Principal Consultant, Biologist/Regulatory Specialist, Power and Renewables

ERM•Sacramento, CA

1d•$111,000 - $160,905

About The Position

Drive the Future of Renewable Energy Development Are you ready to lead complex environmental permitting for some of California’s most transformative power and renewable projects? At ERM, the world’s leading sustainability consultancy, we help organizations deliver capital projects that meet environmental and social performance objectives while accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy. We are seeking a Principal Consultant – Biologist/Regulatory Specialist to join our Capital Project Delivery team and shape the future of sustainable infrastructure. Why This Role Matters California’s energy and infrastructure projects are critical to meeting climate goals—but they require navigating complex regulatory landscapes and environmental challenges. ERM’s Capital Project Delivery team is trusted by leading utilities and developers to manage these complexities. As a Principal Consultant, you’ll play a pivotal role in ensuring projects succeed while protecting natural resources and meeting compliance standards. What Your Impact Is Lead environmental permitting and regulatory compliance for large-scale power and renewable projects. Serve as a trusted advisor to California utilities and technology clients on CEQA/NEPA and natural resource permitting. Drive innovation in impact assessment and permitting strategies to accelerate project timelines. Mentor and develop emerging talent while contributing to ERM’s growth trajectory. Position ERM as the go-to partner for complex capital project delivery in California. Why Join ERM? Be part of ERM’s fastest-growing global service area, with over 1,000 CPD professionals worldwide. Work on some of the most challenging and high-profile development projects in the world. Access a clear path to partnership after demonstrating leadership and performance success. Collaborate with a global network of sustainability experts and thought leaders. At ERM, sustainability is our business. We are the world’s largest advisory firm focused solely on sustainability, offering unparalleled expertise across business and finance. ERM partners with clients to operationalize sustainability at pace and scale, through our unique combination of strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities. Our diverse global team of experts works with the world’s leading organizations to help them set clear sustainability targets, measure progress and operationalize strategy through deep implementation and business transformation. With more than 50 years of experience, our ability to integrate sustainability solutions and our depth and breadth of technical knowledge are why organizations choose to partner with us as their trusted advisor. Every one of us firmly believes in the potential to create value for our clients through an integrated approach to sustainability (because we have personally seen it and professionally achieved it). Our team members are passionate about client service. We work closely with our clients to help them operationalize their sustainability goals and meet their environmental, health and safety objectives while advancing ERM’s purpose through delivering tangible progress in what the United Nations coined The Decade of Action. Organizing our people across globally integrated communities of technical and strategic talent positions ERM to be a “boots to boardroom” leader in bringing that value creation to our clients, partners, and the world. We recruit exceptional professionals with a personal and professional passion for sustainability and nurture them to even greater success as specialists. We prepare our consultants to bring integrated, innovative and sustainable solutions to our clients and provide opportunities for ongoing development across a variety of subject areas related to technical, business, and personal growth. At ERM, effort pays off and becomes career defining work that leaves a positive imprint on our planet.

Requirements

BS/MS in biology, environmental science, or related field.
6+ years of consulting experience with substantial expertise in California electric/gas transmission and generation markets.
Proven track record delivering multi-million-dollar environmental programs or winning strategic projects.
Established relationships with California utilities (PG&E, SCE, Sempra) and key regulators.
Strong knowledge of CEQA/NEPA impact assessment best practices and permitting processes.
Business acumen to identify opportunities and deliver enterprise-wide solutions.

Nice To Haves

Experience cultivating new client relationships with Bay Area technology, media, and telecommunications companies.
Recognized technical authority and positive reputation with regulatory agencies.
Strong leadership skills with a passion for mentoring and team development.

Responsibilities

Serve as Project Biologist/Regulatory Specialist for CEQA/NEPA impact assessments and natural resource permitting.
Prepare technical studies and environmental impact documents (EIRs, Biological Constraints Reports).
Develop permit strategies, prepare applications, and negotiate conditions with state and federal agencies.
Direct permitting and compliance for telecom, energy infrastructure, and linear development projects.
Collaborate with Account Directors to expand ERM’s services and deliver strategic value to clients.
Mentor consultants, identify emerging talent, and foster a high-performance team culture.
Drive innovation within ERM’s Impact Assessment and Planning service offering.
Ensure compliance with health & safety standards, financial targets, and client satisfaction metrics.