Environmental Program Manager

Overview

Microsoft’s Land Development (LD) team drives the delivery of our global data centre portfolio, guiding projects from site selection and acquisition through design, construction, and transition to operations. Our portfolio comprises large-scale, complex, multi-disciplinary data centre developments that are critical to expanding Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure across the world.

Within the LD team, the Environmental function plays a pivotal role in enabling project success through environmental due diligence, permitting, compliance management, and risk mitigation. The team is responsible for support the site acquisition process, securing and maintaining environmental approvals that support the timely construction of new data centres while ensuring compliance with applicable regulatory requirements throughout the project lifecycle.

We are seeking an experienced Environmental Program Manager to support data center development projects across the Asia Pacific region, with a primary focus on Australia and New Zealand. In this role, you will serve as a trusted environmental subject matter expert, partnering with cross-functional teams including Legal, Design, Construction, Operations, and external regulators, consultants, and contractors.

As a key member of the data centre development team, you will lead the development and execution of environmental strategies that enable project delivery while managing environmental risk and compliance obligations. You will play an instrumental role in shaping project outcomes, navigating complex regulatory environments, and ensuring Microsoft continues to build and operate world-class infrastructure in a responsible and sustainable manner.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the growth of Microsoft’s cloud infrastructure while helping advance our environmental commitments across one of the fastest-growing regions in the world.

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

This is an IC role.

Responsibilities

The Environmental Program Manager is part of a team of that works across the greater organization to drive an effective, fast and efficient environmental programme to eliminate gaps between teams and ensure on-time acquisition and delivery of various environmental projects and all associated permitting requirements. The Environmental Program Manager will be responsible for driving appropriate cross-team delivery, environmental due diligence, environmental permit acquisition and environmental permit compliance for data centers to allow for the construction and delivery of our critical infrastructure.

The successful candidate will:

• Own the regional environmental permitting strategy from new region/site diligence through Go/No-Go, design, permit acquisition, Early Works, construction readiness, compliance handoff, and operational turnover.

• Identify site-specific environmental permitting requirements and develop delivery strategies, in coordination with land acquisition, permitting, design, construction, EHS and operations teams to meet required timelines.

• Work with procurement team to prepare and issue scopes of service for external support from environmental consultants.

• Manage environmental consultants for the delivery of relevant scopes of service through all project phases.

• Manage the environmental due diligence and risk assessment process during site acquisition, including soil and groundwater investigations and regulatory and permitting evaluations, to clearly define likely environmental requirements during the design, construction and operation phases.

• Review and approve all environmental deliverables and permit submissions to ensure that they are of appropriate quality and suitability for Microsoft and manage stakeholders to ensure on-time delivery.

• Promote development of environmental mitigation and enhancement measures to support compliance with regulatory and Microsoft standards.

• Represent Microsoft during regulatory agency, stakeholder and community engagement activities and/or negotiations for both new builds and existing facilities.

• Communicate environmental requirements and provide environmental expertise to diverse internal stakeholders, including legal, land development, energy, design, construction, operations, community development, and sustainability teams.

• Manage environmental compliance planning and execution for construction activities and handover of permitting requirements prior to commencement of operational activities.

• Regularly monitor and report on project status to leadership.

• Contribute to the development and continued improvement of an Environmental Excellence program for data centre delivery.

Qualifications

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental, Civil, or Chemical Engineering, Environmental Science, or equivalent

• 5+ years of environmental permitting and approvals experience in Australia, including management of environmental impact assessments, acquisition of permits, new region regulatory reviews, cultural and ecological surveys and approvals, and environmental programs development.

• 5+ years conducting environmental due diligence and risk assessments for greenfield and brownfield sites, including environmental site assessments and remediation.

• Experience with large-scale construction projects

• Ideally experience with data center

• Strong background in project management and the ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders to drive desired outcomes.

• Working knowledge of remedial investigations, remediation strategies and execution, site conceptual models and site management plans.

• Ability to develop permitting timelines, and identify permitting risks and mitigation

• Ability to establish and maintain cross-functional and positive working relationships with internal and external teams.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, attention to detail and high standards for quality of deliverables.

• End of Statement (required, do not edit or delete)
  These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

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While not required, we also look for the following Preferred Qualifications:

• Community Engagement and Stakeholder engagement experience

• Experience in construction and operational environmental compliance and experience working through environmental permitting in multiple markets.

• Experience negotiating environmental permitting conditions with regulatory authorities

• Experience working with the New South Wales and Victorian environmental regulatory regime

Background Check Requirements:

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:

• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.

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This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.