Manager, Planning And Permitting

At Algonquin-Liberty , we hire passionate people who care about doing the right thing for our customers. We are entrepreneurial, creative, and outcome-focused. Here, your natural talent and achievements will flourish in an inclusive environment of teamwork, trust and continuous learning. We are always pursuing excellence to exceed our ambitions goals, rewarding both the goal outcome and how we achieve it.
Purpose
The Manager, Planning and Permitting supports Liberty Power's business development (unregulated) projects with a focus on leading environmental permitting, consultation and engagement, and associated planning activities for a wide range of renewable energy projects (e.g., wind, solar, storage, renewable natural gas, and hybrid projects) in the United States, Canada and internationally. The position will be focused on all aspects of project development, including due diligence and acquisition, project origination, and development, leading up to construction.
This position is generally responsible for larger, more complex and higher profile projects, requiring effective management and implementation of community and stakeholder management activities. This also includes responsibility for direct negotiations with local, state/provincial and federal agencies, managing internal teams, and directing external subject matter experts/consultants, with significant technical and financial implications for projects. This position will require a motivated individual that has strong attention to detail, tact, political acuity, and an elevated understanding of complex environmental and permitting issues. The role also requires the ability to thrive in a fast paced and team-oriented environment while utilizing strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
The role will prioritize, initiate, evaluate and complete all significant steps, in partnership with the Director, Project Permitting and Planning, to ensure overall established business development goals are met. Under direction of the Director, Project Permitting and Planning, the position will also provide team management support.
Accountabilities

• Manage project websites (ie: provide content, project updates etc.)
• Develop consultation and engagement plans for projects, including details for stakeholder events (e.g., public open houses, etc), working with broader lands and project team.
• Manage and provide issues management expertise to local, state/provincial and federal permitting efforts necessary for project development and/or construction.
• Maintain project status and activity reports for communicating with management.
• Effectively communicate project status, risks and opportunities, and cost / schedule performance to stakeholders.
• Proficiency with the contracting process with consultants.
• High attention to detail; reviewing, reading, interpretation, report writing, teamwork and collaboration.
• Advancing multiple, complex renewable energy development projects (e.g., wind, solar, renewable natural gas, hydro, storage), including electrical interconnection components, through stage gates ranging from origination (project stage gate 0/1) through to construction (project stage gate 3/4)
• Able to interpret regulations and approvals; develop solutions to construction issues and provide recommendations to the Manager / Project Team.
• Assist Director, Project Planning and Permitting with streamlining and developing processes, procedures and policies related to project development, or other special projects, as required.
• Develop permitting strategies, identify planning and permitting risks and communicating these to Project Managers using internal Project Management processes
• Leading the scoping of environmental impacts and developing Requests for Proposal
• Proactively lead the identification of risk mitigation strategies and activities for project permitting and stakeholder engagement issues
• Identify, procure, and manage work flow/deliverables and budgets allocated to environmental consultants, planners, and other external subject matter experts.
• Lead, conduct, and/or coordinate analysis related to regulatory planning and approvals requirements for projects (e.g., site plans, environmental assessments, species at risk).
• Lead engagement with local, provincial/state and federal agencies to provide project information, advocate for company development objectives, and negotiate resolution of issues and project permit/approval conditions.
• Be recognized and provide technical support and mentoring to other team members that have less experieince and/or knowledge.
• Support and coordinate internal and 3rd party health and safety audits.
• Document regulatory approval activities evidencing compliance with policies, regulations, agreements, legislation, etc.
• Support the project financing activities (ie: responding to environmental due diligence questions).
• Support the upstream development projects.
• Definition and collection of the necessary data for problem solving, including technical reports, defining and/or executing site investigations, reviewing project siting, and evaluation of mitigation methods.

Education and Experience

• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Programs
• Valid driver’s license
• Strong written and oral presentation skills are required.
• Minimum ten years post secondary work experience in permitting and project coordination or project management role.
• Must possess a University Bachelor degree in an applicable area of study (environmental science, regulatory and permitting practices).
• Candidates either holding, or in the process of obtaining, additional Project Management certification/ training such as the Project Management Professional (PMP) designation are considered assets.
• Must be able and flexible to travel within Canada and the United States as needed. (Note - if necessary comply with company COVID travel protocols).

Our purpose is sustaining energy and water for life, and it is demonstrated in everything we do as a business and as an employee team.
As the successful candidate
Our Mission
We provide safe, secure, reliable, cost-effective and sustainable energy and water solutions. Our mission is how we create value as an organization—it is what drives us every day to fulfill our purpose.
Our Vision
We better the lives of our customers and communities. Our vision is what we see as possible. It's where we aspire to be, what we want to achieve and how we'll make animpact. It guides and keeps us on the right path as we work towards fulfilling our purposes.
Our Guiding Principles

• Teamwork
• Customer Centric
• Continuous learning
• Owner mindset
• Entrepreneurial
• Outcome focused
• Integrity

What We Offer
Collaborative environment with a genuine flexible working policy
401k Plan with matching
Company funded Pension program
Share purchase/match plan
Leadership Development Program
Volunteer paid days off
Employee Assistance Program
Achievement fund
Free parking
Variety of Health & Wellness programs
Discount and Perks program
We are focused on building a diverse and inclusive workforce. If you are excited about this role and are not confident you meet all the qualification requirements, we encourage you to apply to investigate the opportunity further.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value each person's unique background, diversity, experiences, perspectives and talents.
Full participation of all employees in a safe, healthy and respectful environment is key to individual and company success. We are committed to fully utilizing the abilities of all our employees and expect each of our employees to honour this commitment in their daily responsibilities.