Director, Environmental Permitting & Strategy

About the job

Director, Environmental Permitting & Strategy

Job Description

About Takanock

Founded in 2023, Takanock, LLC tackles the data center industry's core challenge of developing shovel-ready data center sites by leveraging decades of experience in site selection, power generation, energy markets, and infrastructure. Takanock focuses on Tier I and Tier II markets where demand for data centers is greatest, and power constraints are most acute. By bringing our own on-site generation and unlocking grid capacity where others struggle, we accelerate deployment timelines and ensure Continuity of PowerSM. Takanock is dedicated to solving the most complex challenges at the intersection of the digital and energy industries.

Takanock is headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan, with additional offices in Fulton, Maryland and Austin, Texas, and is currently evaluating office space in Denver, Colorado. We develop data center and power generation projects throughout the United States, supported by a team that combines deep technical expertise, regulatory knowledge, and market insight. Backed by a $500 million equity commitment, Takanock is positioned for rapid growth while developing modern, secure, and scalable infrastructure.

Location

This position may be located in Traverse City, MI; Fulton, MD; or Denver, CO, where Takanock is currently evaluating office space.

About the Director, Environmental Permitting & Strategy Role

The Director, Environmental Permitting & Strategy serves as Takanock's environmental permitting leader and strategic advisor to the Development organization, supporting development and project management functions across the company's growing portfolio of hyperscale data center and power generation projects.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this individual is responsible for establishing and executing environmental permitting strategy across the full project lifecycle — from site evaluation and due diligence through permitting, construction readiness, and project execution. The Director will lead the company's approach to environmental permitting with a particular emphasis on water permitting, regulatory strategy, environmental risk management, and agency engagement.

This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on execution. The Director will partner closely with Development, Engineering, Legal, and executive leadership to integrate permitting strategy into business decisions, accelerate project schedules, and proactively mitigate regulatory risk. In addition to managing complex permitting efforts, this individual will serve as the company's internal subject matter expert, advising project teams on permitting strategy, regulatory requirements, consultant selection, and best practices across multiple concurrent developments.

Success in this role requires someone who is equally comfortable developing enterprise-wide permitting strategies, building trusted relationships with regulatory agencies, leading external consultants, and rolling up their sleeves to solve complex permitting challenges. This is a highly visible leadership role that will influence project success across Takanock's entire development portfolio.

Essential Functions & Key Responsibilities

Environmental Permitting Strategy

• Lead enterprise-wide environmental permitting strategy across Takanock's portfolio of energy and data center developments
• Serve as the company's internal subject matter expert for environmental permitting, with deep expertise in water permitting and related regulatory requirements
• Develop permitting strategies that reduce project risk, accelerate schedules, and improve development certainty
• Evaluate permitting implications during site selection, due diligence, acquisition, and project development
• Identify permitting risks early and recommend mitigation strategies to executive leadership and project teams
• Establish environmental permitting standards, processes, and best practices that support scalable growth and consistent project execution
• Develop portfolio-wide permitting roadmaps that proactively identify schedule risks, critical permitting milestones, and mitigation strategies
• Mentor and advise project teams on permitting strategy, environmental risk management, regulatory engagement, and industry best practices
• Provide executive leadership with regular updates on permitting status, emerging regulatory issues, portfolio-wide risks, and strategic recommendations
• Monitor evolving environmental regulations, permitting trends, and industry best practices to proactively position Takanock's projects for long-term success

Water Permitting Leadership

• Lead strategy for water-related permitting across federal, state, and local jurisdictions
• Develop permitting approaches for Clean Water Act requirements, wetlands, stream impacts, stormwater, water quality, and related environmental approvals
• Provide technical guidance to Development teams regarding permitting risks, sequencing, and regulatory strategy
• Stay current on changing environmental regulations and proactively identify opportunities and risks

Project Development Support

• Partner with development and construction teams across multiple projects to integrate permitting strategy into overall development plans
• Support project teams throughout the development lifecycle by providing permitting expertise and strategic guidance
• Coordinate permitting activities with Engineering, Transmission, Legal, Land, and Commercial teams
• Validate assumptions and schedules provided by utilities, regulatory agencies, and consultants while ensuring realistic project execution

Consultant & Agency Management

• Manage environmental consulting firms, permitting specialists, and technical advisors
• Direct consultant scope, budgets, schedules, and quality of deliverables
• Build and maintain productive relationships with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies
• Coordinate with outside legal counsel as necessary regarding permitting and regulatory matters

Minimum Requirements

• Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Strong project and consultant management experience across multiple concurrent projects
• Ability to influence cross-functional teams without direct authority
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience presenting complex permitting issues to senior leadership
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment

Experience & Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressively responsible environmental permitting experience (exceptional candidates with slightly less experience may be considered)
• Extensive experience leading environmental permitting strategy for complex infrastructure or energy development projects
• Demonstrated expertise in water permitting, including Clean Water Act Sections 404 and 401, NPDES, state water quality certifications, wetlands, streams, and related environmental permitting programs
• Experience managing environmental consultants, regulatory agencies, and multidisciplinary project teams
• Experience supporting large-scale infrastructure development, including power generation, electric transmission, renewable energy, BESS, data centers, mission-critical infrastructure, or midstream infrastructure
• This position is expected to require the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance (up to a Top Secret level), and therefore it is a requirement for candidates to be eligible to obtain a security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting hyperscale data center developments
• Previous experience with a leading environmental or engineering consulting firm such as ERM, Tetra Tech, ICF, Stantec, WSP, AECOM, Jacobs, Burns & McDonnell, Black & Veatch, or similar
• Experience permitting gas-fired generation or other dispatchable generation assets
• Established relationships with federal and state environmental regulatory agencies
• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Planning, Biology, Natural Resources, or a related discipline
• Advanced degree preferred

Compensation & Benefits

The base salary range for this position is $160,000–$230,000 per year, plus annual bonus and additional incentives.

Takanock provides competitive compensation and benefits, including fully paid medical, dental, and vision coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield, a 401(k) plan with company contributions, unlimited PTO, a monthly mobile phone stipend, and company-paid parking.

Next Steps

If you're excited about shaping environmental permitting strategy for some of the country's most complex energy and hyperscale data center developments, we'd love to hear from you.

Applications must be submitted by September 4, 2026, and qualified candidates will receive a response.

Benefits found in job post

401(k), Medical insurance, Vision insurance, Dental insurance, Commuter benefits

Requirements added by the job poster

• Bachelor's Degree

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