Senior Director, Environmental Compliance

Job description

Position Purpose: The Senior Director of Environmental Compliance is responsible for providing strategic leadership and oversight of Veolia Water New Jersey’s (VWNJ) environmental compliance programs, ensuring compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local environmental regulations, in alignment with corporate objectives and operational priorities, while advancing public health protection, environmental stewardship, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. This position provides executive oversight of all environmental compliance activities related to air, drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, waste management, hazardous materials, spill prevention and response, environmental permitting, emergency preparedness, and environmental auditing. This position leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the Company's environmental compliance management systems, environmental governance framework, and regulatory compliance programs across all VWNJ operations. The Senior Director provides oversight of all laboratory analysis required to demonstrate compliance, including outside laboratory services and the Haworth WTP laboratory. The Senior Director serves as the organization's subject matter expert for environmental compliance, environmental permitting, drinking water quality, wastewater treatment compliance, environmental management systems, and environmental regulatory relations. The role partners closely with other functional areas including, operations, engineering, legal, finance, strategic relations, etc., to identify environmental risks, implement mitigation strategies, and ensure consistent compliance across all operations. Primary Duties/Responsibilities: Lead, empower, and mentor a direct team of environmental professionals, driving cohesive collaboration and operational alignment across all functional disciplines within the position's scope (including Operations, Engineering, Legal, and Finance). Serve as a strategic leader with external regulatory agencies, effectively interpreting complex regulations and guidelines to advocate for approaches that balance strict regulatory compliance with exceptional customer service and operational/business realities. Provide environmental compliance leadership for VWNJ. Ensure alignment with corporate objectives and operational priorities. Provide strategic oversight of compliance programs related to all applicable federal, state, and local environmental regulations, including requirements administered by the EPA and applicable state environmental agencies. Monitor legislative and regulatory developments and communicate impacts to business leadership. Lead development of comments for submission during public comment period for draft regulatory requirements. Interpret emerging regulatory requirements and develop implementation strategies to ensure organizational readiness. Support development of policies related to water treatment operations, laboratory quality assurance, and regulatory reporting. Lead the design, implementation, and continual improvement of VWNJ’s environmental compliance management systems. Lead environmental due diligence activities supporting capital projects and new business initiatives. Evaluate environmental impacts associated with operational activities and infrastructure investments. Direct internal environmental assessments and support external regulatory inspections. Oversee development, implementation, and closure of corrective action plans. Lead VWNJ environmental auditing and compliance assurance programs. Monitor environmental performance trends and ensure timely resolution of compliance issues. Oversee environmental permitting activities across all operations. Ensure timely submission of required regulatory reports and environmental compliance documentation. Ensure maintenance of systems supporting environmental permits, compliance obligations, inspections, reporting, and regulatory commitments. Provide oversight of environmental emergency preparedness and response programs. Direct environmental incident investigations, including spill response and root cause analyses. Serve as liaison with environmental regulatory agencies. Build productive relationships with regulators, industry associations, and external stakeholders. Represent the organization during inspections, audits, enforcement actions, and compliance negotiations. Establish departmental goals, performance expectations, succession planning, and employee development initiatives. Allocate resources to support business priorities and regulatory obligations. Foster collaboration across Operations, Engineering, Legal,Finance, and Corporate leadership. Develop departmental strategic plans, budgets, and resource forecasts. Establish and monitor environmental performance objectives, key performance indicators (KPIs), and reporting metrics. Recommend process improvements that enhance compliance, operational reliability, sustainability, and financial performance. Support corporate sustainability and environmental stewardship initiatives. Work Environment: Participation in environmental emergency response activities and on-call leadership, as required. Combination of office and field environments, including visits to treatment facilities, construction sites, laboratories, and industrial operations. Ability to conduct field inspections and work in varying environmental conditions while utilizing appropriate personal protective equipment. Education/Experience/Background: Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Biology, or a related technical discipline. Master's degree preferred. Minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible environmental compliance experience within a regulated utility, environmental services, industrial, manufacturing, or infrastructure organization. Minimum of 7 years of leadership experience managing environmental professionals and cross-functional teams. Demonstrated experience leading environmental compliance programs across multiple operating locations. Experience interacting with federal and state regulatory agencies. Experience developing and implementing environmental compliance management systems. Experience supporting environmental due diligence, capital projects, and business development preferred. Knowledge/Skills/Abilities: Working knowledge of federal, state, and local environmental regulations, including the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Clean Air Act, and related environmental permitting requirements. Knowledge of drinking water treatment, water chemistry, wastewater operations, hazardous materials management, and environmental risk management. Strong understanding of environmental auditing, compliance assurance, and regulatory reporting. Working knowledge of environmental compliance management systems and continuous improvement methodologies. Experience developing environmental compliance strategies, policies, and governance frameworks. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities. Excellent communication and presentation skills. Proven ability to influence senior leaders and build effective relationships across diverse stakeholder groups. Strong project management and organizational leadership capabilities. Proficiency with Microsoft Office/Google applications and environmental compliance management systems. Pay Range: $180000 to $200000 Per Year. Benefits: Veolia’s comprehensive benefits package includes paid time off policies, as well as health, dental, vision, life insurance, savings accounts, tuition reimbursement, paid volunteering and more. In addition, employees are also entitled to participate in an employer sponsored 401(k) plan, to save for retirement. Pay and benefits for employees represented by a union are outlined in their collective bargaining agreement. Sick leave – 56 hours; Observed Holidays – 11 days; Vacation – Flexible Time Off Eligible for up to 20% Annual Performance Bonus We are an Equal Opportunity Employer! All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. The Company reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law. Veolia in North America is the top-ranked environmental company in the United States for three consecutive years, and the country’s largest private water operator and technology provider as well as hazardous waste and pollution treatment leader. It offers a full spectrum of water, waste, and energy management services, including water and wastewater treatment, commercial and hazardous waste collection and disposal, energy consulting and resource recovery. Veolia helps commercial, industrial, healthcare, higher education and municipality customers throughout North America. Headquartered in Boston, Veolia has more than 10,000 employees working at more than 350 locations across North America.