Senior Director, Land Use & Entitlements

LS Power Development, LLC•,

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

LS Power is seeking a Senior Director, Land Use & Entitlements to lead the company's discretionary land use approval and entitlement workstream for its generation development portfolio. This role, part of the Site Development & Permitting department, will serve as the subject-matter authority on land use and entitlements, responsible for strategy, standards, and execution to ensure sites are legally developable. Key responsibilities include crafting entitlement and public-hearing strategies, preparing and submitting applications for necessary approvals (rezonings, special use permits, variances, site plan approvals, subdivisions, development agreements), leading public hearing preparation and representation, and negotiating conditions of approval and development agreement terms. The role involves retaining and directing external counsel, planning consultants, and technical experts, and collaborating closely with various internal functions such as Site Selection & Planning, Environmental Permitting, External Affairs, Real Estate, Engineering & Construction, Interconnection Planning & Development, Legal, and Finance. In LS Power's matrix model, the Entitlements Lead and supporting staff are assigned to project teams, with Project Directors holding accountability for overall project outcomes and directing the Entitlements Lead's work on project-specific deliverables. This position focuses on owning the land use and entitlement strategy, standards, and execution, and identifying risks early, rather than overall project outcomes, site origination, or securing real property rights.

Requirements

12+ years of progressive land use, entitlements, or land development experience, with direct ownership of discretionary-approval programs (rezoning, conditional and special use, variances, site plan, and subdivision) and public-hearing representation.
A track record of securing complex, large-scale entitlements and leading cross-functional teams through project approval.
Deep command of zoning and land use law and process, public-hearing dynamics, and the negotiation of conditions of approval and development agreements.
Working knowledge of the technical studies that support entitlements (traffic, noise, visual, stormwater and drainage) and how they interact with civil design and environmental permitting.
Experience leveraging GIS and mapping (ArcGIS, ArcGIS Pro, or equivalent) to support entitlement strategy, exhibits, and constraints analysis.
Ability to review and critically evaluate surveys prepared by outside vendors for completeness, accuracy, and fitness for use.
Strong vendor and consultant management, including scoping and performance-managing land use counsel and planning consultants against clear KPIs and reporting.
Excellent project-management and records discipline — workplans, trackers, key dates, and decision documentation.
Executive-ready written and verbal communication.
Bachelor’s degree in Urban or Regional Planning, Public Policy, Geography, Environmental Studies, Law, Engineering, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with energy, infrastructure, or large industrial or data center land use is a strong plus.
An advanced degree (Planning, JD, or MBA) is a plus.
AICP, PE, GISP, or a land use or real estate law credential is a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop and own the land use entitlement strategy and hearing plan for each project, identifying required discretionary approvals, procedural pathways, decision-makers, constraints, and timelines, aligning with project schedules and decision gates.
Prepare, submit, and prosecute entitlement applications and supporting narratives, directly or through counsel and consultants, managing the application docket and agency interactions.
Commission and direct technical studies (traffic, noise, visual, drainage, etc.) to support entitlement applications and hearings, coordinating with Engineering & Construction and Environmental Permitting.
Lead public-hearing preparation and represent the Company before planning commissions, zoning hearing boards, and local governing bodies.
Negotiate conditions of approval and development-agreement terms that protect feasibility, financeability, and development flexibility.
Identify and mitigate entitlement risk early, providing clear go/no-go recommendations and escalating issues to project leadership.
Lead early land use diligence on prospective and active sites, including zoning analysis, discretionary-approval mapping, and procedural timelines.
Translate development-program requirements into entitlable and constructible site and master-plan concepts.
Coordinate with the Real Estate function to ensure entitlement strategy aligns with site control and access.
Manage the procurement and completion of property surveys needed for site plans and engineering design.
Direct and manage contracts with licensed survey vendors, defining scope, standards, and schedule requirements.
Leverage GIS and mapping to support entitlement strategy, application exhibits, hearing presentations, and constraints analysis.
Maintain entitlement status, conditions of approval, key dates, and approval documentation in the Company’s system-of-record.
Provide regular status reporting on entitlement progress, risks, and upcoming milestones.
Build, lead, and mentor a team of land use and entitlement professionals.
Establish and manage a bench of external resources, including land use counsel, planning consultants, and expert witnesses.
Establish and track entitlement schedules, budgets, and risk registers across the active portfolio.
Support Project Directors with permit and consultant cost estimates and schedule-driven cash needs.
Develop and maintain the Company’s entitlement playbooks, standard operating procedures, templates, checklists, and trackers.
Institutionalize repeatable, transparent processes and standards for land use and entitlement work.