Senior Permit Compliance Manager

Job Description

The AVANGRID POWER Operations Senior Permit Compliance Manager will report to the Director of Wildlife and Permit Compliance within the Operations and Maintenance group. The Senior Operations Permit Compliance Manager will be focused on environmental permit compliance management during operations at over 80 Avangrid Power operating assets across the United States. Area of focus will be midwest to eastern United States.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage permit compliance of wind, solar, and battery storage projects across the United States.
• Ensure environmental permit requirements for operating projects are met, such as wildlife (post-construction fatality studies), habitat monitoring, sound studies, restoration obligations, jurisdictional agency reporting requirements. Includes contracting and managing third-parties.
• Manage and coordinate on the ground environmental compliance monitoring conducted by third parties (e.g., respond to non-compliance concerns or variance requests from the field during construction and coordinate with appropriate agency, as needed).
• Ability to understand and interpret various regulations, codes, and ordinances, and communicate with internal stakeholders.
• Meet with jurisdictional agencies and regulators regarding project-specific permit compliance, including problem solving and permit negotiations.
• Obtain new permits or amend permits, if necessary.
• Submit required reports and documentation to permitting agencies, and ongoing correspondence during Operations.
• Support project turnover from Construction to Operations.
• Conduct site visits, as needed. Coordinate and participate in project coordination calls.
• Coordinate and engage with various internal departments, including Development, Construction, and Asset Management.
• Manage project budgets and accounting, including invoicing of third-parties.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Biology, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Policy, Wildlife, Project Management or comparable areas of study; or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least 5 years' experience in energy project compliance and environmental review
• Demonstrated problem solving, negotiating and oral and written communication skills.
• Experience and knowledge of United States environmental permitting regulations for complex renewable energy projects.
• Experience working with various permitting jurisdictions, agencies, and regulators (e.g., state, local, and federal), including managing permit conditions.
• Understanding of applicable environmental laws and regulations, include the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, Clean Water Act.
• Experience in obtaining permits for operational plants for maintenance, repowering, or risk management (e.g., Section 404, and Incidental Take Permits)
• Domestic travel required (approximately 30%+).
• Demonstrated ability to work independently to meet deliverables.
• Working knowledge of Windows-based business software applications, including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Access or other database program.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Biology, Environmental Sciences or comparable degree.
• Experience in compliance in states with complex permitting requirements (e.g., New York, California, Oregon).
• Ability to perform time management and function independently
• Experience in large-scale construction projects.
• Experience with wildlife-related impacts/issues.
• Experience using compliance management software and SAP

Please note that any applicant who is not a citizen of the country of the vacancy will be subject to compliance with the applicable immigration requirements to legally work in that country.

At Avangrid we provide fair and equal employment and advancement opportunities for all employees and candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, protected veteran status or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.
If you are an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who is unable to use our online tool to search for or to apply for jobs, you may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting our People and Organization department at [email protected].

Avangrid employees may be assigned a system emergency role and in the event of a system emergency, may be required to work outside of their regular schedule/job duties. This is applicable to employees that will work in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New York within Avangrid Network and Corporate functions. This does not include those that will work for Avangrid Power.

Avangrid employees may also be assigned a NERC Reliability Standards compliance role supporting Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) and/or Operations and Planning (O&P) responsibilities. This is applicable to employees that will work in electric transmission, operations, and cyber security business areas in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New York within Avangrid Network and Corporate business areas. NERC Reliability Standards compliance roles and responsibilities may include additional access protections, training, audit engagement, and required evidence retention, and will be communicated by the employee's management.