Geothermal Well Permitting Lead

Stanford Climate Ventures; Reno, Northern (NV, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Fervo is seeking a Well Permitting Specialist to manage the full lifecycle of geothermal well permits from planning through long-term regulatory compliance. You will coordinate across drilling, completions, construction, surveying, environmental, and land teams, ensuring adherence to permit conditions and safety standards.

The role requires 8+ years of permitting or regulatory experience, strong project management, and the ability to travel ~25% across the western United States.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of permitting or regulatory experience supporting energy, mining, geothermal, or other large infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated 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.
• Self-starter capable of managing multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Ability to travel approximately 25% to project sites throughout the western United States.

Responsibilities

• Develop permitting strategies to support exploration, appraisal, injection, monitoring, production, and commercial geothermal 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 schedule impacts.
• Maintain a comprehensive permitting schedule and forecast for active and future drilling programs.
• Coordinate regulatory agency meetings and technical reviews; respond to information requests and negotiate permit conditions.
• Maintain relationships with regulatory personnel; review technical information and plans for compliance.
• Develop internal guidance and best practices; provide regulatory training to project teams.

Skills

Communication

Project management

Stakeholder coordination

Leadership

Travel readiness

Education

Engineering or related technical discipline

Job description

Fervo is seeking a Well Permitting Specialist to manage the full lifecycle of geothermal well permits from planning through long-term regulatory compliance. You will coordinate across drilling, completions, construction, surveying, environmental, and land teams, ensuring adherence to permit conditions and safety standards.

The role requires 8+ years of permitting or regulatory experience, strong project management, and the ability to travel ~25% across the western United States.