Principal Consultant, Renewable Energy​/Power

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ERM is seeking a Principal Consultant, Renewable Energy/Power overseeing Impact Assessment, Planning and Permitting for renewable energy facilities throughout the Midwest. This role will manage environmental studies and permitting for various power facilities and other major capital development projects, including solar development, battery energy storage system development, technology infrastructure and energy transmission projects.

The ideal candidate will have multiple years of project management experience in the power and/or technology sector along with technical expertise leading environmental, local, state, and federal level permitting for large‑scale capital projects.

It is preferred and desired that the candidate has experience developing permits and permitting strategies for renewable projects, particularly to support local land use permitting processes, including securing conditional or special use permits, identifying requirements or local municipalities and counties (e.g., buffer widths, vegetative screening, noise analyses, project design, water quality monitoring, and local storm water review criteria), analyzing the potential for variances, and working with developers to optimize layouts based on local permitting requirements.

As part of ERM’s planning team you will be leading consulting on a range of environmental, social, and health impact assessment projects to build a sustainable business both regionally and nationally, while networking with ERM's global technical teams to share best practices across the industry.

This position will focus primarily on environmental impact assessment and federal, state, and local permitting to facilitate the development, construction, and operation of commercial‑scale energy facilities and support the low‑carbon economy transition in the U.S. Our portfolio of projects is often fast‑paced, multi‑faceted, and geographically diverse.

• Manage and perform complex local permitting and compliance efforts associated with renewable energy and tech sector development projects.
• Lead the preparation of permitting documents for energy/industrial facility development, expansion, maintenance, or decommissioning, with a focus on local permitting. Oversee project delivery activities, such as report writing and review, data collection, literature review, and developing recommendations for clients.
• Prepare discipline‑specific reports (e.g., biological, cultural, noise, decommissioning plans, landscape plans, and stakeholder engagement plans), engineering plan sets (up through 30% designs), permitting documents, and state‑level environmental reviews consistent with applicable federal, state, and local regulatory requirements. Serve in roles ranging from project manager, task manager, technical expert, and QA/QC of deliverables.
• Contribute technical, subject matter or project management expertise on permitting strategies, due diligence reviews, environmental critical issues assessments, impact assessment deliverables, and overall quality control review.
• 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, and schedule expectations and scope‑specific assignments. This role is responsible for the day‑to‑day management of projects.
• Interface with clients by leading calls, attending meetings, and providing critical insights to optimize project implementation.
• 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).
• Expand ERM’s profile and market share through existing client relationships, building and deepening ERM’s relationships, and delivering high quality and reliable service.

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in environmental studies, environmental management, environmental science, wetland science, planning, geography, or related natural resources…