Permitting Manager

Karpower; Texas; On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Karpower is seeking a Permitting Manager for its US operations, with an initial focus on Texas and other target locations. The role oversees permitting and entitlement processes for large-scale power generation and behind-the-meter projects across multiple jurisdictions.

Responsibilities include developing permitting plans, coordinating applications and studies, and managing relationships with permitting authorities and internal teams to drive timely approvals and project progress.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a related field.
• 7+ years of permitting and entitlements experience, with responsibility for securing permits.
• Experience coordinating multiple jurisdictions and complex permitting processes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage project-specific permitting plans, schedules, and budgets.
• Coordinate preparation, submission, and follow-up of permit applications and studies.
• Build relationships with permitting authorities and coordinate across internal teams.

Skills

Permit management

Project coordination

Stakeholder management

Travel readiness

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Environmental Science, Engineering, Public Administration, Environmental Policy, Law, or related discipline

Tools

AICP

PMP

Job description

Karpower is a next-generation power infrastructure company delivering fast-track, behind-the-meter energy solutions for industries and markets that require timely, reliable power. With 80 years of heritage and more than 25 years of experience in energy infrastructure, Karpower operates across more than 30 countries worldwide.

At Karpower, we combine proven expertise in floating and land-based power generation with integrated solutions spanning behind-the-meter power supply, advanced power delivery, and comprehensive fuel supply.

Karpower Valley is a first-of-its-kind industrial and power generation hub designed to deliver speed, scale, and certainty in meeting America’s growing energy demand. Located in Brownsville, Texas, the Valley brings together manufacturing, assembly, testing, commissioning, and deployment within a single, fully integrated ecosystem, fundamentally changing how power infrastructure is built in the United States.

We are looking for a “Permitting Manager” for our US operations. This position is responsible for managing permitting and entitlement processes for large-scale power generation and behind-the-meter energy projects across multiple U.S. jurisdictions, with an initial focus on Texas and other target project locations.

WHAT DO WE EXPECT?

• Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Environmental Science, Engineering, Public Administration, Environmental Policy, Law, or a related discipline.
• 7+ years of experience in permitting, environmental approvals, land-use entitlements, or infrastructure project development, with direct responsibility for securing project permits.
• Experience managing permitting activities for large-scale infrastructure, energy, industrial, or behind-the-meter power projects.
• Strong understanding of federal, state, county, and municipal permitting requirements applicable to power generation and energy infrastructure projects.
• Experience coordinating complex permitting and entitlement processes across multiple jurisdictions.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects, stakeholders, consultants, and permitting processes simultaneously.
• Ability to travel regularly to project sites and permitting authorities as required.

Preferred

• Experience securing environmental and land-use permits for power generation projects in Texas and/or other target U.S. jurisdictions.
• Familiarity with the ERCOT market and its implications for project development is preferred.
• Background within Independent Power Producers (IPPs), infrastructure developers, utilities, behind-the-meter energy solution providers, or energy-focused law firms.
• Existing relationships with permitting agencies, planning authorities, and environmental consultants are considered an advantage.
• Professional certification such as AICP, PMP, or similar.

WHAT AWAITS YOU?

• Develop and manage project-specific permitting plans, approval schedules, and budgets for power generation and energy infrastructure projects.
• Assess permitting feasibility during site selection, identifying land-use restrictions, required approvals, anticipated timelines, and jurisdiction-specific risks.
• Coordinate the preparation, review, submission, and follow-up of complete and compliant permit applications, including supporting technical studies and responses to agency comments and requests for additional information.
• Monitor permitting progress, identify approval delays and schedule risks, and coordinate mitigation actions with project teams and external advisors.
• Identify applicable federal, state, county, and municipal permitting requirements; monitor changes in requirements and agency procedures and assess their impact on project approvals.
• Support land-use approvals, rezoning applications, conditional use permits, variances, and development agreements.
• Build and maintain productive technical and procedural relationships with permitting authorities, including planning departments, environmental agencies, and zoning boards; coordinate agency consultations and represent the company in application reviews, permitting meetings, and public hearings on technical and application matters, in coordination with the External Affairs & Community Relations Manager.
• Provide technical permitting input to the External Affairs & Community Relations Manager, who leads community engagement, public messaging, and broader government relationships, to support engagement related to permitting and project approvals.
• Coordinate environmental permitting activities including air quality, water, wetlands, stormwater, endangered species, and other environmental approvals where applicable.
• Maintain permit registers, application records, approval documentation, and permit conditions; coordinate renewals, amendments, and the handover of ongoing permit obligations to construction and operations teams.
• Select, engage, and manage environmental and permitting consultants, land-use attorneys, and technical advisors across relevant U.S. jurisdictions, maintaining access to suitable expertise; review deliverables and manage scope, schedule, quality, performance, and budget in coordination with internal project teams.
• Support commercial and customer-facing discussions by translating permitting requirements, approval constraints, and schedule risks into clear business implications.
• Prepare permitting status reports, risk assessments, and approval scenarios to support senior management decisions on project development opportunities and constraints.
• Ensure permitting activities and engagement with permitting authorities comply with applicable laws, ethics standards, and agency rules, coordinating with Legal as needed.
• Collaborate with Development, Commercial, Engineering, Grid & Interconnection, Project Management, External Affairs & Community Relations, and Legal teams to incorporate permit requirements, conditions, and approval milestones into project planning and execution.