Director of Permitting

NewEdge Power; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first environment

Annual bonus

401(k) plan

Company equity program

Unlimited PTO and paid holidays

Health, Dental, and Vision insurance

Job summary

NewEdge Power is seeking a Director of Permitting to lead permitting strategy across utility-scale and storage projects. This role demands deep knowledge of local land-use, state siting, environmental regulations, and safety standards, with the ability to represent the company before agencies and communities.

You will manage strategy, diligence, and engagement activities, build relationships with agencies, oversee consultants, and help advance acquisitions and financings.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of permitting for utility-scale or distributed solar, battery storage, wind, or other energy infrastructure.
• 5+ years of experience applying NEPA, ESA, Clean Water Act Sections 404/401, NHPA Section 106, SEQRA, and stormwater requirements.
• 3+ years of experience with battery storage codes and safety standards (NFPA 855, IFC, UL 9540/9540A) and emergency response planning.
• 8+ years of experience securing discretionary local and state permits for solar and/or battery storage projects, ideally in PJM and MISO states.
• 5+ years of experience managing environmental and engineering consultants, including scopes, schedules, and budgets.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own project-level permitting strategies, schedules, and budgets from site screening through construction permits.
• Direct site diligence and technical studies, manage environmental consultants and analyses.
• Lead permit applications, pre-application meetings, and represent NewEdge at hearings and agency meetings.
• Engage with communities, track local ordinances, and negotiate host community agreements and road use agreements.
• Support permitting diligence for acquisitions, project sales, and financings; manage data rooms and responses to diligence requests.
• Maintain permitting tracker, standards, and templates; manage consultant bench and budgets; report risks to management.

Skills

Permitting leadership

Public speaking

GIS / spatial analysis

Emotional intelligence

Team collaboration

Self-starter

Education

Bachelor's degree in environmental science, planning, engineering, natural resources, or related field

Advanced degree (preferred)

Tools

GIS software

Web-based mapping tools

Job description

Position:

Director of Permitting

Location:

Remote EST/CST (Candidates within the PJM or MISO footprint preferred)

Reports To:

Chief Development Officer

Exemption Status:

Exempt

About NewEdge Power

NewEdge Power is a pure-play clean energy development platform focused on developing high return utility-scale and distributed power solutions across the United States. NewEdge is a dynamic, high-growth, and entrepreneurial company. As a nimble and geographically dispersed team, the company is committed to fostering an environment of inclusion, teamwork, and delivering high impact for both the business and the communities it serves.

NewEdge seeks an experienced, detail-oriented permitting leader with proven skills, agency relationships, and emotional intelligence to own permitting strategy and execution across the company’s utility-scale and distributed storage and solar pipeline. The Director of Permitting position requires deep knowledge of local land-use and state siting processes, federal and state environmental regulation, and battery storage safety requirements, combined with the ability to represent NewEdge credibly before agencies and communities.

Your Core Responsibilities

• Permitting Strategy: Develop and own project-level permitting strategies, schedules, and budgets from site screening through construction permits, covering local land use (zoning, special and conditional use permits, site plan approval), state siting processes, and federal permits as required.
• Environmental & Site Diligence: Direct site diligence and technical studies, including critical issues analyses, wetland delineations, threatened and endangered species, cultural resources, Phase I ESAs, noise, visual, stormwater, and BESS hazard mitigation analyses. Scope, manage, and review the work of environmental consultants.
• Agency & AHJ Engagement: Prepare and review permit applications, lead pre-application meetings, and represent NewEdge at planning boards, public hearings, and agency meetings. Build lasting relationships with federal, state, and local agencies, fire officials, and other authorities having jurisdiction.
• Community Engagement: Partner with the development team on community outreach, local ordinance and moratorium tracking, and response to opposition. Support negotiation of host community agreements, PILOTs, and road use agreements.
• Diligence & Transactions: Support permitting diligence for acquisitions, project sales, and financings, including permit matrices, data room materials, and responses to buyer, lender, and investor diligence requests.
• Process & Reporting: Maintain the company’s permitting tracker, standards, and templates; manage the consultant bench and permitting budgets; and report on schedule and risk to management and investors.
• Other: NewEdge is a rapidly growing organization. Job duties may evolve over time to best support the continued growth of the business.

Experience Qualifiers

• Director: 8+ years of permitting experience for utility-scale or distributed solar, battery storage, wind, or other energy infrastructure, including 3+ years leading permitting on multiple concurrent projects.

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, planning, engineering, natural resources, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience securing discretionary local and state permits for solar and/or battery storage projects, ideally in PJM and MISO states.
• 5+ years of experience applying NEPA, ESA, Clean Water Act Sections 404/401, NHPA Section 106, state environmental review (e.g., SEQRA), and stormwater requirements.
• 3+ years of experience with battery storage codes and safety standards (NFPA 855, IFC, UL 9540/9540A) and emergency response planning.
• 5+ years of experience managing environmental and engineering consultants, including scopes, schedules, and budgets.
• Strong written communication and public speaking skills, including testimony at hearings and public meetings.
• Proficiency with GIS and web-based mapping tools for site screening and spatial analysis.
• Ability to travel 25%-40% of the time for permitting meetings, hearings, and site visits, often at short notice.
• Highly analytical mindset with a curiosity to figure new things out.
• Team player with a willingness to engage across the organization.
• High degree of emotional intelligence and respect for others.
• Self-starter with a strong passion for the clean energy industry.

Preferred Differentiators

• Advanced degree in environmental policy, planning, natural resources, or law.
• Experience with state siting boards or centralized permitting processes (e.g., NY ORES, Ohio Power Siting Board).
• Prior experience in an entrepreneurial environment and/or working for a small-to-medium size project development company.
• Experience building ordinance tracking or permitting databases to support project development.

Life and Benefits at NewEdge

• Competitive base salary
• Annual performance based bonus
• Remote first environment
• In-person team summits
• 401(k) plan
• Company equity program
• Unlimited PTO and paid holidays
• Health, Dental, and Vision insurance benefits
• Life and disability insurance benefits

Compensation: The anticipated base salary range for this position is $150,000 – $200,000. Final base salary will be determined based on a range of factors, including skills, experience, qualifications, and location. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for an annual performance-based bonus, participation in the company equity program, and the benefits listed above.

NewEdge provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression, or veteran status.

We look forward to hearing from you.