Senior Environment Permitting & Land Manager

The Senior Environment Permitting & Land Manager ( Senior EPL Manager) is responsible for overseeing the environmental, permitting, and land access workstreams across utility-scale BESS, solar PV, and onshore wind projects in Japan.

This position is accountable for reducing permitting and land-related development risk and safeguarding project viability throughout the project lifecycle. 

The role acts as the strategic owner of EPL risk from development through construction handover, ensuring regulatory compliance, land securement, ESG alignment, and integration with engineering and grid functions.

The position will operate independently, managing external consultants and stakeholders, with potential future responsibility to build and lead an in-house EPL team as the pipeline expands.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Participate in the development  of large-scale renewable projects
• Hybrid work to achieve a great work-life balance
• Career development framework.
• Attractive Social Benefit Package

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• 8–15 years of experience in land development and/or renewable permitting in Japan
• Proven track record in closing complex permitting cases
• Strong knowledge of Japanese land-use regulations
• Experience in BESS and/or Solar (Wind preferred)
• Understanding of environmental and ESG frameworks
• Experience managing consultants and external advisors
• Strategic thinker with strong risk anticipation ability
• Independent operator capable of working without a direct team
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills
• High ownership mindset
• Ability to operate in multinational reporting environment
• Native Japanese
• Business-level English

MAIN DUTIES /RESPONSIBILITIES

 EPL Strategy & Regulatory Planning

• Define and review project-specific permitting strategies
• Interpret national and local regulations and assess regulatory risk exposure
• Anticipate future regulatory changes affecting project feasibility
• Integrate EPL strategy with origination, engineering, grid, legal, and development teams
• Provide regulatory advisory input during project acquisition and investment decisions

 Permitting Lifecycle Management

• Identify required permits for BESS, solar, and wind projects
• Prepare, submit, and manage permit applications
• Monitor achievement of permits in both internally developed and acquired projects
• Respond to regulatory agency inquiries
• Ensure compliance with all statutory deadlines

 Land Access & Site Control

• Identify and evaluate land opportunities, integrating environmental and zoning constraints
• Negotiate land agreements (lease, easements, access rights)
• Conduct land due diligence and risk analysis
• Interface with landowners, municipalities, and relevant authorities
• Unlock complex land plots through strategic coordination

 Environmental & ESG Management

• Coordinate environmental studies and mitigation strategies
• Oversee environmental compliance from development to construction
• Ensure ESG compliance according to client and investor standards
• Manage social and stakeholder engagement processes

 Consultant & Resource Management

• Manage tender processes and contracting of external consultants
• Oversee third-party environmental, permitting, and land specialists
• Schedule and coordinate tasks and resources across workstreams
• Control budget related to EPL activities 

Due Diligence & Risk Reporting

• Lead environmental and permitting due diligence for project acquisitions
• Prepare overviews of development status including risk assessments
• Provide structured EPL risk analysis for relevant internal committees
• Support financing and transaction processes

Stakeholder Interface

• Interface with landowners, government regulators, contractors, and stakeholders
• Attend regulatory agency meetings and public hearings
• Conduct field visits as required
• Maintain long-term relationships with key local stakeholders

SPECIFIC DUTIES

Regulatory & Permitting 

• Lead permitting strategy for:
  1. Forest Development Permit (林地開発許可)
  2. Agricultural Land Conversion (農地転用)
  3. City Planning Act approvals (都市計画法関連許可)
  4. Development-related regulations (宅地造成関連)
  5. Environmental Impact Assessments (法アセス / 条例アセス)
  6. Fire Service Act compliance for BESS (消防法・危険物規制)
  7. Landscape and noise ordinances
• Coordinate permit submissions with licensed professionals where required
• Manage prefectural and municipal review timelines
• Respond to administrative documentation requests
• Monitor METI and other relevant authorities, as well as prefectural regulatory updates

Land Access & Site Control

• Conduct site screening based on land classification (農地・山林・宅地等)
• Assess urban planning zoning (市街化区域 / 調整区域)
• Lead negotiations with individual and multi-owner land parcels
• Secure land rights (lease, surface rights, easements)
• Coordinate cadastral review (公図確認) and boundary confirmation (境界立会い)
• Conduct land-related due diligence for acquisitions

 Environmental & Community

• Coordinate seasonal environmental surveys(if necessary)
• Participate in layout design discussions to address setback and buffer requirements
• Attend and conduct community briefings (住民説明会)
• Coordinate mitigation discussions with prefectural environmental departments
• Monitor compliance with permit conditions

 BESS- Specific Regulatory Interface

• Coordinate consultations with Fire Department
• Ensure compliance with hazardous material thresholds
• Validate zoning compatibility for energy storage installations
• Align safety documentation with engineering design

 Consultant Management

• Prepare scopes of work for environmental and land consultants
• Manage Japanese-language submissions and quality control
• Oversee tendering and contracting processes
• Monitor deliverables aligned with permitting milestones