Environmental Permitting Lead

Environmental Permitting Lead

Department: Natural Resources & Environmental Planning

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Springfield, MA

Compensation: $100,000 - $135,000 / year

Description

Creativity. Innovation. A desire to effect positive change. That's what it takes to work at Fuss & O'Neill - because that's what we do for the communities in which we work: we create, innovate, and design long-lasting improvements that improve quality of life. Quality of life is also important on the job, so we've prioritized work-life balance by offering flexible/remote work opportunities, part-time benefits, and generous PTO. We believe that each day is an opportunity to support one another, to support our clients, and to support our communities. If you feel the same, then you've found your future.

Fuss & O'Neill is seeking an experienced Environmental Permitting Leader to join our growing Water and Natural Resources team. This is an opportunity for a seasoned environmental professional to play a key role in leading Massachusetts natural resources permitting activities while working alongside multidisciplinary project teams on a diverse range of infrastructure, restoration, and redevelopment projects.

You will lead Massachusetts environmental permitting projects from early permitting strategies and application development through agency coordination and approval. You will work directly with our diverse team of scientists, engineers, planners, and designers and coordinate with clients and regulatory agencies to help move projects forward toward implementation.

The ideal candidate brings strong knowledge of Massachusetts environmental regulations, demonstrated experience leading permit submissions, and the judgment and project management skills needed to successfully lead multiple projects and permitting efforts at the same time.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Massachusetts natural resources permitting activities, serving as a technical and project management resource for permitting strategy, application preparation, agency coordination, and regulatory compliance

• Manage the review, preparation, and submission of environmental permit applications for a variety of projects and project types

• Navigate and manage permitting requirements under regulations including:

• Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA)

• Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act

• Massachusetts Endangered Species Act

• Chapter 91

• Section 401 Water Quality Certification

• USACE Sections 404/10/408

• Other applicable local, state, and federal environmental regulations

• Coordinate closely with regulatory agencies, municipalities, project teams, clients, and other stakeholders to support timely and successful permit approvals

• Develop permitting strategies and help project teams understand environmental regulatory requirements and their potential impact on project schedules and design

• Develop and oversee project budgets and schedules associated with permitting and natural resources work

• Coordinate wetland delineations, natural resources evaluations, field studies, and other technical investigations necessary to support permitting and environmental compliance

• Support projects involving ecological restoration, infrastructure repairs and replacements, bridges, culverts, dams, redevelopment, and other water and infrastructure improvements

• Manage multiple permitting projects simultaneously while maintaining schedules, budgets, quality, and client expectations

• Build and maintain productive relationships with state and federal regulatory agencies, municipalities, regional planning agencies, watershed groups, and other stakeholders

• Mentor and train early-career natural resources professionals in environmental permitting, regulatory requirements, and project management

• Collaborate with Fuss & O'Neill's multidisciplinary teams to integrate natural resources and permitting considerations into project planning and design.

Projects You'll Support

You'll have the opportunity to contribute to a variety of projects across Massachusetts, including:

• Bridge and culvert repairs and replacements
• Dam and water infrastructure projects
• Ecological restoration
• Multi-use trail improvements
• Redevelopment
• Roadway improvements

Current project needs include Massachusetts small bridge repair/replacements, rail trail improvements, and roadway reconstruction projects.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Natural Resources or a related discipline
• 7+ years of experience managing environmental permit submissions subject to local, state, and federal regulations
• Demonstrated experience with Massachusetts environmental permitting and regulatory frameworks
• Experience managing permitting for a variety of projects, such as ecological restoration, infrastructure repairs, bridges, culverts, dams, or redevelopment
• Strong project management and leadership skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary project teams, clients, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; experience with project management software is a plus

Preferred:

• Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS), Professional Soil Scientist, or similar professional certification
• Additional working knowledge of environmental regulations in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and/or New York
• Established relationships with state agencies, municipalities, regional planning agencies, watershed organizations, or other environmental stakeholders

This is a hybrid role, offering the best of both worlds-collaborate in-office with a high-performing team and enjoy the flexibility of working remotely part of the week. We''re committed to supporting work-life balance while maintaining strong team connection and project delivery.

Why You'll Love Working with Us

• Schedule Flexibility: Customize your work schedule to fit your life.
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive health benefits to keep you and your family healthy.
• Continuous Learning: Access to online courses, conferences, and learning materials to fuel your professional growth.
• Paid Time Off: Take the time you need to recharge with our generous paid time off policy.
• Career Advancement: Clear paths for promotions and the opportunity to take on new challenges.
• Fun Team Culture: Regular team-building activities, happy hours, and company outings.

The base salary range for this role is indicated in the posting. This range reflects the company's good faith estimate of the compensation for this position at the time of posting. Final compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, skills, qualifications, internal equity, and geographic location.

Visa sponsorship is NOT available for this position

All offers are contingent upon a successful criminal background check. Fuss & O''Neill, Inc. is proud to be an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Fuss & O'Neill participates in the Federal e-Verify program.

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