Senior Licensing Specialist (Retail, Alcohol & Business Licensing)

Are you the licensing expert everyone turns to for the toughest regulatory challenges?

Join Sutherland as a Senior Retail Licensing & Regulatory Specialist and become the subject matter expert supporting the licensing authority for a large-scale retail operation. Your expertise will help shape licensing strategy, reduce regulatory risk, and keep thousands of retail locations compliant across multiple jurisdictions.

We''re looking for someone with 5+ years of hands-on experience managing multi-jurisdiction business licenses, permits, and renewals for a national retailer, restaurant, or quick-service organization.

As the project''s licensing authority, you''ll interpret complex regulatory requirements, guide best practices for high-risk licensing-including alcohol and health permits-and help build compliant, scalable processes that support operations across the country.

What You''ll Bring

We''re looking for a licensing expert who thrives on navigating complex regulatory environments. The ideal candidate will have:

• 5+ years of hands-on experience managing multi-jurisdiction business license and permit renewals for a large national retailer, restaurant, or quick-service organization.
• Deep expertise with high-risk licensing, including Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), Health Department permits, Hazardous Materials, and other complex regulatory requirements.
• A proven ability to interpret statutes, municipal codes, and regulatory requirements and translate them into clear, practical business processes.
• Strong knowledge of the full licensing lifecycle-from new applications and renewals through approvals, closeout, and record retention.
• Experience managing licensing across multiple states and local jurisdictions, balancing competing deadlines while maintaining compliance.
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to identify compliance risks before they become business issues.
• Willingness to travel to client sites as needed.
• Ability to work onsite in Chesapeake, VA. Candidates located outside the area are welcome to apply-relocation assistance is available.

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