Senior Director, Land Development

A leading North American energy infrastructure developer, owner, and operator is seeking a Senior Director, Land Development & Entitlements to join its growing development platform. The organization develops and operates a diverse portfolio of power and infrastructure assets, including conventional generation, renewable energy, battery storage, transmission, and other energy transition solutions. This senior leadership position will be responsible for leading all land use, zoning, entitlement, and discretionary approval activities across a large-scale development portfolio. The successful candidate will serve as the company's subject matter expert for land use strategy, guiding projects from site evaluation through entitlement approval while helping ensure projects remain schedule-aligned, financeable, and development-ready. Reporting to senior development leadership, this role leads entitlement strategy and execution for utility-scale energy and infrastructure projects. The individual will oversee complex zoning and land use approvals, public hearing processes, consultant management, and stakeholder engagement efforts required to secure development approvals at the local and regional levels. The role will work closely with development, engineering, environmental permitting, external affairs, legal, real estate, and finance teams to advance projects through critical development milestones. Key Responsibilities Develop and execute entitlement strategies for energy and infrastructure projects. Identify required discretionary approvals, including: Rezonings Conditional and special use permits Variances Site plan approvals Subdivision approvals Development agreements Manage entitlement schedules, approval pathways, and critical milestones. Prepare, submit, and manage entitlement applications through approval. Lead public hearing preparation and represent projects before planning commissions, zoning boards, and local governing bodies. Negotiate approval conditions and development agreement terms that support project feasibility and economic objectives. Identify entitlement risks and provide strategic recommendations to project leadership. Land Development & Site Planning Lead zoning and land use due diligence for prospective and active development sites. Evaluate development constraints, approval requirements, and permitting timelines. Collaborate with engineering and development teams to ensure project layouts are both approvable and constructible. Coordinate with real estate teams to align entitlement strategies with site control and property rights. Oversee survey procurement and management, including: ALTA/NSPS surveys Boundary surveys Topographic surveys Supplemental technical surveys as required Consultant & Technical Management Direct outside land use counsel, planning consultants, and technical experts. Manage studies supporting entitlement efforts, including: Traffic analysis Noise studies Visual impact assessments Stormwater and drainage evaluations Establish scopes, budgets, deliverables, and schedules for external project partners. Ensure consistent quality and timely execution of consultant work products. GIS, Reporting & Documentation Utilize GIS and mapping tools to support entitlement strategies and project development activities. Maintain entitlement records, approval documentation, and project status reporting. Track key milestones, conditions of approval, and development commitments across the project portfolio. Provide regular updates to executive leadership and project teams. Team Leadership Build, mentor, and manage a growing team of entitlement and land development professionals. Establish best practices, processes, templates, and governance standards for entitlement activities. Support budgeting, forecasting, and resource planning across multiple active projects. Foster strong collaboration across development, engineering, legal, and stakeholder engagement functions. Qualifications Required Experience 12+ years of progressive experience in land development, zoning, entitlements, or land use planning. Demonstrated success securing complex discretionary land use approvals. Experience leading public hearings and presenting before municipal or county decision‑making bodies. Strong knowledge of zoning regulations, land use processes, and development approvals. History of managing multidisciplinary consultant and project teams. Preferred Experience Experience supporting utility‑scale energy, transmission, infrastructure, industrial, manufacturing, or data center developments. Familiarity with technical studies supporting entitlement efforts, including traffic, drainage, visual, and noise analyses. Experience utilizing GIS platforms such as ArcGIS or equivalent mapping tools. Understanding of real estate development processes and survey review. #J-18808-Ljbffr LVI Associates