State and Local Permitting Specialist

Oklo•Santa Clara, CA

7d•$130,000 - $175,000•Remote

About The Position

The State and Local Permitting Specialist is responsible for identifying applicable State and local permits, working with the Oklo team and engineering, procurement, and construction contractors for ensuring compliance with all applicable permits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s, Master’s or Ph.D in Environmental Policy, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Natural Resources, Public Policy, Sustainability, or a closely related field or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
Demonstrated experience securing State and local permits for industrial developments
Able to understand how to research state statutes, local ordinances, and zoning codes
Familiar with land use, zoning districts, and development approval types
Aware of how state, county, and municipal jurisdictions interact
Able to locate and reference applicable codes, plans, and regulations
Understand standard permitting workflows (pre-application, submittal, review, approval)
Able to assist with permit applications, rezones, variances, and conditional use permits
Familiar with review timelines, notice requirements, and hearing processes
Able to follow established permitting procedures and checklists
Able to assist in preparing complete and accurate permit submittals
Able to work with internal and external teams to compile supporting materials (site plans, narratives, studies, forms)
Able to work with the team to track application revisions and resubmittals
Understands the components in a site layout, setbacks, buffers, access, and compatibility
Knowledgable of environmental permits commonly triggered by development
Able to identify when additional permits or approvals may be required
Learns from feedback and apply it to future submittals
Able to professionally coordinate with agency staff on application logistics
Document agency comments and review outcomes
Comfortable running meetings with internal and external stakeholders for permitting
High reading comprehension and detail oriented
Critical evaluation skills to reduce risk to the company, projects, and timeframes
Passionate about clean energy
An optimist at heart
Passionate about making advanced fission a reality
Willing and able to learn quickly
Willing to think differently and do things in new ways
Comfortable in a fast-paced, highly iterative startup environment
Excited to think creatively, critically, and reflectively about the problems they are solving while not leaning only on what has been done before
Willing to propose novel and creative solutions to technical problems
An excellent writer who can write in a modern active voice, so make your cover letter compelling and write it well!
Able to communicate technical content and results verbally

Nice To Haves

GIS
Experience with wetland delineation certifications
Experience with stormwater pollution prevention plans
Familiarity with ISO 14001
Familiar with Toxic Release Inventory Reporting
Familiarity with Pollution Prevention Plans
Experience with corporate waste management plans

Responsibilities

Research, analyze, and interpret State and local environmental laws, regulations, and guidance
Evaluate the policy implications of proposed State and local legislation, regulations, and agency actions
Communicate with contractors for ensuring permits are secured
Review technical studies and consultant reports for accuracy and policy alignment
Draft and revise authorizations, approvals, and permit forms
Track State and local regulatory changes and assess risk, compliance gaps, and operational impacts
Work with Oklo project managers and schedulers to make sure permits are met on time
Prepare materials and lead meetings with State and local regulators
Maintain organized records of regulatory correspondence
Monitor emerging trends in State and local environmental policy
Support audits, inspections, and internal reviews as needed