Head - Permitting

Mesabi Metallics Company LLC•Paducah, KY

About The Position

The incumbent will be a senior leadership position responsible for defining, governing, and advancing the environmental sustainability agenda of the Group’s integrated steel manufacturing operations, with a strong emphasis on Direct Reduced Iron (DRI). The role will provide strategic oversight for air quality management, water stewardship, wastewater treatment, and noise control, ensuring environmental excellence across mining, DRI, steelmaking, rolling, and allied operations. The incumbent will act as the central authority for environmental evaluation, approvals, and compliance for all DRI and integrated steel plant projects, aligning environmental performance with business growth, decarbonization goals, and long-term sustainability commitments.

Requirements

Candidates with 20+ years of progressive experience in environmental management, sustainability, or regulatory compliance within integrated steel plants & DRI projects.
Proven leadership experience managing environmental programs in steel, metals, mining, or heavy industrial environments.
Expertise in water treatment systems, recycling technologies, and permitting processes.
Strong understanding of air emissions monitoring, reporting, and compliance systems.
Strong understanding of pollution control technologies for air and water systems.
Experience with ESG reporting, sustainability frameworks, and environmental audits.
Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Strong analytical and decision-making ability.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering, Sustainability, or Business Management is preferred.

Responsibilities

Define and lead the Group’s environmental and sustainability strategy for integrated steel plants and DRI, covering air emissions, water management, wastewater treatment, solid waste, and noise control.
Serve as the single point of authority for environmental review, approval, and governance of all DRI-based steelmaking projects across locations.
Integrate sustainability and environmental objectives into project design, engineering, construction, commissioning, and lifecycle management of integrated steel facilities.
Review, evaluate, and approve environmental designs, technologies, pollution control systems, and mitigation plans for new and existing DRI and steel plant projects.
Establish and enforce group-wide environmental standards, frameworks, and performance benchmarks aligned with global requirements.
Collaborate closely with engineering, operations, EHS, metallurgy, utilities, and external consultants to ensure environmental controls are embedded into plant design and operations.
Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations (EPA, air permits, water permits, wastewater discharge norms, noise standards) as well as applicable international standards.
Lead Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), permitting strategies, regulatory submissions, and stakeholder engagements for DRI and integrated steel plants.
Monitor environmental performance and compliance across sites, proactively identifying and mitigating environmental and regulatory risks.
Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for air emissions, water consumption, wastewater discharge, noise, and resource efficiency at plant and group levels.
Oversee sustainability reporting, ESG disclosures, environmental audits, and certifications, aligned with global frameworks such as ESG, GRI, TCFD, and CDP.
Present environmental performance, compliance status, risk assessments, and improvement roadmaps to senior leadership and the Board.
Identify, evaluate, and deploy innovative technologies for pollution control, water recycling, waste minimization, energy efficiency, and low-carbon / green steel initiatives.
Drive continuous improvement programs to reduce environmental footprint, enhance operational resilience, and support long-term decarbonization goals.
Build organizational capability through training, awareness programs, and cross-functional collaboration across integrated steel operations.