Head of Permitting in Iowa at Viral Joshi

Role Summary:
Responsible for leading all permitting and regulatory approval activities for the Mesabi Integrated Steel Plant (ISP) Project, including environmental permitting, air/water/waste permits, and stakeholder and regulatory agency engagement. The role ensures timely and compliant permitting to support the project's development schedule.
Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, planning, and execution of all federal, state, and local permitting activities required for the Mesabi ISP Project.
• Develop and manage the overall permitting roadmap, ensuring alignment with project engineering, construction, and commissioning schedules.
• Oversee preparation and submission of environmental impact assessments, air and water quality permits, wetlands and stormwater permits, and other regulatory approvals.
• Engage and manage relationships with federal and state regulatory agencies including EPA, state environmental agencies, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other relevant bodies.
• Coordinate with environmental consulting firms, legal counsel, and engineering teams to ensure permit applications meet regulatory requirements.
• Lead public engagement, stakeholder consultation, and community relations activities related to permitting processes.
• Identify and mitigate permitting risks, proactively addressing potential delays or regulatory challenges.
• Monitor changes in environmental regulations, policies, and compliance requirements affecting the project.
• Manage permitting budgets, schedules, and consultant/contractor performance.
• Prepare permitting status reports, risk assessments, and regulatory strategy updates for project leadership and senior management.
• Ensure post-permit compliance planning, including monitoring, reporting, and mitigation commitments.
• Build and lead a permitting team, providing technical guidance and mentorship.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, or related discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• 25-30 years of experience in environmental permitting and regulatory affairs, preferably for large industrial or manufacturing projects.
• Proven track record of leading permitting for large-scale greenfield industrial projects in the United States.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state environmental regulations, including NEPA, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and related permitting frameworks.
• Established relationships with regulatory agencies and experience navigating complex, multi-jurisdictional permitting processes.
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent permitting workstreams under demanding project timelines.

Working Conditions

• Based in the United States, leading permitting activities for the Mesabi ISP Project.
• Regular travel to project sites, regulatory agency offices, and consultant locations as required.

Preferred Experience

• Direct experience permitting greenfield integrated steel plant or heavy industrial projects.
• Familiarity with tribal consultation, cultural resource assessments, and community engagement processes for major infrastructure projects.