Senior Project Manager

SWCA, Incorporated; Saint Paul (MN); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SWCA Environmental Consultants is seeking a Senior Project Manager – Energy Permitting to lead complex permitting efforts for renewable energy generation and transmission projects across the Rocky Mountain Plains, Minnesota, Dakotas, Great Lakes, and surrounding subregions. The role is hybrid-based and reports to the St.

Paul, MN office, with responsibilities spanning planning, permitting, and construction.

Qualifications

• Two (2) years’ experience managing natural resources projects with renewable energy clients.
• Demonstrated experience with energy facility siting and constraints studies, permitting, and/or NEPA compliance.
• Demonstrated experience with federal/state agencies (USFWS, USACE, BLM, USFS, FERC) and related agencies.
• Applicants must have valid driver’s license and be able to meet SWCA’s driver requirements.

Responsibilities

• Strategic project leadership and oversight from planning through construction.
• Lead and mentor teams to meet professional and regulatory standards.
• Develop and implement innovative technical approaches and QA/QC for projects.
• Manage scopes, schedules, budgets, and client communications.
• Engage with regulators and clients to build strong working relationships.

Skills

Project management

Environmental permitting

Renewable energy

Stakeholder engagement

NEPA knowledge

Job description

About the opportunity

SWCA Environmental Consultants is actively seeking a Senior Project Manager – Energy Permitting with strong interpersonal skills and experience in project permitting and project management to join our team and primarily support renewable energy generation and transmission projects. Projects will be located throughout the Rocky Mountain Plains, Minnesota, Dakotas, Great Lakes, and other subregions.

This individual will work with a dynamic and company-wide team to successfully drive projects throughout all phases, from early planning and permitting through construction. The ideal candidate will possess extensive environmental consulting and project management experience, preferably with specific knowledge of renewable energy generation and transmission. SWCA is looking for the right candidate to take on existing and future projects and help build our presence throughout our various subregions in the north.

This is a regular (with benefits), salaried, exempt, full-time position that is hybrid-based reporting to our St. Paul, MN office location.

Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission.

What you will accomplish

• Strategic Project Leadership: Strategically consults on and leads complex projects in pursuit of client objectives, overseeing the technical approach and ensuring quality assurance and quality control.
• Exemplary Leadership: Leads by example in both technical and soft skills, navigating client and team priorities to deliver projects that meet professional and oversight agency standards.
• Technical Expertise & Innovation: Innovates standards and practices to enhance the quality and efficiency of client projects and outcomes, ensuring alignment with industry and regulatory standards. Serves as a go-to technical expert and consultant, providing novel project strategies and applying technical excellence that considers client needs to meet project requirements.
• Project Accountability: Continuously guides projects, executing accountability for the performance of projects or delegated tasks and ensuring that project milestones are met and outcomes align with SWCA’s values and client expectations. Assesses risks and implements strategies for problem-solving. Revises or suggests revisions to project scopes, schedules, and budgets as necessary to meet evolving project requirements and ensure successful outcomes.
• Business Growth & Innovation: Drives business growth and client success through technical excellence, innovation, and development of new methods and standards that advance SWCA's technical reputation. Contributes to SWCA's strategic planning.
• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Champions cross-disciplinary collaboration, working closely with specialists to provide comprehensive technical support for projects.
• Mentorship & Team Development: Mentors staff for impactful influence, coaching others in technical excellence, leadership, and strategy, and also develops specialized programs and protocols. Fosters team development and cross-training, modeling and promoting knowledge sharing and collaboration among team members to enhance project outcomes, as well as team depth and redundancy.
• Relationship Management: Establishes and grows effective consultative relationships with external and internal clients and/or agency regulators and industry partners (if applicable) to support successful projects.
• Follows applicable federal, Tribal, state, local, industry, contractual, and company regulations, standards, and specifications.
• Performs related work as assigned.

Additional Job-Specific Responsibilities

• Work closely with project teams to navigate permitting challenges and meet client needs.
• Assist the North subregional VPs and Directors in the development/updating and implementation of regional business plan(s).
• Manage & support regional projects, and other projects in the Rocky Mountain Plains, Minnesota, Dakotas, Wisconsin, Great Lakes, and other subregions.
• Help develop existing and new clients in the energy marketplace.
• Develop internal SWCA network via relationship-building with peers and directors across the North region.
• Engage with SWCA’s Technical Director team to support quality initiatives, and development of policies & procedures in your areas of expertise.
• Attend & contribute to office Business Development meetings in North offices as appropriate (especially Minneapolis/St. Paul, Sheridan, Denver, and Chicago).
• Pursue opportunity hires to help build SWCA’s regional team.
• Engage with professional organizations, including attendance at conferences, Board appointments, etc., on behalf of SWCA.
• Manage projects that include NEPA compliance, biological resource assessments and constraints analyses, state and federal Endangered Species Act consultations, Clean Water Act Section 404 and Section 401 permitting, state-level siting permits, and cultural resources studies.
• Work closely with SWCA’s resource scientists, environmental planners, managers, and directors in both natural and cultural resources groups throughout the company to promote SWCA’s business interests in adherence to its mission, vision, and values.
• Drives compliance of safety policies and reporting requirements to ensure overall team safety.

Experience and qualifications for success

• Two (2) years’ experience managing natural resources projects with renewable energy clients.
• Demonstrated experience with energy facility siting and constraints studies, permitting, and/or NEPA compliance.
• Demonstrated experience with state and federal agencies such as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, state wildlife agencies, US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), US Forest Service, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
• Prior primary report authorship and finalization for clients and agencies in a natural resource consulting context for a variety of project types and sizes, regions, and agencies.
• Applicants must have valid driver’s license and be able to meet SWCA’s driver requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three (3) years managing natural resources projects with renewable energy clients.
• Prior permitting project experience within the Rocky Mountain Plains, Minnesota, Dakota’s, Great Lakes, and similar subregions