Environmental & Permitting Manager/Senior Manager
Do you want to work with high caliber professionals in a dynamic and growing company? Are you entrepreneurial, hard-working, and collegial? Join us at SB Energy, a leading company backed by SoftBank and Ares pairing cutting-edge innovation with best-in-class execution. Our Mission is to provide reliable, affordable energy at scale to support America’s growing energy demands.
Headquartered in Redwood City, CA, SB Energy develops, builds, owns & operates some of the largest and most technically advanced energy and data center infrastructure projects in the United States. Since launching in 2019, the company has rapidly grown into a top-tier integrated platform with over 3 gigawatts (GW) in operation and a multi-GW pipeline of energy and data center infrastructure nationwide. SB Energy also utilizes its strong culture of innovation to identify and incorporate new technology into our projects, including our AI-based digital platform, to deliver energy infrastructure that is local, reliable, and matched to load. We are building the energy and technology future—today.
Come join us in accelerating the energy transition to cleaner, more sustainable sources of power!
Title: Environmental & Permitting Manager/Senior Manager
Basic Function:
The Environmental & Permitting Manager/Senior Manger will be responsible for acquisition of discretionary land use and environmental permits and authorizations in support of SB Energy’s development and construction portfolio for utility scale energy generation, energy storage, and data center projects across the U.S. The Environmental & Permitting Manage/Senior Manager will report to the Environmental & Permitting Director.
Responsibilities:
- Plan and oversee the management and advancement of local, state, and federal permitting processes and manage project compliance during the development and construction phases of energy generation, energy storage, and data center projects.
- Prepare, evaluate, and/or manage the preparation of natural resource surveys, landuse applications, environmental impact reports, and other technical reports.
- Understand the practical implications of existing permits and propose permitting strategies.
- Work collaboratively with other cross-functional teams including Development, Origination, Engineering, Transmission/Interconnection, Capital Markets, Data Center and other support teams.
- Identify external consultants with relevant, local expertise and experience; prepare scope of work and contract documents; and oversee quality of work product.
- Support project financing activities.
- Develop and successfully deliver on project schedules and budgets.
- Travel nationally up to 30%.
- Build effective relationships with authorities having jurisdiction, neighbors, the local community, third-party stakeholders, and any other relevant stakeholders.
Qualifications/Requirements:
- A bachelor's degree in environmental science, biology, land use planning, ecology, geography, or another relevant field.
- At least 8+ years of professional experience.
- At least 5 years of experience in supporting environmental compliance and permitting issues in the United States for energy generation, energy storage, and/or data center projects, including their associated infrastructure, such as interconnection/collection substations, collector lines, generation lines, access roads, etc.
- Strong understanding of local, state, and federal discretionary permits and environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act (CWA) (stormwater/erosion prevention/WOTUS NWPs), Clean Air Act (CAA) (GHG, thermal generation air emissions, etc), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (federal Rights-of-Way), Endangered Species Act (ESA) (take permits), Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) (avian impact avoidance), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (hazardous waste), Environmental Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) (Tier II reporting), and/or other state environmental or permitting agencies such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC), Wyoming Industrial Siting Council (WISD), Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB), etc.
- Experience obtaining discretionary land use permits and authorizations, including conditional use permits, special use permits, zone changes/amendments, development agreements, general/comprehensive plan amendments, BLM/BIA/DOE Rights-of-Way, tax abatements, and natural resource permits for energy generation, energy storage, and data center projects.
- Experience securing federal approvals.
- A thorough understanding of environmental and wildlife impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures.
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, analytical and planning abilities, and good judgement.
- The ability to manage multiple time-sensitive projects simultaneously.
- Experience working with and developing relationships with permitting specialists, regulators, project managers, environmental lawyers, scientists, planners, engineers, and contractors.
- Expert communication and organization skills.
- Strong sense of ownership over individual contributions and team success.
Location: San Francisco / Bay Area, San Diego, CA; Denver, CO; Austin, TX. Hybrid.
The position may require up to 30% domestic travel.
Base Pay-$140000-$170000
The pay range mentioned above is a guideline. We tailor each offer based on your unique skills, experience, location, and market benchmarks—while ensuring internal parity across our team. In addition to competitive base pay, total compensation may include a discretionary annual bonus, a long-term incentive plan aligned with our ownership mindset, and a market leading comprehensive health and wellness benefits package. Final details will be discussed during the later stages of the hiring process.
Our Health & Wellness Benefits
SB Energy’s Benefits programs are designed to support our team members and their families while keeping their well-being, happiness, and varying needs in mind. SB Energy employees may enroll in our benefits programs and take advantage of customized perks and offerings, including those designed to support families, however defined. We offer the following benefits to all team members:
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance: 100% premium covered by the company, for employees and dependents
- Long-Term Disability (LTD), Life Insurance, AD&D and Voluntary Legal Insurance Plan
- Competitive Retirement Benefits with 401(k) company match
- Generous Paid Time Off and 11 Paid Company Holidays
- Flexible working arrangements
- 12 weeks fully paid Parental Leave
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA) – Medical & Dependent FSA; Transit & Commuter FSA with employer contributions
- Mental Health Wellness Offerings
- Discounted Physical Wellness plan & Pet Insurance
- Monthly reimbursement for Phone/Internet/Data
- Phone Equipment Purchase Benefits
- Thoughtful Hybrid Workplace Set-up Benefits
Promote Sustainability with a Purpose - At SB Energy, you may choose to become a part of our ‘Just Renewables’ Committee and work along with team members who share a belief in pursuing our mission in such a way that empowers a diverse and inclusive workforce that advances social justice and equity for our employees as well as partners and communities!
SB Energy is committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class. SB Energy strives to create an inclusive culture and safe environment for all.
To learn more about us, visit www.sbenergy.com.