Land Use & Permitting, Senior Manager

Rowan Digital Infrastructure is looking for a Land Use & Permitting Manager to lead land use, zoning, and entitlement activities for projects across Rowan’s data center project portfolio. The Land Use & Permitting Manager will be responsible for oversight of all local, state and federal requirements, collaborate with project leads across Rowan to develop a permitting strategies and schedules in support of project delivery dates; ensure the appropriate team members or contractors are leading permitting efforts and coordinate permitting activities between the Sites and the Engineering, Construction, and Operations (ECO) Teams. The Land Use & Permitting Manager is a critical part of the team, helping to implement Rowan’s land use strategy, ensuring schedules are met, working with consultants on complex issues, and frequently communicating with key team members.

Responsibilities

Oversee all local, state and federal requirements; Collaborate with project leads across Rowan to develop permitting strategies and schedules in support of project delivery dates; Ensure the appropriate team members or contractors are leading permitting efforts; Coordinate permitting activities between the Sites and the Engineering, Construction, and Operations (ECO) Teams; Lead local permitting and entitlement efforts for a portfolio of data center projects; Lead land use approvals, including annexations, rezoning, use permits, variances, and subdivisions, ensuring land is fully prepared and aligned with construction schedules; Act as a primary liaison between Rowan and city/county Authority Having Jurisdictions (AHJs) on identifying and tracking local permitting and approvals requirements; Understand, interpret, communicate and manage permitting risks in critical areas related to land use and construction permitting for internal teams; Develop and maintain local permitting matrices for each site in Rowan’s portfolio; Act as the subject matter land use expert and local permitting requirements in internal and external reporting; Respond to internal and external stakeholders related to finance, economic development, government affairs, as well as responding to lenders and AHJs; Support the growth of Rowan by helping establish good project diligence and reporting practices and improving processes and systems as we scale; Train and coach other project leads to support AHJ engagement, entitlements, and permitting in support of Rowan’s growth and execution goals; Evaluate new regions, policies, and participation in economic development and government affairs review and risk analysis of new potential projects; Provide inputs to schedules, budgets and other organizational documentation managed by others

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field (planning, environmental, real estate) and at least 7 years of experience leading large-scale complex site development projects; Experience analyzing local regulations, leading local AHJ permitting efforts, and working with Planning Staff; Experienced with researching permit requirements, online regulatory reporting and online reporting platforms and utilizing online GIS databases; Experience developing permitting matrices and entitlement strategies; Can support or lead multiple efforts concurrently; Experience communicating with senior leaders and executives at all levels of the organization; Experience leading complex cross-functional efforts across teams; Experience working with engineers to ensure alignment on deliverables and permitting schedules, including site plans and building permit approvals; Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; Excellent communication and collaboration skills; Ability to travel up to 30% to project sites

Nice to have

Master’s Degree in a related field; Experience with data center site development; AICP certification

Benefits

Hybrid working environment; Team building and educational opportunities; Generous benefits package including robust health benefits and a 401(k)-company contribution; Unlimited PTO; RTD ECO pass or parking reimbursement; Competitive compensation, bonus, and an incentive plan