Sargent & Lundy discloses compensation ranges that comply with all local and state regulations. The total compensation package for eligible positions will include a base salary or an hourly rate and a comprehensive benefits package, reflecting our commitment to rewarding performance and supporting the overall well-being of our employees. Individuals may also be eligible to participate in our yearly discretionary bonus.

About This Business Unit

The Energy & Industrial Group (EIG) specializes in delivering advanced engineering solutions across various sectors, including power generation, environmental compliance, oil & gas, and industrial projects, from new plant design to plant betterment and upgrade services for operating facilities. We have designed nearly 900 conventional power plants, yielding over 100,000 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity. Our expertise includes numerous recent and ongoing combined cycle projects that leverage the latest advanced machinery, including combustion turbines, steam turbines, and heat recovery steam generators from all leading suppliers. EIG is recognized for its commitment to decarbonization through innovative technologies in renewable energy, carbon capture, and hydrogen power. We excel in detailed engineering services for photovoltaic (PV) solar projects and energy storage integration, and lead the industry in carbon capture technologies, managing projects from conceptual studies, pilot demonstrations and through commercial scale implementation for utilities and industrial plants.

Awards & Recognition

Equal Opportunity

Sargent & Lundy is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any protected status as defined by applicable law.