Senior Environmental Specialist-Thermal Generation Support

Bring YOUR energy to Alliant Energy!
 

At Alliant Energy, our purpose is to serve customers and build stronger communities.  We are passionate about powering beyond the market challenges of today, while powering what's next in energy.  When our employees say "I am energy", it means they take pride in the work we do when disaster strikes, as well as all the days in between.  We want you to be safe, happy and healthy.  That's why we prioritize safety, offer volunteer opportunities and provide competitive pay, comprehensive health and retirement benefits, tuition reimbursement and paid time off.

Are you ready to be at the forefront of building the next generation of energy infrastructure? As a Senior Environmental Specialist, you’ll play a pivotal role in ensuring environmental compliance and stewardship during the construction and operation of utility-scale power plants. You’ll serve as an environmental liaison between our power plants, consultants, and regulatory bodies, making sure our thermal generation fleet meets our commitment to environmental compliance.

We’re looking for someone with strong environmental experience—whether at a plant, an agency, or in a consulting capacity—who understands the complexities of generation and is ready to dig into topics like water management, air quality, and waste management at our newest sites. You’ll bring your expertise to a collaborative team of subject matter experts that support our thermal generation fleet by shaping policy, securing permits, and guiding operations with confidence and integrity. With minimal travel (1–2 nights/month in our service territory), this role offers the perfect balance of fieldwork and strategic influence.

Job Summary

Senior Environmental Specialist provides advanced technical knowledge and expertise in interpreting and monitoring compliance with regulatory requirements and industry guidelines. This position assists with the development of strategies on various environmental policy and compliance issues. This role interfaces as an environmental expert with industry, government agencies, environmental groups, and regulatory agencies. This position brings advanced environmental engineering or scientific knowledge to critical business matters and operations. This role interprets environmental conditions and works closely with external relations representatives on business solutions.
What you will do

• Develops and administers company response to emerging and on-going environmental issues, including analysis of impact on operations.
• Develops and maintains company policies, procedures, practices, and programs, as well as business unit implementation plans.
• Functions in a leadership capacity in respect to emerging issues.
• Delivers effective training and compliance assurance procedures to managers of the business to achieve compliance
• Performs complex environmental strategy, policy, or research policy work requiring considerable exercise of independent analysis.
• Contributes as an environmental expert on external committees, working as a liaison between local, state, and federal regulatory agencies, industry groups – e.g. Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and American Gas Association (AGA) – research providers – e.g., Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) – and business units.
• Applies independent judgment in the development of environmental management systems and programs to effectively manage emerging and on-going issues.
• Plans and conducts special projects, including the consideration of need for outside consultant services, then develops scopes and manages contracts for these services.
• Recommends compliance strategies for the management of environmental assets.
• Writes permit applications and successfully advocates operations needs to regulators.
• Supports business units in the implementation of environmental plans and programs, including training, permitting, quality assurance/quality control activities, self-assessments, pollution prevention activities, maintenance of correct permits, and environmental compliance.
• Engages in other duties as needed that support Alliant Energy’s Values and helps deliver on our Purpose to serve customers and build stronger communities

Education Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree Emphasis in civil, environmental, or chemical engineering; environmental studies; physical or natural sciences; or related area Preferred
• Master's or Advanced Degree Preferred
• Certification Relevant environmental, engineering and/or project management certifications Preferred

Required Experience

• 5 years of professional experience in environmental engineering, science, compliance planning work or environmental resource management with an electric utility, consulting firm, or government agency