Permitting Specialist

The Nuclear Company•Columbia, WA

About The Position

The Permitting Specialist supports The Nuclear Company's Development organization by coordinating and managing environmental, construction, land use, and infrastructure permitting activities across the project lifecycle from Front-End Loading (FEL) 0 through FEL 3. This role is responsible for planning, tracking, and advancing the permits and regulatory approvals necessary to support project development, helping ensure critical milestones are achieved on schedule. The Permitting Specialist manages permit applications, maintains permitting schedules, coordinates with regulatory agencies, tracks permit conditions and compliance requirements, and proactively identifies permitting risks that could impact project execution. Success in this role requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple permitting activities across a portfolio of complex infrastructure projects.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Urban Planning, Public Administration, Natural Resources, Geography, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
3+ years of experience supporting permitting, environmental compliance, land development, infrastructure projects, utilities, energy, or industrial development.
Experience coordinating permit applications and regulatory approvals with government agencies.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple permits, projects, and deadlines simultaneously.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong attention to detail and documentation management.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and document management systems.
Willingness to travel periodically to project locations and regulatory agency meetings.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting large-scale infrastructure, energy, utility, nuclear, transmission, renewable energy, or industrial development projects.
Familiarity with environmental permitting requirements, including NEPA, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, wetlands permitting, stormwater permitting, and state/local land use approvals.
Experience working with federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, NRC, DOE, or state environmental agencies.
Experience with GIS platforms (ArcGIS or similar), permitting databases, and project management software.
Experience utilizing AI-powered tools or digital platforms to improve permitting workflows, regulatory document review, project coordination, or compliance tracking.
Familiarity with Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT Enterprise, or other large language model (LLM)-based productivity tools to accelerate regulatory research, summarize permitting requirements, draft correspondence, and improve project coordination.

Responsibilities

Support permitting activities for nuclear development projects from FEL 0 through FEL 3.
Coordinate the preparation, submission, tracking, and maintenance of federal, state, and local permit applications and approvals.
Maintain permitting schedules and ensure permit milestones remain aligned with overall project development schedules.
Coordinate responses to agency requests for additional information and support permit modifications as projects evolve.
Track permit conditions, commitments, and expiration dates to ensure ongoing compliance.
Partner with Development Managers to identify permitting requirements, risks, and critical path activities during early project development.
Coordinate permitting activities supporting environmental studies, geotechnical investigations, site characterization, utility coordination, and construction planning.
Assist with permitting strategies that support project schedules and reduce regulatory risk.
Support project budgeting and forecasting related to permitting activities and consultant services.
Serve as a point of coordination with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies.
Coordinate activities with environmental consultants, engineering firms, surveyors, and permitting specialists.
Support meetings, permit review discussions, and regulatory agency communications.
Collaborate with External Affairs and Community Engagement teams to support permitting-related public outreach and stakeholder engagement activities.
Utilize AI-enabled tools, GIS platforms, and digital permitting systems to streamline permit tracking, document review, regulatory research, and workflow management.
Maintain permitting data, schedules, and regulatory documentation within the Nuclear Operating System (NOS).
Leverage AI tools to summarize regulatory requirements, identify permitting risks, prepare draft permit documentation, and improve reporting efficiency.