Geothermal Well Permitting & Compliance Lead

Fervo Energy; Reno (NV); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Fervo Energy seeks a Well Permitting Specialist to manage planning, permitting, and regulatory compliance for geothermal well drilling across exploration through production. You will obtain and maintain state and federal drilling authorizations and ensure compliance with permit conditions, serving as the primary interface with regulatory agencies.

Working with Drilling, Completions, Construction, Surveying, Environmental, and Land teams, you will develop permitting strategies that support

Qualifications

• 8+ years of permitting or regulatory experience in energy, mining, geothermal, or large infrastructure projects.
• Experience preparing and obtaining drilling permits from state and/or federal regulatory agencies.
• Strong understanding of geothermal drilling operations and well development.
• Excellent organizational, communication, project management, and stakeholder coordination skills.
• Ability to travel approximately 25% to project sites throughout the western United States.

Responsibilities

• Develop permitting strategies that support exploration, appraisal, injection, monitoring, production, and commercial geothermal well development.
• Prepare and submit complete drilling permit applications to state and federal agencies.
• Coordinate permit sequencing with project schedules, drilling programs, and construction milestones.
• Identify permitting risks and develop mitigation strategies to minimize impacts to project schedules.
• Maintain a comprehensive permitting schedule and forecast for active and future drilling programs.
• Coordinate regulatory agency meetings and technical reviews, respond to agency requests for additional information, and negotiate permit conditions where appropriate.
• Maintain positive working relationships with regulatory personnel.
• Review technical information, including drilling programs, casing and cementing programs, blowout prevention (BOP) specifications, directional drilling plans, well location plats, surface use plans, and other plans / programs associated with well development.
• Ensure drilling operations comply with all permit conditions and regulatory requirements, and manage permit amendments as drilling programs evolve.
• Develop systems to track permit obligations, reporting deadlines, inspections, and regulatory commitments.
• Coordinate responses to agency inspections and compliance reviews.
• Support internal compliance audits and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Manage permitting consultants and technical contractors and review consultant work products for technical accuracy and regulatory compliance.
• Manage consultant budgets and schedules.
• Develop internal guidance documents and best practices.
• Provide regulatory training to project teams.
• Maintain complete regulatory records for all well permits.
• Develop standardized permitting templates and procedures.

Skills

Permitting/regulatory

Geothermal drilling

Stakeholder coordination

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Geology/Environmental Science/Natural Resources/Planning or related field

Job description

Fervo Energy seeks a Well Permitting Specialist to manage planning, permitting, and regulatory compliance for geothermal well drilling across exploration through production. You will obtain and maintain state and federal drilling authorizations and ensure compliance with permit conditions, serving as the primary interface with regulatory agencies.

Working with Drilling, Completions, Construction, Surveying, Environmental, and Land teams, you will develop permitting strategies that support