Senior Manager​/Associate Director, Environmental Affairs

Senior Manager/Associate Director, Environmental Affairs

Cypress Creek Energy is powering a sustainable future, one project at a time. We develop, finance, own and operate utility-scale and distributed solar and storage projects across the country. Fostering a diverse group of innovative thinkers from all backgrounds, Cypress people are drawn to work in a purpose-driven organization. We hope you will join us.

Cypress Creek Energy is seeking an Environmental Affairs team member to support development of transmission-and distribution-scale solar, hybrid, and standalone energy storage projects. As we add to our team, we are seeking candidates at either the Senior Manager or Associate Director level, depending on their experience and qualifications.

This role will be responsible for advising developers and project execution managers on environmental diligence, strategic permitting, risk mitigation, and providing compliance support across all stages of the project development lifecycle. The successful candidate will be able to engage internal multi-disciplinary teams and external regulatory agencies in permitting strategies, provide key input to senior leadership to support joint decision making, and reduce environmental permitting risk.

We are looking for a team member able to hit the ground running, who thrives in a dynamic, solutions-driven environment balancing regulatory rigor with development efficiency.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead environmental permitting strategies for a diverse range of energy generation projects in the U.S. with a particular focus in the PJM and MISO markets, including NY, PA, OH, IL, and MD. Support other markets (e.g., SPP, WECC) and projects when needed.
• Directly oversee scoping and managing complex, environmental regulatory compliance processes, such as targeted environmental resource studies (e.g., wetland delineations, Phase I ESAs, cultural resource surveys), environmental permitting, and mitigation negotiation, within the Company and with outside consultants.
• Conduct environmental due diligence for development and acquisition (M&A) opportunities, and prepare associated documentation as needed.
• Lead local, state, and federal agency coordination efforts (e.g., USFWS, USACE, SHPO).
• Review technical reports. Reports typically include, but are not limited to:
  Phase I ESAs, wetland and waterway delineations, desktop environmental screenings, habitat assessments, cultural resource surveys, threatened/endangered species surveys, avian and bat surveys, and construction environmental monitoring audits.
• Provide subject matter expertise support during financing, which would include responding to Independent Engineers and external legal counsel comments, advising on contractual terms and conditions for environmental risk, and supporting internal legal, tax, and finance teams to compile environmental documentation.
• Review plans for management of environmental matters during construction. Plans include, but are not limited to stormwater management plans, spill pollution prevention plans, construction oversight plans for compliance with respect to species protection, and archaeological resource protection.
• Directly lead and oversee consultant work. Advise project developers on scope requirements, pricing, and consultant selection.
• Advise in development and implementation of programmatic procedures and policies to ensure continuous compliance with existing and pending environmental regulations.
• Prepare environmental content for documents as needed, such as marketing proposals, plans of development, and zoning applications.
• Assist in development of protocols to manage ongoing compliance requirements during operations and maintenance. Advise on compliance issues when needed.
• Participate in regional and national initiatives, symposia, conferences, and industry groups as needed to achieve Company objectives.

Education & Experience

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Engineering or an Environmental-related field from an accredited college/university.
• Experience and expertise interpreting federal and state environmental laws (ESA, NEPA, CWA, NHPA), guidelines, and policies.
• 5+ years professional experience in environmental permitting and/or compliance in Northeastern U.S. or Central U.S. markets. Experience in NY a plus.

Location:

The preferred location for this role is one of our office locations:
Asheville, NC;
Durham, NC;
Chicago, IL;
Washington, DC;
New York City, NY;
Los Angeles, CA; or San Francisco, CA. Our team operates on a hybrid schedule, with in-office schedule of three days per week. We are also open to remote.

Compensation:
The salary range for the position is $100,000–$145,000 plus bonus and benefits. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location.

Benefits:

• 15 days of Paid Time Off, accrual up to 20 days, 11 observed holidays.
• 401(k) Match
• Comprehensive package…