Environmental & Permitting Lead

Brunel; Guelph; Hybrid; CAD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Brunel is seeking an experienced Environmental & Permitting Lead to provide senior environmental leadership and regulatory guidance through the feasibility, permitting, and development stages of a major Ontario mining project. The role directs specialist consultants, ensures high-quality environmental deliverables, and serves as the project's environmental authority.

The candidate will guide provincial and federal regulatory engagement, manage permitting plans, and coordinate with government

Qualifications

• Minimum 15+ years in environmental permitting, assessment, or project development.
• Deep understanding of Ontario provincial and federal regulations and permitting pathways.
• Strong technical writing: environmental reports, permit apps, regulatory submissions.
• Experience directing multidisciplinary consultants and contractors.
• Ability to communicate with executives, regulators, Indigenous communities, and technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead environmental and permitting strategy for a major Ontario mining project through feasibility, approvals, and development.
• Provide expert guidance on provincial and federal regulatory requirements and approval pathways.
• Develop and execute permitting plans, schedules, and regulatory engagement strategies.
• Review and interpret environmental baseline data and technical studies.
• Author and review environmental sections of reports, permit applications, and submissions.
• Serve as environmental authority, offering strategic recommendations to leadership.
• Direct external consultants, including hydrogeology, ecologists, and environmental monitoring teams.
• Ensure consistency and quality across deliverables.

Skills

Regulatory leadership

Environmental assessment

Technical writing

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Job description

Hybrid | GTA Office/Northern Ontario | Field Rotation

Our client is advancing a significant critical minerals development project in Ontario through the feasibility and permitting stages toward future production. To support this work, they are seeking an experienced Environmental & Permitting Lead to provide senior-level environmental leadership and regulatory guidance throughout the project lifecycle.

This is a retained consultant engagement intended for a highly accomplished practitioner who brings deep expertise in Ontario's environmental assessment and permitting framework. The successful candidate will serve as the project's environmental authority, directing specialist consultants and ensuring environmental work is completed to the highest technical standard.

This is not a departmental management role. The position is focused on technical leadership, environmental strategy, regulatory execution, and coordination of external subject matter experts.

Responsibilities

• Lead the environmental and permitting strategy for a major Ontario mining and mineral processing project through feasibility, approvals, and development.
• Provide expert guidance on provincial and federal environmental regulatory requirements and approval pathways.
• Develop and execute permitting plans, schedules, and regulatory engagement strategies.
• Review, analyze, and interpret environmental baseline data and technical studies.
• Personally, author and review environmental sections of technical studies, reports, permit applications, and regulatory submissions.
• Serve as the project's technical authority on environmental matters and provide strategic recommendations to project leadership.
• Direct and coordinate external consultants and specialists, including:
• Hydrogeological specialists
• Ecologists and biological experts
• Air quality, water quality, and environmental monitoring teams
• Ensure technical consistency and quality across all environmental deliverables.
• Support stakeholder engagement activities involving government agencies, Indigenous communities, and other project stakeholders.
• Identify permitting risks and develop mitigation strategies to maintain project schedules.
• Work closely with the Project Director and multidisciplinary project teams across geology, metallurgy, engineering, and project development.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in environmental permitting, environmental assessment, or project development within mining, mineral processing, heavy industry, infrastructure, or related sectors.
• Demonstrated success navigating Ontario environmental and regulatory approval processes.
• Deep understanding of:
• Provincial and federal environmental regulations
• Environmental assessment requirements
• Proven experience supporting projects from study and feasibility stages through permitting and development.
• Strong technical writing skills with experience preparing environmental reports, permit applications, and regulatory submissions.
• Experience managing and directing multidisciplinary environmental consultants and contractors.
• Ability to communicate effectively with executive leadership, regulators, Indigenous communities, and technical teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exploration drilling and field campaign experience.
• Emergency response participation and incident management experience.
• Logistics coordination and contractor management experience.
• Strong communication and leadership abilities.
• Experience operating in remote environments with diverse stakeholder groups.
• Defensive driving and off-road driving certifications are considered assets.

What We Offer

We offer a competitive contractor package and the opportunity to work with industry-leading clients on technically challenging projects. You will gain exposure to diverse project environments while being supported by Brunel’s experienced recruitment and workforce solutions team.

About Us

Brunel has a reputation for working with some of the best in the business. That’s what we continually strive for. Brunel provides the global recruitment and workforce services you need to lead your industry. With 45 years of market experience in Renewable Energy, Automotive, Oil & Gas, Life Sciences, Mining, and Infrastructure, we help you finish major projects safely, compliantly, on-time, within budget and at the highest quality, so you can keep growing – anywhere in the world.