Air Quality Technical Consultant / Permitting Engineer

ACHIEVE ENVIRONMENTAL; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

ACHIEVE ENVIRONMENTAL is seeking a full-time Air Quality Technical Consultant / Permitting Engineer for a hybrid role in the Greater Boston area. The role focuses on emissions calculations, AERMOD modeling, and regulatory compliance to support new projects and long‑term permitting.

The position involves independently preparing air permit applications, evaluating regulatory applicability, and communicating complex results to clients and regulators. Hybrid work in the Boston region is expected.

Qualifications

• Advanced, hands‑on proficiency with AERMOD and the supporting dispersion modelling workflow.
• Five+ years of directly relevant air quality consulting, permitting, emissions calculations, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience preparing air permit applications for diverse industrial facilities across the U.S.
• Strong knowledge of emissions estimation methods and regulatory guidance in multiple jurisdictions.
• Ability to work in a hybrid Greater Boston area environment with distributed teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop air permitting and compliance strategies aligned with clients’ objectives.
• Evaluate federal and state air quality requirements for existing operations, proposed projects, and modifications.
• Independently prepare emissions calculations for complex industrial and commercial processes.
• Prepare technically complete and defensible air permit applications for facilities across the United States.
• Develop AERMOD protocols and perform air dispersion modeling for permitting and compliance.
• Develop and review emissions inventories, regulatory applicability analyses, and modeling reports.
• Conduct rigorous QA/QC of calculations, inputs, results, and documentation.
• Respond to regulator questions and support inspections and meetings.
• Translate regulatory and permit requirements into practical compliance procedures.
• Manage multiple projects and clearly communicate findings to clients and regulators.

Skills

Emissions calculations

AERMOD dispersion modeling

Regulatory compliance

Technical writing

Project management

Client communication

Education

Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or a related field

Tools

AERMOD

Job description

ACHIEVE ENVIRONMENTAL is seeking a full-time Air Quality Technical Consultant / Permitting Engineer for a hybrid position in the Greater Boston area.

This is a hands-on role for an experienced air quality professional with advanced expertise in emissions calculations, AERMOD air dispersion modeling, and federal and state air quality regulations. The consultant will help clients translate environmental objectives and regulatory requirements into practical strategies that support new projects, facility modifications, operational changes, and long-term compliance.

A primary responsibility will be independently preparing accurate, complete, and technically defensible air permit applications for a variety of industrial sectors throughout the United States. This work will include developing emissions calculations, modeling protocols, AERMOD analyses, and modeling reports. The consultant will evaluate industrial processes, gather and validate operational data, select appropriate calculation methods and emission factors, characterize emission sources, develop modeling scenarios, review model inputs and outputs, interpret results, and clearly document assumptions and conclusions.

The consultant will evaluate regulatory applicability and develop permitting and compliance strategies under federal air quality requirements and state-specific programs across the United States. This requires the ability to research, interpret, and apply complex regulations and agency guidance and translate them into practical permitting, monitoring, recordkeeping, reporting, and operational requirements.

The consultant will work directly with corporate leaders, environmental teams, facility personnel, and regulatory agencies. The role will include responding to agency questions, supporting regulatory reviews and inspections, and helping clients maintain compliance after permits are issued. The consultant may also contribute to business development through client needs assessments, scope development, proposal preparation, and technical discussions.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop air permitting and compliance strategies aligned with clients’ operational and business objectives.
• Evaluate federal and state air quality requirements applicable to existing operations, proposed projects, and facility modifications.
• Independently prepare and review detailed emissions calculations for complex industrial and commercial processes.
• Prepare technically complete and defensible air permit applications for facilities across the United States.
• Develop AERMOD protocols and perform air dispersion modeling for permitting, compliance demonstrations, facility planning, and other air quality evaluations.
• Develop and review source characterizations, building-downwash analyses, meteorological and terrain inputs, receptor grids, background concentrations, and modeling scenarios.
• Prepare emissions inventories, regulatory applicability analyses, compliance demonstrations, modeling reports, and other technical documentation.
• Conduct rigorous quality assurance and quality control of calculations, assumptions, modeling inputs, results, and supporting materials.
• Respond to regulatory agency comments and information requests and support clients during meetings, permit reviews, and inspections.
• Translate regulatory and permit requirements into practical compliance procedures and systems.
• Manage multiple projects and communicate technical findings clearly to clients, regulators, and other stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or a closely related technical discipline.
• At least five years of directly relevant professional experience in air quality consulting, permitting, emissions calculations, dispersion modeling, and regulatory compliance.
• Advanced, hands‑on proficiency with AERMOD and the supporting air dispersion modeling workflow.
• Demonstrated ability to independently produce accurate, complete, and technically defensible emissions calculations and air permit applications.
• Strong knowledge of emissions‑estimation methods, including emission factors, mass balances, process data, stack‑test results, continuous monitoring data, engineering calculations, and manufacturer specifications.
• Strong working knowledge of the Clean Air Act and major federal air programs, including New Source Review, Prevention of Significant Deterioration, Title V, New Source Performance Standards, and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.
• Experience researching, interpreting, and applying state air permitting regulations and agency guidance in multiple U.S. jurisdictions.
• Experience preparing regulatory applicability analyses, emissions inventories, modeling protocols, dispersion modeling studies, compliance demonstrations, and technical reports.
• Meticulous attention to detail and a genuine interest in calculations, quantitative analysis, regulatory interpretation, and technically rigorous problem‑solving.
• Excellent technical writing, communication, project management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a hybrid arrangement in the Greater Boston area and collaborate with multidisciplinary and geographically distributed teams.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a technically driven air quality professional who enjoys detailed calculations, regulatory analysis, and complex problem‑solving. This individual takes ownership of the accuracy, completeness, and defensibility of their work and can independently manage sophisticated permitting and modeling assignments.

They can also connect detailed engineering and regulatory analyses with broader business objectives, helping clients move efficiently from environmental strategy through permitting and implementation to sustained regulatory compliance.