Environmental Permit Coordinator

Environmental Permit Coordinator (Construction Projects)

Location: Washington, DC (Project-based, field office)

Type: Full-time, project-based (2–3 years initial scope)

Overview:

We are recruiting on behalf of our client, a leading general contractor for heavy civil infrastructure projects, for a newly created Environmental Permit Coordinator role. This position is embedded within a high-profile, multi-year urban infrastructure project in the Washington, DC area.

The role bridges the gap between environmental permitting requirements and real-world construction activity, ensuring strict compliance, coordination, and clear communication across field teams, consultants, and local agencies.

Primary Purpose:

To serve as the on-site environmental permitting and compliance lead. This includes reviewing, interpreting, and translating permit obligations into actionable guidance for construction crews. The role works in direct support of the Director of Environmental and plays a critical part in maintaining agency relationships and upholding permit-driven standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Interpret environmental permits and ensure alignment with construction scope and activities
• Monitor ongoing site compliance and proactively address gaps or deviations
• Coordinate with third-party permitting consultants and ensure clarity across all stakeholders
• Maintain documentation binders for real-time tracking of approvals and compliance
• Act as the main point of contact for permitting matters, including communication with local and federal authorities
• Support audits, inspections, and site walkthroughs
• Escalate risks and complex issues to the Director of Environmental as needed

Project Environment:

• Major design-build utilities and sanitary project in urban DC
• Field office location, approximately 70% coordination/desk-based, 30% field interaction
• High-touch stakeholder environment with regular meetings, reviews, and coordination loops

Ideal Background & Experience:

• Proven experience with environmental permitting and compliance in construction settings
• Familiarity with DC permitting authorities and urban regulatory frameworks strongly preferred
• Practical mindset, able to connect permit requirements to real construction practices
• Site-based coordination experience with minimal oversight
• Confident liaising with regulatory bodies, subcontractors, and internal teams
• Highly organized with strong documentation, reporting, and communication skills
• HAZWOPER certification a significant advantage
• Proficient in Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, Outlook)

Additional Notes:

• Reports to the Director of Environmental, with consistent support and collaboration
• This is a key role in establishing a long-term presence in the DC region