Regulatory & Environmental Director

Position Summary

The Director, Regulatory & Environmental provides senior-level leadership over a high-performing, multi-function team responsible for pipeline safety, regulatory, and environmental waste, water and remediation. This role is accountable for maturing the department to meet the demands of a growing, fast-paced organization — elevating team leadership capacity, driving proactive performance improvement, and ensuring the company remains ahead of an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.

This director leads four managers and an overall team of approximately 35 professionals, with direct budget accountability for G&A spend and dotted-line oversight of operational and project expenditures, including drilling and construction permitting and remediation activities. The role requires a strategic mindset and strong business acumen, including regular participation in due diligence activities supporting acquisitions and divestitures. This position reports to the Vice President, Health, Safety, Environment and Security and is based in The Woodlands, TX.

Responsibilities

• Provides senior-level leadership across three distinct functions — Pipeline Safety, Regulatory, and Environmental — with full accountability for compliance outcomes, risk management, costs, and timelines
• Actively develops and elevates four direct-report managers, building both technical depth and leadership capability to enable a high-performing, self-sufficient organization that allows the Director to operate at a strategic level
• Establishes and continuously improves processes, systems, and standards that mature the function from individual-dependent outcomes to system-driven outcomes and that raise the performance bar across the team and in the field
• Influences the company's regulatory strategy, following emerging trends and rulemaking activity to position WES ahead of increasing regulatory complexity and translates that intelligence into actionable organizational direction
• Partners cross-functionally with Operations, Engineering, Commercial, Finance and Legal to align regulatory and environmental priorities with broader business objectives and ensure seamless execution
• Leads or actively supports due diligence activities associated with acquisitions and divestitures, including evaluation of regulatory and environmental risk and integration of new scopes of work
• Prepares and delivers executive-level reports and presentations on regulatory developments, environmental performance, and strategic recommendations
• Maintains and cultivates relationships with regulatory agencies and represents the company at external meetings and industry proceedings as needed
• Identifies and acts on performance improvement opportunities across both the internal team and field operations, with a focus on proactive risk reduction and compliance excellence

Skills & Leadership

• Embodies WES Core Values — Partnership, Resourcefulness, Performance, and Customer Focus — as a visible role model and cultural leader within the department and across the organization
• Demonstrates senior-level leadership across a multi-function team, with a proven ability to develop managers into strong, self-sufficient leaders capable of operating with increasing independence and accountability
• Resists the pull toward manager-level work, maintaining strategic focus while empowering direct reports to own their functions and grow their technical and leadership capabilities
• Establishes and maintains a high-performance culture through intentional coaching, meaningful development conversations, and clear expectations at every level of the team
• Brings personal technical credibility in regulatory and pipeline safety, earning the trust of both the team and external stakeholders while leading primarily through others
• Leads high-stakes conversations and decisions with confidence and sound judgment, including performance evaluations, promotion decisions, succession planning, and resolution of complex organizational or interpersonal challenges
• Communicates with clarity at all levels — from field operations to executive leadership — and leverages influence effectively to drive alignment across Operations, Engineering, Commercial, and Legal
• Exceptional ability to navigate ambiguity, take on new scopes of work, and lead the organization through change with steady, decisive leadership
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to balance technical depth, business priorities, and organizational needs simultaneously

Required Knowledge & Experience

• Minimum 15 years of relevant experience, including at least 3 years leading managers or multi-function teams at a senior manager or director level
• Oil and gas industry experience required, with a strong understanding of how regulations apply to midstream or upstream field operations; experience in adjacent industries such as utilities or petrochemical may be considered in combination with oil and gas exposure
• Multi-site and corporate leadership experience required
• Working knowledge of Texas and New Mexico pipeline and Class II SWD well permitting, regulations, and filings required; multi-state experience preferred
• Knowledge of PHMSA and FERC pipeline regulations, with particular depth in operations and maintenance, operator qualification, and public awareness and damage prevention requirements
• Knowledge of EPA environmental release reporting, remediation, and waste and water regulations
• Demonstrated experience interacting with and influencing regulatory agencies
• Proven track record of performance improvement at both the team and organizational level

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, or a related technical or scientific field required

• Professional certifications, such as Certified Environmental Professional (CEP) or Registered Environmental Manager (REM), are preferred

Work Schedule

• Hybrid schedule: in-office Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday (9 hours each); remote Wednesday (9 hours) and Friday (4 hours).
• This position will require 25 – 30% travel.