Senior Compliance Project Manager

at  SWCA Environmental Consultants

About the opportunity:
SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA) is one of the largest environmental compliance firms in the country and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms. We have an opening for a Senior Compliance Project Manager in our Rocky Mountain Plains subregion to support renewable energy generation, energy storage, and electric transmission projects across the western United States. This position will be part of Program Management, SWCA’s client-focused teams aligned to execute and scale with our strategic clients.
This is a full-time, regular (with benefits), salaried position based in Colorado, Wyoming, or Utah although other locations may be considered. Pay rate will be based on individual qualifications and experience. SWCA offers a team-oriented work environment, competitive salaries, and a competitive benefits package, including retirement benefits in the form of an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
Successful candidates will have strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, ability to lead the development of complex permitting and compliance strategies, ability to perform in a high-paced, development-orientated environment, experience leading interactions with clients and regulatory agencies, ability to work on multiple projects and manage multiple tasks concurrently, possess strong project management and interpersonal skills, and have experience with project development and construction processes for large-scale solar, wind, energy storage, electrical transmission, or other energy development projects.
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:

You will be responsible for leading and overseeing construction compliance teams and strategies for major transmission and renewable energy projects. Your duties will encompass a broad range of responsibilities, including:

• Manage environmental compliance programs for large-scale renewable energy and transmission projects, ensuring adherence to federal, state, and local regulations and permits.
• Oversee the compliance monitoring team, including onsite compliance managers, environmental inspectors, and resource monitors.
• Coordinate with third-party inspectors and agency representatives.
• Coordinate with construction contractor management teams.
• Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive change management system to track and manage deviations from established plans and permits.
• Prepare and/or review detailed monitoring reports, weekly updates, and monthly summary reports to document compliance levels, variances, and corrective actions taken in response to compliance issues.
• Facilitate effective communication within the compliance monitoring team and with external agencies and stakeholders, including the preparation of documents for discussions related to project compliance.
• Implement and oversee environmental training programs, ensuring awareness and adherence to permit conditions.
• Lead the response to non-compliance issues, including the coordination of corrective actions and documentation of issue resolution to regulatory agencies.
• Demonstrate strong leadership and professionalism, providing guidance and mentorship to project team members.
• Manage complex environmental compliance projects with responsibility to develop and manage large budgets, review and approve invoices, supervise project staff, and coordinate with project clients.

Experience and qualifications for success:

• Bachelor’s degree in anthropology, environmental planning, environmental science, biology, natural resource management, planning, or another science-related field.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of experience in environmental permitting and compliance, with three (3) years working on solar, wind, energy storage, and/or electric transmission facilities preferred. Compliance leadership on other project types will also be considered.
• Experience should include complex, multi-disciplinary projects; leading meetings with clients and agencies; directing project teams including subcontractors; preparing or directing staff; and setting and adhering to project budgets and delivery schedules.
• Advanced knowledge of pertinent current and pending federal and state environmental regulations and the ability to develop project management plans to satisfy regulatory compliance.
• A working understanding of agency internal processes and procedures and positive existing relationships with state and federal land management and regulatory agencies.
• Proven experience with large energy development projects on public lands, natural resource issues, and/or solar, wind, energy storage, and electric transmission projects.

• Manage environmental compliance programs for large-scale renewable energy and transmission projects, ensuring adherence to federal, state, and local regulations and permits.
• Oversee the compliance monitoring team, including onsite compliance managers, environmental inspectors, and resource monitors.
• Coordinate with third-party inspectors and agency representatives.
• Coordinate with construction contractor management teams.
• Develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive change management system to track and manage deviations from established plans and permits.
• Prepare and/or review detailed monitoring reports, weekly updates, and monthly summary reports to document compliance levels, variances, and corrective actions taken in response to compliance issues.
• Facilitate effective communication within the compliance monitoring team and with external agencies and stakeholders, including the preparation of documents for discussions related to project compliance.
• Implement and oversee environmental training programs, ensuring awareness and adherence to permit conditions.
• Lead the response to non-compliance issues, including the coordination of corrective actions and documentation of issue resolution to regulatory agencies.
• Demonstrate strong leadership and professionalism, providing guidance and mentorship to project team members.
• Manage complex environmental compliance projects with responsibility to develop and manage large budgets, review and approve invoices, supervise project staff, and coordinate with project clients