Permit Specialist - Aquaculture
At Pacific Seafood, we do more than just provide the world with the healthiest proteins on the planet. We are a family-owned, excellence-driven organization committed to being the brand of choice in the marketplace and the employer of choice in the community. We believe in servant leadership, investing in our team members’ personal and professional growth, and rewarding performance. We live by the core values of our Diamond Philosophy: Teamwork, Productivity, Quality, and Excellence—which means consistently doing your best and always striving to do better.
Summary:
The Permitting Specialist at Pacific Seafood plays a key role on our Aquaculture team supporting efforts for regulatory submissions and compliance. This position involves working with location leadership and regulatory agencies and is ideal for someone who has expertise in regulatory compliance, strong leadership skills, and a problem-solving mindset.
1. Permitting Strategy and Lifecycle Management:
- Oversee end-to-end lifecycle of permits: new applications, renewals, modifications, and condition compliance.
- Develop and manage a calendar of permitting and renewal timelines to ensure uninterrupted operations.
- Support site selection and farm expansion by evaluating regulatory feasibility and coordinating permitting strategies.
- Maintain organized records of permits, licenses, lease agreements, and agency correspondence.
- Coordinate permitting and compliance efforts across functions including EHS, Legal, R&D, and external stakeholders (e.g., outside legal counsel trade associations).
- Serve as the primary liaison with regulatory agencies including but not limited to: Army Corps of Engineers, Washington Department of Health, Oregon Department of Agriculture, California Department of Health, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Washington Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, etc.
- Ensure ongoing compliance with lease conditions, monitoring requirements, and reporting obligations across all farms.
- Lead regulatory inspections, audits, and violation mitigation efforts, including documentation, response, and resolution planning.
- Provide regulatory input to support the development of new farming practices, product types, and geographic expansion.
- Monitor and interpret evolving state and federal regulations affecting aquaculture operations.
- Advise company leadership and local operating teams on regulatory risks, opportunities, and mitigation strategies.
- Participate in agency meetings, public comment processes, and industry coalitions to advocate for science-based, responsible aquaculture policy in coordination with the Government Affairs Team.
What You Bring to Pacific Seafood:
Required:
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
- Minimum five years of related experience and/or training
- Ability to review regulatory submission documents
Preferred:
- Past experience in the aquaculture industry.
Total Compensation:
At Pacific Seafood, your base wage is only a portion of your overall compensation package. We invest in our Team Members through a comprehensive and attractive total rewards package, including but not limited to:
- Health insurance benefits options, including medical, prescription, vision, dental, basic group life and short term disability.
- Flexible spending accounts for health flex and dependent care expenses.
- 401(k) Retirement Plan options with generous annual company profit sharing match.
- Paid time off for all regular FT team members, to include paid sick, vacation, holiday, and personal time.
- Employee Assistance Program- Confidential professional counseling, financial, and legal assistance provided at no charge to Team Members and immediate family members
- Product purchase program.
Pacific Seafood is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.