Regulatory Compliance Specialist

Job Details

Sector(s)

Project Development; Construction; Operations & Maintenance

Median Pay

$71,650 per year

$34.45 per hour

Job Type

Mid-Level

Typical Entry-Level
Education and Work
Experience
Requirements

Bachelor’s degree; 1–3 years of relevant experience

Alternate Titles

Compliance auditor, compliance officer licensing coordinator, environmental permitting specialist, and environmental compliance specialist.

Brief Job Description

Regulatory compliance specialists perform environmental, social, and economic impact studies as well as policy research to ensure marine energy system project proposals comply with government regulations that protect the environment, energy markets, workers, and impacted communities. 

Education and Training Level Description

Regulatory compliance specialists typically need a bachelor's degree in environmental science or a related natural resources field. Students typically take courses such as marine biology, oceanography, social science, natural science, or coastal and marine policy. Research involving environmental fieldwork, internships, or cooperative education programs during college can provide candidates with environmental impact assessment experience. Employers prefer candidates who are familiar with federal, state, and local government regulations on the marine energy industry. Depending on the type of specialization a regulatory compliance specialist pursues, a master's degree might be required. 

Job Profile

Regulatory compliance specialists ensure that marine energy systems comply with applicable policies, laws, and regulations. These policies, laws, and regulations generally create rules that protect the environment, nearby communities, worker safety, and energy markets. Regulatory compliance specialists apply their understanding of policies, economics, and/or natural sciences to evaluate the environmental, economic, and safety impacts of planned and existing marine energy projects. Regulatory compliance specialists communicate their evaluations to local, state, and federal regulatory bodies. Regulatory bodies use these assessments to help decide whether or not they should issue or deny a license for a marine energy system to be constructed or continue operating.

Regulatory compliance specialists also work with marine energy system operators to alter their processes and operations to better comply with their licensing agreements and reduce their impacts. To perform this work, they have to stay up-to-date on the current policies and regulations that apply to different marine energy facilities, including policies and regulations from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, National Environmental Policy Act, and state agencies, based on their location and license type. They often work for government organizations, consulting firms, or marine energy companies and communicate their results and findings to marine energy companies, local officials, and regulatory bodies. 

Regulatory compliance specialists typically: 

  • Perform environmental, social, and economic impact studies to assess whether a planned marine energy system would comply with environmental (like those from the National Environmental Policy Act) and other regulations
  • Review draft environmental compliance documentation for quality and completeness (such as through categorical exclusion memos, environmental assessments, and consultations) and provide comments or recommended edits for the application to advance the approval
  • Prepare or assist in the development of draft and final environmental assessments, environmental impact statements, and programmatic consultation documents, in consultation with subject-matter experts
  • Suggest operational changes and remediation techniques for marine energy projects and proposals to better protect water quality, fish, and other water-related resources
  • Assist marine energy developers by analyzing and interpreting laws, rules, internal policies, procedures, and guidance documents and providing plans to adjust internal practices to better meet existing and forthcoming rules and regulations
  • Communicate findings of marine energy facility impact assessments to the developer, local officials, and regulatory bodies, such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.

Job Skills

Regulatory compliance specialists typically need:

  • Analytical skills. Regulatory compliance specialists base their conclusions on careful analysis of scientific data. They must consider all possible methods and solutions in their analyses.
  • Communication skills. Regulatory compliance specialists may need to present and explain their findings to audiences of varying backgrounds and write technical reports.
  • Interpersonal skills. Regulatory compliance specialists typically work on teams along with scientists, engineers, and technicians. Team members must be able to work together effectively to achieve their goals.
  • Problem-solving skills. Regulatory compliance specialists try to find the best possible solution to problems that affect the environment and human health.

More Information, Job Opportunities, etc.

For more information on regulatory compliance jobs, see: 

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