Head of Onshore Permitting, North America - Ørsted

Join us in this role where you’ll have the opportunity to craft our strategy related to the environmental and permitting process, as a line manager collaborating with our various teams and consultants across multiple renewable technologies. Your role will include hiring and staff development, process management, providing leadership regarding permitting strategy, key stakeholder cooperation, and more. Ultimately the success of Orsted’s Onshore Permitting team will be driven by you.

Welcome to Permitting, Environmental and Marine Affairs (PEMA)
You’ll be part of the Onshore Permitting team where you, together with your colleagues, will be responsible for regional decisions, strategy, and driving priorities, as one of the collaborative members of the PEMA Management Team. You’ll work across projects, leading all efforts regarding environmental and permitting activities, which includes interfacing with key external stakeholders such as BLM, USFWS, USACE, DOD, and state and local agencies. Additionally, you will interface with key global contacts to achieve biodiversity and social responsibility standards for the region.

You’ll play an important role in:

• Leading a commercially-focused permitting strategy ranging from initial greenfield site characterization tools and standards to environmental survey approach and protocols, and through permit preparation and execution team handover documentation.
• Proactively communicating and collaborating with key internal stakeholders, including Development, GIS, Corporate Affairs, Compliance, EPC, Asset Management, and QHSE to ensure all projects obtain the necessary approvals.
• Crafting a procurement strategy for vetting and quickly onboarding the optimal consultants to perform field surveys, prepare technical analyses and reports, and permitting documentation.
• Serving as a manager that recruits and retains diverse talent, and as a member of the PEMA Management Team, where you’ll drive efficiency and cost-reduction work streams and priorities across our portfolio.
• Leading a team of permit managers as their direct line manager and collaborating with scientists and environmental managers from other departments who are critical for staffing onshore permitting activities and fulfilling compliance commitments.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with key environmental non-government organizations, local stakeholder groups, Tribes, scientific organizations, and other public entities to continue our reputation as the world’s most sustainable energy company.

To succeed in the role, you:

• Hold a master’s degree or equivalent experience in environmental science or environmental policy, engineering, construction management, natural resources, or another relevant field.
• Have significant experience leading teams and managing people, including recruiting and hiring, career growth and development, and performance management, with an emphasis on a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team.
• Have an expert-level understanding of renewable energy project permitting and assessment activities, including conditional/special use permits, state siting board permits, and federal permits such as EA/EIS, FAA Determinations of Non-Hazard, CWA Section 404/401, and ESA incidental take permits.
• Are experienced preparing consultation plans and have established relationships with federal, state, and local agencies such as BLM, USFWS, USACE, and FAA.
• Communicate with honesty and influence to enhance messaging regarding our activities as an organization to key stakeholders both internally and externally, including executive team members, as well as maintain detailed records of such dialogues.
• Speak and write English fluently and have strong Microsoft Office suite skills, especially MS PowerPoint.

Join a global leader in renewable energy
Ørsted is a growing green energy major and global leader in climate action. With us you’ll play a part in driving change towards a green energy future. You’ll grow your talent in a fast-paced and high-growth industry where you have plenty of opportunities to learn and develop through challenging assignments and industry-leading experts. Here, you can perform in a friendly work environment based on trust, respect, and collaboration.

Shape the future with us
Send your application to us as soon as possible. We’ll be conducting interviews on a continuous basis and reserve the right to take down the advert when we’ve found the right candidate.

Please note that you’re expected to do regular travelling in relation to your work, as you’ll meet with other management team members, visit project sites, hold team meetings, represent Orsted at conferences, and attend other in-person stakeholder events.