Permitting Director

Company

Orenda is a developer, owner and operator of distributed renewable energy resources. Each day, our work bridges the gap between renewable generation and electricity consumption.

The Orenda Execution team is responsible for designing, permitting, procuring equipment and constructing distributed energy resources. We thoughtfully develop processes and manage third parties to bring these projects to life.

ōˈrendə: the collective power of nature's energies; a spiritual force that empowers us to affect positive change in our own lives and our environment

Role

Orenda is looking to hire a Permitting Director as a founding team member of the Execution team. This individual will design, implement and execute a permitting workflow for our New York City sited distributed energy resources. If you are interested in taking ownership of your work at a leading infrastructure developer in a rapidly growing industry, this position is for you.

What You’ll Do

• Own the permitting function for a large portfolio of distributed energy resources.
• Design, implement and manage a workflow that consistently and dependably delivers permit approvals.
• Perform zoning and code analysis as needed and ensure compliance during the design and construction phase of projects. Identify risks and recommend mitigation of these risks. Maintain a network of experts you can rely on for deep dives in specific topics.
• Draft and submit permit applications. Assemble all the necessary supporting documentation and ensure they have the appropriate level of quality. Diligently follow up with AHJs until approvals are received. Anticipate and address AHJ objections in a timely manner. Engage stakeholders as necessary.
• On a weekly basis, align with and support project managers in the Execution Team to assure permitting requirements and timelines are correctly accounted for and limit their impact on the critical path of project execution, from inception to commissioning.
• Maintain on a monthly basis executive dashboards for the projects in your portfolio to capture progress made and challenges met. Keep track of permitting costs.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience managing a multitude of permitting workstreams in parallel, with 3+ years in NYC (DoB, FDNY, DEP, DOT, MTA…).
• Deep knowledge of NYC zoning code; proven ability to interpret it in any circumstance. Proven ability to effectively communicate and build trust with government agencies and other key stakeholders.
• Expert practice of NYC AHJ web portals.
• Comfortability and fluency in reviewing engineering drawings which accompany permitting applications.
• Excellent problem solver with an affinity for difficult problems and following through to solve them.
• Strong ability to anticipate challenges and address them pro-actively.
• Extremely organized and process oriented.

• Keen attention to detail. You don’t need someone to inspect your work. And when you’re inspecting someone else’s, no matter their seniority, you point out errors or inconsistencies.

• You are clear about fact versus interpretation and would never pretend to know anything that you don’t. You’re comfortable identifying gaps in your knowledge and asking for help.
• This role is based in NYC; there is no flexibility for remote work – we come to our Dumbo, Brooklyn office every day.
• Passionate about clean energy.
• Relentlessly positive attitude, strong work ethic, and sense of humor.

Bonus Points

• Experience in energy infrastructure projects.
• Prior/current work experience at a government agency.
• Law degree or relevant coursework.

Work Environment

Orenda is a group of people committed to realizing the potential of energy storage in the renewable energy transition. As a small company, each member of the team has a significant impact on culture.

• We have a lot of fun together: monthly events, impromptu happy hours, and a strong sense of camaraderie.
• We work in a collaborative, fast-paced office environment.
• We share a common vision and support each other to realize it.