Acoustic Services Lead

Do you want to come help lead decarbonization and the advancement of Renewable Energy?

Are you excited about working with a diverse, collaborative team at the world’s largest renewable energy consultancy? Do you have a passion for permitting renewable energy projects, and furthering your professional development in a company that truly puts people first?

At DNV our organizational culture and how we collectively influence the world for future generations matters deeply to us. Our team works every day to increase the widespread deployment and operation of renewables to address climate change and positively impact society; endeavors to achieve our purpose through the success of our customers; and strives to be high-performing and innovative. Our approach reflects the equity, respect, and diversity we wish to see in the world.   

The Role

DNV’s Environmental and Permitting Services (EPS) team is growing rapidly, and we are seeking an Acoustics Services Lead to join our multi-disciplinary Environmental and Permitting team. The Acoustic Services Lead is responsible for leading project development, owner’s engineering, and compliance activities to support DNV’s renewable energy acoustic engineering services

This position may be based in any location in the continental United States (U.S), including DNV offices or remote (home) office

We are looking for a highly-motivated and self-starting individual, interested in working in and driving a fast-paced consulting environment.

Our Customers can choose any number of consultancies to execute on specific tasks. However, our EPS team strives to develop long-term partnerships with our Customers, acting as their trusted advisor from the early site selection stage through to operations. Our Customers are at the forefront of the energy transition. Our team is nimble, highly experienced, and driven by our mission to ensure renewable energy projects are safely and sustainably sited, permitted, and operated

The EPS team is comprised of siting, environmental, and permitting specialists who work directly with our Customers to help identify and address project risks for terrestrial wind, offshore wind, solar, battery storage, and hydrogen projects. Our mission is to guide the sustainable, responsible growth of the renewables industry by providing innovative environmental and permitting expertise to support the greater good

To facilitate this work, excellent written and oral communication skills are paramount. Broadly, our work falls into four categories:

• Biological services, including field surveys, habitat conservation plans, corporate avian and bat protection plans, review of mitigation strategies, and associated permitting
• Permitting services, providing support for permitting at the federal, state/provincial, and local level for wind, solar, battery storage and hydrogen projects; including stakeholder engagement
• GIS services, including mapping, constraints reviews, radiocommunication surveys, and critical issues analyses
• Siting services, including layout optimization, acoustical measurements, noise impact assessments, shadow flicker studies, blade/ice throw assessments, glint and glare studies, and visual impact studies

We are specifically seeking an individual who displays high integrity and honesty – the industry relies on DNV’s independents and its responsibility and ability to provide a rigorous and fair review of projects

What You'll Do

• Continue building a North America-based acoustics business, engaging in business development and technical leadership on E- and I-audits for renewable energy projects (onshore and offshore wind, solar, storage) in all Canadian and U.S. jurisdictions
• Complete and lead noise impact assessment modeling, pioneering new and innovating ways to leverage acoustic equipment to support our Customers through permitting, acting as an expert witness at hearings and tribunals, evaluating noise warranty claims, and creating urgency in the industry to measure, monitor, and appropriately site renewable energy equipment to both optimize energy production and ensure regulatory compliance for our Customers
• Acting as technical lead and Subject Manager Expert (SME) at siting committees, environmental review tribunals, litigation proceedings, and open houses for the above-listed services
• Acting as Project Manager on all standalone acoustics mandates, leveraging analysts, engineers, and experts from multiple parts of the business line, as needed. This position does not require direct staff management responsibilities, but will have direct connection to management staff on acoustics projects, as warranted
• Engaging in acoustics related thought leadership and industry committees to ensure the safe, sustainable development of renewable energy projects
• Perform technical checking and approval activities of deliverables completed by junior and intermediate staff
• Attend agency and municipality meetings, open houses, and stakeholder engagement sessions as a SME
• Write reports lead efforts towards language standardization and evolution, edit and finalize documents

What Is Required

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
• Minimum of 5 years of professional acoustic experience in renewable energy, including expert-level understanding of project development timelines, schedules, constraints, and sound legislation knowledge in North America
• Demonstrated skills in project communication and coordination, agency consultation, and environmental analysis
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 20% of the time domestically to conferences, expert witness opportunities, project sites, agency and internal meetings
• Project management skills and experience leading a team of analysts and engineers performing acoustic studies and siting-related studies for wind, solar, and/or energy storage projects
• Experience and training including SME-level expertise in at least one of the following areas: safety setbacks for wind, energy storage, and/or solar PV projects, shadow flicker, ice throw/drop, GIS and/or electromagnetic interference
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills
• Pre-employment drug and background screening

What Is Preferred 

• Acoustic audit certification for field testing under IEC 61400-11
• Project Management Professional (PMP), Professional Engineer (PE), or other accreditation(s)
• Experience in conducting other siting studies such as shadow flicker assessment, glint and glare assessment, visual simulation, layout optimization, etc
• Understanding of geospatial data, ArcGIS, or other geographic information systems

**Immigration-related employment benefits, for example, visa sponsorship, are not available for this position**

What We Offer

• Generous Paid Time Off (Vacation, Company Holidays, Parental Leave, Sick, and Disability)
• Multiple Medical, Dental, and Vision Benefit Plans to choose from
• Spending Accounts – FSA, Dependent Care, Commuter Benefits, Company-Seeded HSA
  401(K) with company match
• Company provided life insurance, short-term, and long-term disability benefits
• Education reimbursement program
• Employer-Paid, therapist-led, virtual care services through Talkspace
• Flexible work schedule with hybrid/remote opportunities

**Benefits may vary based on position, tenure, location, and employee election**

How We Do It

We Care, We Dare, We Share

DNV is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building an inclusive and diverse workforce. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit or business need, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

DNV is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity, including providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with a disability. US applicants with a physical or mental disability who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process may contact the North America Recruitment department (hrrecruitment.northamerica@dnv.com). Information received relating to accommodations will be addressed confidentially.

For more information 

https://www.eeoc.gov/know-your-rights-workplace-discrimination-illegal

Read more here

Diversity at DNV

Meet our Employees

About DNV

Careers in DNV

Please visit our website at www.dnv.com

As required by the Pay Transparency laws in Colorado, New York City, California, and Washington, DNV provides a reasonable compensation range for roles that may be hired in those locations. Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors, including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific office location. For the state of Colorado, New York City, NY, California, and Washington only, the starting pay range for this role is $85,000 - $155,000

DNV is the independent expert in assurance and risk management, operating in more than 100 countries. Through our broad experience and deep expertise we advance safety and sustainable performance, set industry benchmarks, and inspire and invent solutions. 

We provide assurance to the entire energy value chain through our advisory, monitoring, verification, and certification services. As the world's leading resource of independent energy experts and technical advisors, we help industries and governments to navigate the many complex, interrelated transitions taking place globally and regionally, in the energy industry. We are committed to realizing the goals of the Paris Agreement, and support all stakeholders to transition faster to a deeply decarbonized energy system.