Director, Environmental Affairs

The Enviva team is driven by our shared vision for a renewable energy future. We are a fast-growing, purpose-driven, global energy company specializing in delivering sustainable wood bioenergy solutions. We are the world’s largest producer of sustainable wood pellets, which provide a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels.

The Director, Environmental Affairs, is a key senior management role to lead and enhance environmental affairs functions at Enviva, the world’s largest producer of sustainable renewable biomass. This role is a primary internal and external owner, manager and leader of environmental permitting and compliance efforts for the company, with high visibility and engagement with the company’s executive leadership, environmental regulators, and various internal and external stakeholders. This person will be responsible for developing, influencing, implementing and managing environmental permitting and compliance strategies for current and potential future wood-pellet plants and port facilities.

In addition, this person will be responsible for owning, prioritizing, managing and developing the talent of Enviva’s team of environmental permitting and compliance managers to ensure that the team executes environmental strategies to meet the company’s business objectives for all facilities.  This includes 1) filing and obtaining permits that meet regulatory requirements while providing flexibility for future potential growth and optimization, 2) interpreting requirements into actions necessary to ensure environmental compliance, 3) ensuring necessary actions are completed correctly and on time and 4) managing and mitigating compliance risks to an amicable resolution. The Director, Environmental Affairs will anticipate, propose and drive continuous improvements to achieve industry leading environmental compliance, reduce operating costs, and increase operational flexibility.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement and influence environmental permitting and compliance strategies for the business needs to ensure environmental stewardship of the company in the wood products industry.
• Engage, build and enhance relationships with environmental regulators across various states.
  Influence and represent Enviva with regulatory agencies and public interest groups in the permitting and compliance process.
• Engagement with executive leadership at the company to further enhance, elevate and strengthen environmental affairs functions.
• Manage and develop a team of talented environmental permitting and compliance managers, external environmental consultants, and environmental legal counsel.
• Own and drive priorities for all permitting and compliance matters for the team to ensure achievement of company’s goals and environmental compliance.
• Implement permitting strategies in the permit application process for all facilities, including ongoing permit modifications to allow for operational flexibility and growth.
• Effectively collaborate, communicate and influence internal cross-functional stakeholders, including operations, engineering, corporate development and construction teams.
• Manage, enhance and direct an environmental compliance team, including management of permit required emissions compliance testing and reporting at the facilities.
• Define, develop and manage executions of environmental Key Performance Indicators.
• Create a shared vision for Environmental Excellence and apply Enviva’s Operational Excellence Management System and Operational Discipline to achieve that vision.

Qualifications 

• BA/BS in Environmental Engineering or similar degree and a minimum of 5 years’ experience in an environmental role, with a strong preference for working experience in wood products industry.
• Prior environmental work experience in VA, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, or MS.
• Broad knowledge of Federal and State environmental regulations, with focus in the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. Working knowledge of RCRA, SARA/CERCLA, TSCA, EPCRA and Industrial User wastewater is preferred.
• Broad knowledge of environmental permitting process and requirements applicable to process-based manufacturing, including air, wastewater, stormwater, solid and hazardous waste, wetlands, Corp of Engineers and other environmental requirements.
• Demonstrated people and project management experience in an environmental affairs function with the focus on environmental permitting and compliance.
• Strong understanding and experience with managing and executing successful emissions testing and compliance program.
• Leadership qualities and strategic thinking.
• Ability to manage and adjust to multiple tasks/projects and shifting priorities.
• Desire to learn quickly a growing wood-pellet industry and take on new challenges.