Environmental Permitting Manager

Environmental Permitting Manager

Location: 
Reno (Preferred)/Northern Nevada
Type: 
Full-time
 | 
10+ Years Experience

About the Role

We are hiring a Environmental Permitting Manager to lead mine permitting and environmental projects across the Western U.S. You will manage assigned projects, including scope, schedule, budget, technical coordination, permitting strategy, deliverables, and day-to-day client communication.

We are looking for someone who understands mine permitting and environmental review well enough to move projects forward, anticipate permitting and technical issues, and develop practical solutions. You will be expected to exercise sound judgment, take ownership of decisions within your area of responsibility, and recognize when an issue requires specialized technical expertise or broader strategic input.

Just as important, we want someone who can build trusted client relationships. You should be approachable, responsive, and comfortable explaining complex permitting and environmental issues in practical terms that help clients make informed decisions.

This role is focused on delivering high-quality projects and developing strong client relationships. It does not carry traditional business development or sales goals.

What You'll Do

  • Project Management:Manage multiple permitting and environmental projects, with responsibility for scope, schedule, budget, deliverables, and client expectations. Develop and maintain project schedules, budgets, work plans, status updates, and client progress reports, and coordinate priorities, decisions, and action items to keep projects moving forward. Identify scope, schedule, budget, technical, and regulatory issues early and develop practical solutions. Communicate project status, upcoming decisions, risks, and resource needs clearly to clients, project teams, and senior staff, and recognize when an issue requires additional technical expertise or broader strategic input.
  • Permitting and NEPA:Develop permitting strategies, permit matrices, and schedules for mineral exploration, mine development, operations, expansion, reclamation, and closure projects. Evaluate proposed projects and project changes to identify the federal, state, and local permitting and environmental review requirements that apply. Prepare and manage BLM and U.S. Forest Service submittals, including Notices and Plans of Operations, and support the associated NEPA processes. Prepare and manage state and local approvals in Nevada and other western states (such as Arizona, Idaho, and New Mexico), including mine permitting and reclamation, water, air, waste, and other requirements that apply to the project. Identify permitting dependencies, information gaps, regulatory issues, and schedule risks, and develop recommended paths forward.
  • Agency Coordination:Coordinate with agencies throughout permitting and environmental review, including tracking comments, developing responses, and resolving outstanding issues. Lead agency meetings and make sure decisions, responsibilities, and action items are clearly communicated and followed through. Represent Sunstone professionally and credibly in agency coordination and site visits.
  • Technical Coordination:Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary teams that may include biologists, cultural resource specialists, hydrogeologists, engineers, air quality specialists, reclamation specialists, and other staff and subcontractors. Understand how each technical discipline fits into the overall permitting process, and identify dependencies among project design, baseline studies, technical analyses, environmental review, and permit applications. Understand how mine planning, operations, engineering and design decisions, disturbance, infrastructure, water use, and environmental resources can affect permitting requirements, technical studies, project schedules, and compliance obligations. Scope, coordinate, and manage subcontractors and outside technical specialists as needed.
  • Technical Review:Review technical reports, permit applications, and environmental documents for completeness, accuracy, consistency, and suitability before they are provided to clients or agencies. Identify gaps, inconsistencies, unsupported conclusions, and issues that require additional evaluation or technical expertise.
  • Client Communication:Serve as a primary day-to-day point of contact for clients on assigned projects, and develop trusted, long-term working relationships. Lead client and project team meetings and make sure decisions, responsibilities, and action items are clearly communicated and followed through. Explain complex permitting, regulatory, and technical issues in clear, practical language, and help clients understand permitting requirements, available options, potential risks, and recommended next steps. Communicate candidly and professionally when project issues arise, and work with the project team to develop practical solutions.
  • Field Work:On occasion may visit project sites in Nevada and other western states as needed to support project planning, field programs, client coordination, and agency site visits. Develop a working understanding of site conditions, proposed facilities, and project activities so you can effectively manage permitting and environmental work.

What Makes This Role Different

  • Work with experienced people:You will work directly with an experienced permitting team on complex mining projects, with access to senior-level support and technical expertise when you need it.
  • See the whole process:Our projects bring together mine planning and operations, engineering, NEPA, federal and state permitting, water, air, biology, cultural resources, reclamation, and other disciplines. You will see how these pieces fit together from early project planning and design through permitting, construction, operations, and closure.
  • Take real ownership:You will manage meaningful projects, work directly with clients and agencies, and have the autonomy to make decisions and move your projects forward.
  • Build trusted relationships:You will develop trusted client relationships by understanding their projects, communicating clearly, and helping them work through permitting and environmental challenges.
  • Grow with us:As Sunstone grows, there is room to take on increasingly complex projects, client relationships, and leadership responsibilities.
  • Straightforward culture:We are flexible, self-driven, and no-nonsense. We trust capable people to take ownership of their work and respect their time outside of it.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, natural resource management, geology, engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
  • 10+ years of experience in environmental consulting, mine permitting, or a related regulatory role.
  • Hands-on experience with mine permitting and environmental review, with substantial experience in federal permitting and NEPA, state mine permitting and reclamation in Nevada or a similar western state (such as Arizona, Idaho, Oregon or New Mexico), or a combination of these areas.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage environmental or permitting projects, including scope, schedule, budget, deliverables, and multidisciplinary project teams.
  • Strong technical writing and editing skills, including the ability to critically review technical work for completeness, accuracy, consistency, and permitting implications.
  • Sound judgment and the ability to identify problems, evaluate options, develop recommended solutions, and recognize when additional technical or strategic input is needed.
  • Strong client-facing communication skills and the ability to explain complex technical and regulatory issues clearly and practically.
  • Dependable, organized, and self-directed, with the ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines.
  • Approachable and professional, with the ability to build trusted working relationships with clients, agencies, technical specialists, and project teams.
  • Based in the Reno (Preferred)/Northern Nevada area.
  • Willing to travel to remote project sites and possess a valid driver’s license.
  • Preferred: Experience managing mine permitting and environmental projects in the western U.S., from exploration and development through operations, reclamation, and closure
  • Preferred: Experience working with BLM, the U.S. Forest Service, and western state regulatory agencies (such as those in Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Oregon and New Mexico). Direct experience with the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Mining Regulation and Reclamation (NDEP-BMRR) is highly desirable.
  • Preferred: Working knowledge of environmental disciplines commonly associated with mine permitting, including water resources, biological resources, cultural resources, air quality, waste management, and reclamation.
  • Preferred: Experience integrating multidisciplinary technical studies and environmental information into permitting and NEPA processes.
  • Preferred: Experience working directly with mine operators, engineering teams, and other project disciplines to integrate project design and operational requirements into permitting strategies.

What We Offer

  • Competitive salary based on experience.
  • Company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage (Fully covered for employee and dependents).
  • 401(k) plan with four percent company match.
  • Flexible paid time off, structured around meeting project commitments and deliverables.

Sound like your kind of work?

Send your resume and a short letter of interest using the form below.

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