Environmental Director

About Nscale Nscale is the GPU cloud engineered for AI. We provide cost-effective, high-performance infrastructure for AI start-ups and large enterprise customers. Nscale enables AI-focused companies to achieve superior results by reducing the complexity of AI development. Our GPU cloud bolsters technical capabilities and directly supports strategic business outcomes, including cost management, rapid innovation, and environmental responsibility. We thrive on a culture of relentless innovation, ownership, and accountability, where every team member takes pride in their work and drives it with excellence and urgency. As an Nscaler, you'll build trust through openness and transparency, where everyone is inspired to do their best work. If you join our team, you'll be contributing to building the technology that powers the future. About Power & Energy at Nscale Nscale's Power & Energy group develops, builds and operates the fuel supply and behind-the-meter generation that powers Nscale's data centre campuses. At the Monarch campus in Mason County, West Virginia, the group is delivering a new natural gas pipeline system and an on-site natural gas power plant for a gigawatt-scale AI data centre campus, with the first building now under construction. The Development team within Power & Energy owns natural gas procurement, pipeline build and operation, environmental permitting and compliance, and community and stakeholder engagement for the campus. Role Overview We are seeking an Environmental Director to lead environmental permitting for site selection and power development across Nscale's Power & Energy assets, beginning with the Monarch campus in West Virginia. Reporting to the SVP, Development, you will own the land-use and water permits that gate development and construction (Clean Water Act Section 404 and Section 401, NPDES and construction stormwater permits and SWPPPs, and the species and cultural resource consultations that accompany them), lead the environmental studies team and the consultants that support them, and be Nscale's senior environmental representative to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state environmental agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and State Historic Preservation Offices. Air permitting sits with Nscale's Permitting team; you will coordinate closely with them so site and permit strategies line up. Once permits are issued, you and your team assist the site, construction and operations teams with compliance for those specific permits: conditions, monitoring, reporting, modifications and renewals. The right leader has taken large energy or industrial sites through Corps and state water permitting, has working relationships inside the agencies that own those processes, and brings the judgment to screen a site for environmental risk before Nscale commits to it. What You'll Do Site Selection & Development Permitting • Lead environmental screening and constraints analysis for candidate sites, routes and expansions across Nscale's power portfolio: wetlands and streams, floodplains, threatened and endangered species habitat, cultural resources and legacy site conditions; advise on site selection and layout to avoid or minimize impacts. • Set the permitting strategy and schedule for each site and keep it integrated with development, design and construction milestones. • Own the preparation and submittal of Clean Water Act Section 404 permits (nationwide and individual) and Section 401 water quality certifications, NPDES and construction stormwater permits and SWPPPs, and related state land-use and water approvals. • Lead Endangered Species Act consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 consultation with State Historic Preservation Offices, including survey scoping, seasonal restrictions and mitigation. • Develop mitigation strategies (avoidance, minimization, mitigation banking and permittee-responsible mitigation) and negotiate permit conditions. Agencies & Consultants • Own relationships with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers districts, state departments of environmental protection or quality, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and State Historic Preservation Offices; represent Nscale in pre-application meetings, site visits, public notice and comment processes, and hearings. • Select and manage environmental consultants and laboratories for delineations, surveys, studies and permit applications; hold them to scope, schedule and quality. • Coordinate with the Permitting team on air permitting and with Legal on permit terms and regulatory risk. Permit Compliance Support • Assist site, construction and operations teams with compliance for the specific permits you obtain (condition tracking, monitoring, reporting, inspections, modifications and renewals) through the Manager, Environmental Compliance and the pipeline environmental inspection team. • Support response to agency inspections, notices and enforcement matters on those permits; lead root cause analysis and corrective action with the site teams. Leadership • Lead and develop the environmental team (compliance and studies); set priorities, budget and reporting across sites. • Advise leadership on environmental risk, regulatory developments and agency positions that affect site selection and schedule. About You Experience & Background • 15+ years in environmental permitting for energy, industrial or large infrastructure projects, including direct responsibility for Section 404 and 401 permitting, NPDES and construction stormwater permitting, and the species and cultural resource consultations that accompany them. • Demonstrated working relationships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and with the state environmental agencies that own water and land-use permitting; relationships with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and State Historic Preservation Offices are a strong advantage. • Experience screening and permitting multiple sites or a portfolio, including site selection support, is strongly preferred. • Managed environmental teams and consultant programs with multi-million-dollar budgets. Technical Knowledge & Expertise • Deep knowledge of the Clean Water Act (Sections 401, 402 and 404), the Corps regulatory program (nationwide and individual permits, jurisdictional determinations and mitigation), state water and stormwater programs, the Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act Section 106. • Working knowledge of wetland and stream delineation, species surveys and cultural resource surveys, sufficient to scope and review consultant work. • Understanding of pipeline, power plant and large-site construction practices and how environmental controls fit into them. • Experience in West Virginia, Ohio or Pennsylvania, or with the Corps districts and state agencies serving them, is preferred; experience in other regions where Nscale may build is a plus. Leadership & Soft Skills • Credible with regulators, direct with consultants, clear with executives. • Sound judgment on when to hold a position and when to resolve; keeps issues from escalating. • Builds practical programs and holds people to them. • Willing to travel regularly to sites, with substantial time in West Virginia during Monarch construction. Nice to Have • Bachelor's or master's degree in environmental science, environmental engineering, biology or a related field; Professional Wetland Scientist, PE or similar credentials. • Experience with NEPA reviews and federal permitting for linear projects. • Experience with brownfield or industrial-redevelopment sites. • Experience supporting state legislative or regulatory policy initiatives. • Experience with the environmental aspects of data centre development (water, cooling, noise). What We Can Offer You At Nscale, you'll find a collaborative, supportive, and innovative environment where your contributions spark real impact. We're building something extraordinary, and we want you at the core. • Highly competitive package (base + equity) with reviews every 12 months. • Join the fastest-growing tech startup, your chance to push boundaries, collaborate with brilliant minds, and make your mark on cutting-edge AI. • Expect a dynamic progression plan tailored to your ambitions. Grow by trying new things, leading, challenging the status quo, and owning your impact, always with our full support. Equal Opportunities Statement We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. If there's anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know. The responsibilities outlined in this job description are not exhaustive and are intended to provide a general overview of the position. The employee may be required to perform additional duties, tasks, and responsibilities as assigned by management, consistent with the skills and qualifications required for the role. The range below reflects the base salary for the position. Actual compensation may vary based on job-related factors such as skill set, experience, education, and location. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for bonus, equity, and/or commission programs. Nscale may offer a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, flexible paid time off, parental leave, and retirement plan participation. Salary Range $160,000—$270,000 USD For information on how Nscale handles candidate personal data, please see our Employee & Candidate Privacy Notice: Here. Nscale does not accept unsolicited candidate submissions from recruitment agencies.