SORE Lead Siting Outreach Right-of-Way and Environmental

Industry

Environmental

At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good.

Your impact

The Siting, Outreach, Right-of-Way, and Environmental Lead will provide strategic leadership and technical oversight for a large-scale electrical transmission program in the eastern United States. This client-facing leadership role is responsible for integrating and overseeing the siting, stakeholder outreach, right-of-way (ROW) acquisition, and environmental permitting/compliance functions required to successfully deliver complex transmission projects from early development through construction and closeout.

The SOAR+E Lead will collaborate closely with engineering, project controls, construction, permitting, land services, and program management teams to deliver safe, reliable, and cost-effective transmission solutions for a major utility client. The position requires a very strong understanding of the full project lifecycle, exceptional leadership capabilities, and the ability to build and maintain trusted client relationships while identifying opportunities to grow the business.

You will play a critical role in advancing one of the nation's largest transmission infrastructure initiatives by ensuring that projects move efficiently through siting, stakeholder engagement, land acquisition, and environmental approval processes. This position combines technical expertise, program leadership, client partnership, and business growth responsibilities to deliver transformational energy infrastructure across the eastern United States.

The preferred location for this position is within Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, West Virginia, or Virginia, though qualified candidates may be considered from other locations.

Key Responsibilities:

Program and Project Leadership

• Provide executive-level leadership and oversight for siting, outreach, ROW, and environmental functions supporting a large electrical transmission portfolio.
• Lead integration across disciplines to ensure seamless delivery of end-to-end transmission projects.
• Serve as a key member of the program leadership team, partnering with engineering, project management, construction, and utility stakeholders.
• Establish strategies, processes, and best practices to support successful project execution.
• Identify risks, constraints, and opportunities and develop proactive solutions to maintain project schedules, budgets, and quality objectives.

Discipline Oversight and Quality Control

• Provide oversight and direction to discipline leaders responsible for:
• Transmission line and substation siting and routing
• Stakeholder and community outreach
• Right-of-way acquisition and land services
• Environmental permitting, regulatory compliance, and agency coordination
• Maintain final quality control responsibility for technical reports, permitting packages, stakeholder materials, land acquisition deliverables, and other project documentation.
• Ensure deliverables meet client expectations, regulatory requirements, industry standards, and internal quality management procedures.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency, consistency, and delivery performance.

Client Relationship Management and Business Growth

• Serve as a primary point of contact and trusted advisor for the utility client on siting, outreach, right-of-way, and environmental-related activities.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships through proactive communication, responsiveness, and consistent delivery excellence.
• Understand client priorities, challenges, and strategic objectives to support long-term program success.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for additional services, expanded project scopes, and business growth.

Team Leadership and Development

• Provide leadership, mentoring, and career development support to project managers, technical staff, and emerging leaders.
• Oversee staffing needs, resource planning, workload balancing, and team performance.
• Promote collaboration across disciplines and encourage a culture of accountability, innovation, and excellence.
• Mentor junior and mid-level staff to develop technical and leadership capabilities.

Stakeholder and Regulatory Coordination

• Support effective engagement with landowners, communities, municipalities, tribal entities, and regulatory agencies.
• Guide outreach strategies to build support and minimize project risks.
• Oversee coordination with federal, state, and local regulatory agencies for environmental approvals and compliance.
• Ensure alignment between permitting, siting, engineering design, land acquisition, and construction requirements.

Here's what you'll need

• Bachelor's degree in environmental science, planning, engineering, land management, natural resources, public administration, or a related field.
• 15+ years of experience supporting major infrastructure programs, preferably electrical transmission, utility, energy, or other linear infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing multidisciplinary teams and complex project portfolios.
• Proven experience overseeing transmission siting, stakeholder engagement, ROW acquisition, and environmental permitting/compliance efforts.
• Experience working directly with utility clients and managing high-profile stakeholder relationships.
• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local permitting processes applicable to transmission infrastructure.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to effectively manage competing priorities in a fast-paced program environment.
• Experience with quality control and delivery management for complex technical documents and regulatory submissions.
• Demonstrated business acumen with experience managing the financial, contractual, resource, and operational aspects of multidisciplinary project delivery, including the ability to oversee scope performance, budgets, staffing, risk, and client expectations within a larger integrated transmission program.
• Ability to travel regularly to client offices, project sites, stakeholder meetings, and industry events.

Ideally, you'll also have:

• Experience leading siting, outreach, right-of-way, and environmental functions for large electric transmission programs.

• Prior experience working with investor-owned utilities, regional transmission organizations, or transmission developers.

• Familiarity with transmission regulatory approval processes in the eastern United States.

• Experience managing projects involving high-voltage transmission lines, substations, and associated facilities.

• Professional certifications or registrations such as:

• Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS)

• Certified Environmental Professional (CEP)

• Certified Planner (AICP)

• Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)

• Other relevant professional credentials

• Established industry relationships with utilities, agencies, consultants, and infrastructure stakeholders.

Core Competencies:

• Strategic leadership and decision-making
• Client relationship management
• Multidisciplinary team integration
• Transmission project delivery
• Environmental permitting and compliance strategy
• Stakeholder engagement and conflict resolution
• Right-of-way and land acquisition strategy
• Quality assurance and quality control
• Business development and account growth
• Mentoring and talent development
• Executive-level communication

#LI-AW1

Posted Salary Range: Minimum

111,100.00

Posted Salary Range: Upper

173,500.00

Our health and welfare benefits are designed to invest in you, and in the things you care about. Your health. Your well-being. Your security. Your future. Employees have access to medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance, a 401(k) plan, and the ability to purchase company stock at a discount. Eligible employees may also enroll in a deferred compensation plan or the Executive Deferral Plan. Jacobs has an unlimited U.S. Personalized Paid Time Off (PPTO) policy for full-time salaried/exempt employees, seven paid holidays, and caregiver leave. And certain roles may be eligible for additional rewards, including merit increases, performance discretionary bonus, and stock.

The base salary range for this position is $111,100.00 to $173,500.00. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

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. Job posted on September 18, 2026. This position will be open for at least 3 days.

We value collaboration and believe that in-person interactions are crucial for both our culture and client delivery. We empower employees with our hybrid working policy, allowing them to split their work week between Jacobs offices/projects and remote locations enabling them to deliver their best work.

Your application experience is important to us, and we're keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please contact the team via Careers Support.

Locations

CityStateCountryTroyMichiganUnited StatesIndianapolisIndianaUnited StatesFort WayneIndianaUnited StatesFort CampbellKentuckyUnited StatesLouisvilleKentuckyUnited StatesColumbusOhioUnited StatesClevelandOhioUnited StatesBingham FarmsMichiganUnited StatesNewport NewsVirginiaUnited StatesRichmondVirginiaUnited StatesVirginia BeachVirginiaUnited StatesRestonVirginiaUnited StatesArlingtonVirginiaUnited StatesChantillyVirginiaUnited StatesCincinnatiOhioUnited States