Lead Specialist, Environmental Programs
- Location
- Atlanta / Plymouth
- Employment
- Full Time
- Work model
- On-Site
- Level
- Senior
- Salary
- $114.1k – $142.6k/yr
- Posted
Skills
About this role
About Rivian Rivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract. As a company, we constantly challenge what’s possible, never simply accepting what has always been done. We reframe old problems, seek new solutions and operate comfortably in areas that are unknown. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations.
Role
Summary Rivian is seeking a Lead Specialist, Environmental Programs to own environmental regulatory compliance across a geographically distributed portfolio of sites, projects, and operations. This is an experienced individual-contributor role requiring both regulatory depth and practical operating judgment. The role translates federal, state, and local requirements into permits, compliance programs, site controls, project requirements, and clear actions for operational teams. Core scope includes permitting, air quality, hazardous waste/RCRA, construction stormwater, operational environmental compliance, agency engagement, corrective actions, and environmental readiness for new or changing sites. The successful candidate will work across manufacturing, research and development, Workplace, Service, Facilities, Construction, Real Estate, Legal, Procurement, EHS, contractors, and environmental service providers. The role leads through technical credibility, influence, and follow-through rather than direct people management.
Responsibilities
Own and support a multi-site portfolio of environmental permits, compliance obligations, regulatory commitments, and site interfaces; maintain calendars, records, escalation paths, and closure evidence. Determine regulatory applicability and support permit acquisition, modification, renewal, activation, and ongoing compliance for new and active sites. Manage or provide technical oversight for air permits, emissions records, applicability determinations, reporting, deviations, potential-to-emit inputs, and agency correspondence. Lead or support hazardous-waste and RCRA programs, including generator status, accumulation, waste profiles, manifests, inspections, training, vendor controls, and recordkeeping. Support related operational programs such as SPCC, chemical management, wastewater or pretreatment, universal waste, batteries, and extended producer responsibility. Integrate environmental requirements into construction, expansion, retrofit, commissioning, site activation, and operational handoffs, including NPDES, SWPPP, BMPs, construction inspections, corrective actions, and contractor accountability. Serve as an environmental point of contact for agency inspections, notices of violation, information requests, and other external engagements; lead responses through corrective action, documentation, and closure. Participate in environmental incident, spill, release, and near-miss reviews; identify root causes and drive risk-based preventive actions. Use environmental data, permit calendars, inspections, recurring findings, and action registers to prioritize risk and improve performance across sites. Develop practical standards, procedures, training, templates, dashboards, and governance practices that make environmental compliance more consistent and scalable. Partner with site and functional leaders to explain complex requirements, assign accountable owners, and distinguish enterprise program ownership from site-level execution. Lead projects and workstreams, mentor colleagues, and support evolving programs such as EPR, PFAS, TSCA, product stewardship, and battery reuse or recycling as business needs require.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, environmental engineering, chemistry, natural resources, public policy, or a related field; equivalent education and experience may be considered. 8+ years of progressively responsible environmental,