Senior air permitting specialist

Responsibilities

This is a remote/virtual position. Candidate can be based anywhere within the United States.

Project teams in our Energy & Industrial Group (EIG) support industry-leading projects in power generation, plant design, environmental compliance, mid/downstream oil & gas, and multi-disciplined industrial projects. We are leading efforts to decarbonize the industry through advanced technologies including renewable energy, carbon capture, hydrogen, and energy storage. Our teams provide engineering and environmental services for new facilities, expansions, modifications, and operational changes at complex industrial sites.

As a member of Sargent & Lundy’s Environmental and Permitting team, you will apply your knowledge of the Clean Air Act and related federal, state, and local air regulations to develop practical permitting strategies for electric power and industrial projects. You will work with project managers, engineers, clients, and regulatory agencies to define, evaluate, and implement air permitting requirements throughout project development, design, construction, and operation.

The position will offer you the opportunity to expand your technical and project-management capabilities while working with multi-disciplined project teams to:

• Interpret and implement federal, state, and local air quality requirements, including State Implementation Plans, New Source Review (NSR), Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD), nonattainment NSR, Title V, and applicable source-specific requirements.
• Evaluate new projects and modifications for air permitting applicability, including emissions increases, significant emissions increases, major-source and major-modification determinations, contemporaneous netting, potential to-emit, and related permitting thresholds.
• Work with project engineers and equipment vendors to identify emission units, control technologies, operating scenarios, monitoring requirements, and design criteria needed to support permit applications and compliance demonstrations.
• Develop air permit strategies, permit matrices, schedules, and applications for major and minor sources, including construction permits, operating permits, permit amendments, exemptions, and agency notifications.
• Prepare and review technical support documents, emissions calculations, emissions inventories, control-technology evaluations, BACT and LAER analyses, air dispersion modeling protocols and results, AERMOD inputs, and regulatory applicability memoranda.
• Interface with federal, state, and local permitting agencies; respond to technical comments; participate in agency meetings; and support negotiations regarding permit conditions, compliance obligations, and review schedules.

You will have the opportunity to develop your air permitting career through peer learning, knowledge sharing with engineers and environmental professionals, and participation in Sargent & Lundy’s System of Processes and associated “Communities of Practice.”

Qualifications

We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

Essential skills and experience:

• A BS in Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related field; MS preferred.
• Four or more years of experience in air permitting, environmental compliance, or environmental consulting for electric power, manufacturing, oil and gas, chemical, utility, or other complex industrial facilities.
• Strong working knowledge of the Clean Air Act and air quality regulations applicable to major sources, including NSR, PSD, nonattainment NSR, Title V, New Source Performance Standards, and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants.
• Demonstrated experience preparing, supporting, or reviewing air permit applications and technical analyses for new facilities, expansions, modifications, or operational changes, including:
• New Source Review (NSR) applicability analyses for new construction and modifications, including emissions calculations, potential-to-emit, project emissions accounting, and major-source determinations.
• Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permitting, including BACT analyses, air quality impact analyses, increment and NAAQS evaluations, and associated technical support documents.
• Nonattainment NSR, minor-source permitting, synthetic minor strategies, permit amendments, and construction or operating permit conditions.
• Title V operating permit applications, revisions, renewals, compliance certifications, deviation reporting, and permit-condition evaluations.
• Preparation and review of emissions calculations, emissions inventories, source-specific emission factors, control efficiencies, and supporting spreadsheets.
• Experience preparing or reviewing air dispersion modeling inputs and results, including AERMOD, meteorological data, receptors, building downwash, and modeling protocols.
• Experience coordinating technical inputs from process, mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering disciplines and translating design information into permitting requirements.
• Experience communicating with permitting agencies and supporting responses to agency comments, requests for information, and draft permit conditions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear technical memoranda and present permitting recommendations to clients and project teams.
• Ability to interact effectively with project team members, clients, and regulatory agencies while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to work on multiple projects at the same time and coordinate inputs between internal engineering teams, clients, and regulatory agencies.
• Ability to provide technical guidance and mentoring to associate staff members.
• Experience with Microsoft applications, including proficiency in Excel and Word; experience developing auditable emissions calculation tools is preferred.

Valued but not required skills and experience:

• Experience with greenhouse gas permitting, PSD applicability for greenhouse gas emissions, climate-related permitting requirements, or carbon capture and storage projects.
• Proficiency in ArcGIS or other mapping tools for evaluating facility locations, sensitive receptors, monitoring sites, and environmental constraints.
• Experience with AERMOD, emissions modeling tools, or other air quality software; familiarity with state-specific permitting programs and electronic permitting systems is a plus.

Technology & Innovation

Sargent & Lundy values the appropriate use of technology to improve how work gets done and deliver high-quality outcomes for our clients. Depending on the role, employees may use data, automation, artificial intelligence, and other digital tools to support research, analysis, engineering and design activities, workflow improvement, or other aspects of their work. We value candidates who demonstrate an interest in learning and effectively using emerging technologies where relevant to their role. Employees remain accountable for their work and are expected to apply appropriate professional judgment and review when using technology-assisted tools. Experience with AI, automation, programming, or similar technologies is valued where relevant but is not required unless specifically identified elsewhere in the job description.

About Sargent & Lundy

At Sargent & Lundy, we care about the health and well-being of our employees. Our commitment extends beyond the workplace, offering comprehensive healthcare plans and generous paid time off to support our team members in every aspect of their lives. We understand the importance of work-life balance, which is why we are proud to provide competitive, award-winning benefits. Our dedication to employee satisfaction has earned us the prestigious Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Award for compensation and benefits in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Health & WellnessFinancial BenefitsWork-Life Balance

• Health Plans: Medical, Dental, Vision
• Life & Accident Insurance
• Disability Coverage
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Back-Up Daycare
• FSA & HSA
• 401(k)
• Pre-Tax Commuter Account
• Merit Scholarship Program
• Employee Discount Program
• Corporate Charitable Giving Program
• Tuition Assistance
• First Professional Licensure Bonus
• Employee Referral Bonus
• Paid Annual Personal/Sick Time (PST)
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Bereavement Leave
• Flexible Work Arrangements

Compensation Range

$84,762 - $129,498

Transparency Statement

Sargent & Lundy discloses compensation ranges that comply with all local and state regulations. The total compensation package for eligible positions will include a base salary or an hourly rate and a comprehensive benefits package, reflecting our commitment to rewarding performance and supporting the overall well-being of our employees. Individuals may also be eligible to participate in our yearly discretionary bonus.

About This Business Unit

The Energy & Industrial Group (EIG) specializes in delivering advanced engineering solutions across various sectors, including power generation, environmental compliance, oil & gas, and industrial projects, from new plant design to plant betterment and upgrade services for operating facilities. We have designed nearly 900 conventional power plants, yielding over 100,000 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity. Our expertise includes numerous recent and ongoing combined cycle projects that leverage the latest advanced machinery, including combustion turbines, steam turbines, and heat recovery steam generators from all leading suppliers. EIG is recognized for its commitment to decarbonization through innovative technologies in renewable energy, carbon capture, and hydrogen power. We excel in detailed engineering services for photovoltaic (PV) solar projects and energy storage integration, and lead the industry in carbon capture technologies, managing projects from conceptual studies, pilot demonstrations and through commercial scale implementation for utilities and industrial plants.

Equal Opportunity

Sargent & Lundy is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any protected status as defined by applicable law.