Permitting Specialist

Permitting Specialist

Minneapolis, MN

At Sparkfund, we help organizations deploy and scale distributed energy solutions that support a more resilient and sustainable energy future. Our work sits at the intersection of infrastructure, energy, and technology — helping bring distributed energy resource (DER) and battery storage projects from concept to deployment.

We're looking for a Permitting Specialist to help drive projects through the permitting and approval process across multiple jurisdictions.

This role is critical to keeping projects moving. You'll work directly with municipal agencies, Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), engineering teams, delivery partners, and internal stakeholders to ensure permit applications are accurate, compliant, and moving efficiently through the approval lifecycle.

If you thrive in fast-paced environments, enjoy solving problems, coordinating moving pieces, and building strong working relationships, this is an opportunity to play a visible role in scaling infrastructure projects within one of the fastest-growing sectors in energy.

This isn't a back-office permitting role — it's a critical position that directly impacts how quickly real-world energy infrastructure projects move from concept to construction.

As a Permitting Specialist at Sparkfund, you'll play a key role in helping distributed energy and battery storage projects advance through the regulatory and permitting process across multiple jurisdictions. You'll work closely with engineering, delivery, and field teams while building relationships with municipal agencies and AHJs that help keep projects moving forward.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys problem-solving, coordination, and fast-paced operational environments where attention to detail truly matters. You'll have visibility into the full project lifecycle and become a key partner in helping scale infrastructure projects within one of the fastest-growing sectors in energy.

At Sparkfund, permitting is not viewed as an administrative function — it's a strategic advantage. We value people who can navigate complexity, build strong working relationships, improve processes, and help accelerate project execution.

If you enjoy ownership, cross-functional collaboration, and being part of projects that create real-world impact, this is an opportunity to grow within an industry that is rapidly evolving and expanding.

• Prepare, review, and submit permit applications across multiple jurisdictions
• Ensure permit packages are accurate, complete, and compliant with AHJ requirements
• Track permit approvals, revisions, resubmissions, inspections, and closeout documentation
• Maintain organized permitting records, logs, and documentation throughout the project lifecycle

• Build and maintain professional relationships with AHJ staff, inspectors, and municipal contacts
• Coordinate directly with jurisdictions to clarify requirements, resolve submission issues, and improve processing timelines
• Monitor jurisdictional changes and communicate updates impacting project timelines or submission requirements
• Support inspection scheduling and ongoing jurisdictional communication activities

• Integrate permitting timelines into broader project and construction schedules
• Identify permitting risks, delays, or blockers early and communicate impacts proactively
• Prioritize permit submissions based on project timelines and deployment needs
• Support reduction of permit approval cycle times and overall project throughput goals

• Partner with Engineering, Delivery, Applications Design, and Host Engagement teams to support successful project execution
• Coordinate permitting requirements, site constraints, and approval readiness across internal stakeholders
• Surface recurring jurisdictional trends and feedback to improve future project planning and permitting workflows
• Support field teams during inspections, approvals, and readiness-to-mobilize activities

• 2–5+ years of experience in permitting, entitlement, municipal approvals,…