Associate, Vegetation Management

Invenergy•Chicago, IL

1d•$98,000 - $118,000•Onsite

About The Position

Invenergy is North America’s largest privately held developer, owner, and operator of power infrastructure. With 25 years of trusted execution, we deliver reliable, affordable energy through a diverse portfolio that includes natural gas, solar, land-based wind, energy storage, transmission, and domestic manufacturing. Headquartered in Chicago, we develop, own, and operate large scale projects that power communities and support the energy future. This position will be open for application for at least 3 calendar days from the posting date. This position will remain open for application based on business need, which may be before or after the 3-day posting window. Position Overview As Associate, Vegetation Management, you will primarily support Invenergy’s vegetation management processes for utility-scale solar projects in the Upper Midwest, with a focus on Wisconsin and Indiana. You will support projects throughout all project stages including development, pre-construction planning, construction implementation, and operations. This position will oversee the development of site-specific vegetation and soil managements plans, scheduling and managing pre-construction seeding efforts, overseeing third-party vegetation monitoring inspections during construction, and confirming contractors are meeting vegetation requirements and implementing adaptive management as needed. This role will coordinate across, and support multiple internal teams including Development, Engineering, Environmental Compliance & Strategy, Project Management, and Asset Management. Coordination with external vegetation consultants, civil and reclamation contractors, and regulatory agencies will be required to ensure successful implementation of vegetation actions and compliance with the project’s strategy during construction and throughout operations. The ideal candidate will be driven to be part of a team, be a critical thinker, a collaborative self-starter with keen attention to detail, and the ability and interest to effectively manage a diverse portfolio. The position will be on-site at Invenergy's office.

Requirements

Minimum of bachelor’s degree in environmental science, ecological restoration, botany, soil science, or related field
2-5 years in vegetation implementation and planning, or land management related position
Familiarity with vegetation identification, soil sample collection, and traditional land management practices
Experience working on vegetation management during construction, coordinating with construction contractors, and collaborating with environmental consultants
Ability to effectively prioritize multiple tasks and make decisions that promote/advance company and project goals and objectives
Working knowledge of the EPA’s Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) principles and NRCS conservation practices
Self-directed and detail oriented, with the ability and desire to work effectively in a team environment
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive materials, activities, and initiatives
Able to act and adapt to a fast-paced business environment with competing deadlines, and quickly learn and implement internal processes
Strong attention to detail, assuring documents and communications are concise and accurate
Ability to navigate ArcGIS and/or Google Earth to interpret environmental spatial data and identify potential project risks
Eligible to work in the United States without the need for employer visa sponsorship now or in the future

Nice To Haves

Flexible to travel to project site visits and to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for scheduled meetings (up to 25% of time)

Responsibilities

Direct vegetation consultants on developing project-specific vegetation and soil management plans.
Review of the developed plans to ensure that all conditions of state and local regulations, guidance documents, project permits, customer contracts, schedules, and budgetary expectations are met.
Assist internal teams on estimating project-specific vegetation establishment and maintenance related costs into economic models.
Support permitting efforts by developing any required vegetation related language or resources for permit applications.
Support project development by presenting vegetation management plans and practices to local landowners and community members.
Oversee the construction contractor’s vegetation efforts while providing staff training on vegetation management strategies.
Conduct site visits to projects in the development, construction, and operational stages with others from the project team to evaluate performance of vegetation processes during critical vegetation establishment milestones.
Provide technical assistance during the operational stage by providing oversight of vegetation management consultants and contractors to achieve project-specific objectives, commitments, and budgets.
Supports Vegetation Management leadership, review of project documents and plans, development of vegetation improvements and processes, and forward-thinking strategies that are relevant to Invenergy’s vegetation program.
Provide feedback and engagement with industry groups relating to vegetation management, and ecosystem services on utility-scale solar projects.