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 required

Position Title

Regulatory Compliance Specialist

Alternate Titles

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

Job Description

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

Education and Training 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 biology, chemistry, geology, physics, hydrology, waste management, and environmental policy and regulation. 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 hydropower industry. Depending on the type of specialization a regulatory compliance specialist pursues, a master's degree might be required.

Job Profile

Regulatory compliance specialists visit hydropower sites, perform environmental impact studies, and conduct policy research to ensure hydropower operations comply with government regulations protecting the environment, energy markets, workers, and impacted communities. They apply their understanding of policies, economics, or natural sciences to perform water quality, environmental impact, worker safety, or other assessments.

Regulatory compliance specialists also help hydropower facilities in their compliance planning and relicensing. They help facilities make plans to better comply with their licensing agreements and reduce their impacts by suggesting ways hydropower facilities can improve their operations. Hydropower facilities also periodically undergo relicensing, and regulatory compliance specialists perform the studies and assessments of the facilities that government regulatory officials use to issue or deny a license. To perform this work, they have to stay up to date on the current policies and regulations that apply to different hydropower facilities (e.g., the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and National Environmental Policy Act) based on their location and license type. They often work for government organizations, consulting firms, or hydropower companies and communicate their results and findings to hydropower companies, local officials, and regulatory bodies.

Regulatory compliance specialists typically:

  • Perform environmental, social, and economic impact studies to assess whether hydropower facilities are operating in compliance with their licensing agreements and other regulations
  • Review draft environmental compliance documentation for quality and completeness (e.g., 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 hydropower projects to better protect water quality, wildlife, and other water-related resources
  • Assists hydropower facilities by analyzing and interpreting laws, rules, internal policies, procedures, and guidance documents appropriate to the Water Quality Program and licensed hydropower facilities
  • Assist hydropower companies in completing the required relicensing assessments and processes
  • Communicate hydropower impact assessment findings to the hydropower company, local officials, and regulatory bodies, such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

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, write technical reports, and report their findings to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
  • Interpersonal skills. Regulatory compliance specialists typically work in 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 environmental, land use, and human health problems.

More Information

For more information on regulatory compliance specialists, jobs, see:

Resources