General Description
The focus of the Federal Permitting Manager will be to lead the federal offshore wind permitting activities that are at the center of the development enterprise under the guidance of the Permitting Director. The Federal Permitting Manager will help SouthCoast Wind technical, outreach, contracts and procurement, and legal staff and consultants to shape interactions with key government agencies and key stakeholders including the fishing industry, marine science institutions, tribal entities and state and federal regulators. This role will lead the preparation of responses by The Project to key federal government agencies (BOEM, NMFS, USACE, EPA, etc.) as the federal permitting progresses toward approvals in late 2024 and early 2025. Specifically, this position will support the revisions of the existing Construction and Operations Plan (COP) as well as other federal permit applications such as the OCS Air Permit, Incidental Take Request Application, Section 10/404 USACE Permit, etc. The Federal Permitting Manager will be focused on ensuring all federal permitting milestones are adhered to in 2024 and prepare the permitting and wider SouthCoast Wind team for anticipated permit approval conditions.
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of four years of relevant permitting and/or project development experience in the US and will apply that experience to enable The Project to obtain all necessary local and state permits of future offshore wind projects. This position will also be involved in managing contracts and contract personnel that are focused on revising and progressing permit applications and relevant interactions with external key stakeholders including fisheries and tribal liaison.
This role will be based in The Project's Boston office location. The Federal Permitting Manager reports to the Permitting Director of The Project. The candidate should expect some travel, specifically for regulator meetings.
Main Responsibilities
· Lead all activities regarding The Project's federal permits and consultations. Lead engagements with federal regulators and ensure federal permitting milestones are adhered to in 2024 and early 2025.
· Lead the necessary edits and revisions to the existing Construction and Operations Plan (COP) and manage the full process with BOEM and other federal agencies from the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) stage through the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision.
· Provide input to the scoping, preparation and execution of sophisticated scientific studies drafting documents vital to the permitting processes.
· Review reports and complex permitting documentation prepared by subject matter experts, and summarize the documents for all levels of technical and non-technical staff at The Project and its parent companies.
· Coordinate with multiple contractors providing surveys, analyses, and documents for both federal as well as supporting local permitting efforts and generation offtake (PPA) proposals
· Produce high-quality permitting documents with quantitative, qualitative, and visual components in alignment with the SouthCoast Wind and its sponsor's permitting teams
· Carry out other job-related duties as assigned by the Permitting Director and permitting team members.
Direct Reports: N/A
Travel: Up to 25%, domestically, by plane, car and/or train, including on short notice.
Minimum Requirements:
· Expertise with the US federal permitting regime centered on the Construction & Operation Plan (COP), Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), Section 106 Consultation, Endangered Species Act Consultation, Essential Fish Habitat Consultation, etc. for the project and/or experience with similar permitting offshore development schemes and ability to rapidly implement the COP-focused offshore wind permitting system.
· Relevant educational experience, minimum Bachelor's Degree. Advanced degree related to permitting, biological science or environmental engineering is a plus.
· Four years of relevant experience working on complex offshore energy projects and/or large-scale renewable energy projects.
Behavioral Requirements:
Ability to rapidly move between different assignments that have a wide variety of technical elements, carefully managing time and assignments.
Very strong written and oral communication skills including proven ability to quickly review and edit complex documents.
Attention to detail and a willingness to roll up their sleeves to come up with creative solutions.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, meet competing deadlines, and work both independently and on teams.
Strong sense of values and ethics, as well as confidentiality when dealing with sensitive information.
· Ability to thrive within and contribute to a team culture that is collaborative, entrepreneurial, mutually supportive, and dedicated to producing highest quality work products, and shared success.
· Ability to foster the development of a team culture that values perspectives and experiences of people from different backgrounds to drive better decisions and improved business results.
Physical Demands & Working Conditions:
· Sitting/Standing/Flexibility: Ability to stand and sit for 8 or more hours when in an office environment
· Speech/Reading: Ability to speak, read, and write English proficiently and deliver a variety of instructions furnished in written, verbal, diagram, or schedule form
· Vision/Hearing: Ability to interpret and follow a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form
· Lifting: Ability to lift items weighing up to 10 pounds
· Safety: Ability to understand and communicate safety precautions when necessary
ersg are an equal opportunities employer; we are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all job applicants. We do not discriminate against applicants on the basis of age, sex, race, disability, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or religious background; all decisions are based on merit.
