Government Affairs & Permitting Officer

Acwa; Sivas Merkez; On-site; TRY 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Acwa in Turkey seeks a seasoned Government Affairs & Permitting Officer to manage relations with government authorities and regulatory bodies throughout the lifecycle of renewable energy projects.

You will coordinate permits, licenses, and official procedures, ensuring alignment with schedules and legislative requirements while interfacing with ministries, municipalities, and utilities to mitigate risks and drive project milestones.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Law, Engineering, Public Administration, Business Administration or Environmental Sciences.
• 10+ years of experience in government affairs, permitting, regulatory affairs or project development.
• Strong knowledge of Turkish governmental and administrative processes.
• Experience in renewable energy, power transmission, or large-scale infrastructure projects preferred.
• Proven ability to interact with government authorities and manage multiple permits.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain relationships with ministries, authorities, municipalities, regulators, and local administrations.
• Coordinate preparation and submission of permit applications, letters, petitions, and supporting documents.
• Monitor regulatory decisions and ensure timely responses and compliance.
• Represent the Project Company in meetings and official correspondence with government authorities.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive Project Permitting Matrix.
• Track permit conditions, renewal requirements, and deadlines; escalate risks as needed.
• Support land-related procedures, grid connection, and environmental licensing activities.
• Coordinate with E&S teams on government-facing environmental and social matters.

Skills

Government relations

Stakeholder management

Communication

Turkish regulatory knowledge

Project coordination

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Postgraduate qualifications (advantage)

Job description

About the Role

The Government Affairs & Permitting Officer will be responsible for managing the Project Company's relationships with government authorities, municipalities, regulatory bodies, utilities, and other public institutions.

The role will coordinate the planning, application, follow-up, and completion of all required permits, approvals, licenses, and governmental procedures throughout the development, construction, commissioning, and operation phases of renewable energy projects.

The position will serve as a key interface between the Project Company and Turkish public authorities, ensuring that governmental processes are properly coordinated and completed in line with the project schedule and applicable legislation.

Key Responsibilities

Government Relations

• Establish and maintain effective relationships with relevant ministries, government authorities, municipalities, regulatory bodies, and local administrations.
• Represent the Project Company in meetings and official correspondence with government authorities, as delegated by management.
• Organize meetings, consultations, inspections, and discussions with government stakeholders.
• Monitor governmental decisions and requirements that may impact the project.
• Escalate critical governmental issues, delays, and risks to the Project Director / Contract Manager.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive Project Permitting Matrix covering all required permits, approvals, licenses, opinions, and governmental consents.
• Coordinate the preparation and submission of permit applications, official letters, petitions, and supporting documentation.
• Follow up applications with relevant authorities and ensure timely responses and closures.
• Track permit conditions, validity periods, renewal requirements, and associated commitments.
• Identify potential permitting bottlenecks and proactively develop mitigation actions.
• Ensure permitting activities are aligned with the project development, construction, commissioning, and operational schedule.
• Maintain a complete and auditable record of permits, applications, approvals, and governmental correspondence.

Land & Project Development

• Support governmental procedures related to land allocation and acquisition, zoning, easements, rights of way, expropriation, public/Treasury land, forestry and agricultural land permissions.
• Coordinate with municipalities, cadastral and land registry authorities where required.
• Support permitting activities related to transmission lines, substations, access roads, and other project infrastructure.

Grid Connection & Regulatory Matters

• Support governmental and regulatory processes related to grid connection and transmission infrastructure.
• Coordinate with TEİAŞ, EİGM, EÜAŞ, EMRA, TEDAŞ, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Track connection opinions, agreements, system studies, facility agreements, and related approvals.
• Coordinate required governmental steps for energisation, synchronisation, commissioning, and commercial operation.

Construction & Operational Permits

• Coordinate governmental procedures required before and during construction.
• Support construction-related approvals, building permits, environmental approvals, fire and safety approvals, road and transportation permissions, water and infrastructure approvals, and utility connections.
• Coordinate inspections by relevant authorities and ensure observations are closed within agreed timelines.
• Support commissioning, provisional acceptance, and operational licensing processes.
• Coordinate with the E&S team on government-facing environmental and social matters.
• Follow up ÇED/EIA processes, environmental permits, opinions, and commitments with relevant authorities.
• Support governmental consultations and stakeholder meetings.
• Monitor compliance with permit conditions and governmental commitments.

Governmental Correspondence & Reporting

• Prepare, review, and coordinate official letters, applications, petitions, and responses to government authorities.
• Maintain a central database of applications, correspondence, meeting minutes, authority comments, approvals, permits, conditions, and commitments.
• Maintain a Government Affairs Action Tracker covering responsible authorities, actions, deadlines, status, risks, and required escalation.
• Provide regular reports to the Project Director / Contract Manager on permit status, upcoming submissions, critical governmental actions, delays, and risks.
• Highlight permitting activities that may impact project milestones, construction start, energisation, PCOD/COD, or commercial operation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Law, Engineering, Public Administration, Business Administration, Environmental Sciences, or a related discipline.
• Relevant postgraduate qualifications are an advantage.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in government affairs, permitting, regulatory affairs, project development, or infrastructure projects.
• Experience in renewable energy, power generation, transmission infrastructure, large-scale construction, or infrastructure projects is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with government authorities and regulatory institutions.
• Strong understanding of Turkish governmental and administrative processes.
• Proven ability to manage multiple permits and approvals against demanding project schedules.

Good working knowledge of relevant Turkish permitting processes, including:

• Zoning and planning
• Construction and building approvals
• Land acquisition and expropriation
• Forestry and agricultural land permissions
• Energy market and EMRA processes
• Municipality procedures
• Cadastral and land registry processes
• Transmission line and substation permitting
• Construction and operational licensing

Required Skills

• Strong government and stakeholder management skills
• Excellent communication and negotiation abilities
• Strong knowledge of Turkish administrative procedures
• Ability to navigate complex governmental processes
• Strong follow-up and coordination skills
• Ability to work independently and drive actions to closure
• Strong organizational and documentation skills
• Ability to manage multiple parallel permitting processes
• Good understanding of project schedules and critical path
• Strong problem-solving and escalation skills
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced project environment
• Excellent written and spoken Turkish and English