Director of Permitting - IKE Construction

Job Title: Director of Permitting - IKE Construction 

Location: Columbus, OH (On-site) 

Company Overview

Orange Barrel Media creates and operates iconic urban media displays that advertisers ask for by name in 27 of the top markets in the U.S. Since our founding in 2004, OBM has pioneered a community-oriented model of outdoor media development and is now nationally recognized by cities and real estate owners alike seeking to implement best-in-class programs that add to the character of urban places. To this end, OBM has pioneered zoning changes allowing spectacular signage in several markets (and growing), including Los Angeles, Boston, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Denver, and other high barrier-to-entry markets. In the advertising community, OBM is widely recognized as the owner of the highest impact and most memorable advertising locations in the cities where it operates, and OBM displays are consistently selected as the centerpiece of clients' outdoor advertising campaigns.

The OBM team is also a leader in smart city infrastructure, launching the interactive kiosk experience (“IKE”) platform in concert with cities across the United States through the company IKE Smart City. IKE is a breakthrough citizen engagement platform that helps cities communicate with the public, improve the pedestrian experience, and tell the story of their city. Our commitment to innovation and ongoing investment in software development has created the true smart city hub: a multi-lingual, open, and flexible platform with integrated features, functions, services, and resources that provide cities and the public with everything they need to navigate their city, all in one place. The core tenets of the IKE platform are public benefit and social equity, two values that we seek to maximize in every IKE market through the formation of public-private partnerships that achieve city objectives, exceed community expectations and build smart cities. Learn more at orangebarrelmedia.com and ikesmartcity.com.

Role Overview

The Director of Permitting is a senior role responsible for accelerating and managing the permitting process for Orange Barrel Media's IKE kiosk construction efforts. Serving as a counterpart to the Director of Preconstruction, this role focuses exclusively on ensuring timely approvals, compliance, and coordination with municipalities and agencies, without overlapping into the large format (spectacular) side of the business. 

The Director of Permitting will partner closely with Development, Deployment, and Construction leaders to streamline timelines, anticipate and resolve obstacles, and strengthen OBM's reputation with local jurisdictions. 

Core Responsibilities

Permit Strategy & Management

• Coordinate market handoffs with internal stakeholders and develop strategies for identifying new sites for development. 

• Develop and implement strategies to reduce permitting timelines and navigate complex municipal requirements. 

• Lead all permitting activities for IKE kiosk deployments, from submittal through approval. 

• Serve as the primary liaison with city staff, planning departments, and permitting agencies. 

• Support construction staff navigating roadblocks with external stakeholders. 

• Anticipate challenges, escalate risks early, and develop resolution paths in coordination with Development and Deployment teams. 

Power Utility Coordination

• Lead utility coordination efforts within the public right-of-way (ROW), ensuring compliance with city, county, and state permitting requirements. 

• Develop and implement strategies for securing and managing commercial power connections to support large-scale infrastructure and development projects. 

• Serve as primary liaison between both commercial and , utility providers, and project stakeholders to streamline approvals and resolve conflicts. 

• Establish long-term commercial power strategies, including load forecasting, redundancy planning, and cost optimization across multiple project sites. 

• Serve as primary liaison to power utility providers and develop relationships to ensure project success. 

Collaboration & Coordination

• Partner with Development Managers and to review entitlement conditions and ensure compliance with permit packages. 

• Coordinate with the Director of Construction and Deployment Managers to align permitting with construction schedules. 

• Provide permitting guidance and best practices across teams during project planning. 

Documentation & Compliance

• Oversee preparation and submission of all permit applications, drawings, and supporting documentation. 

• Track, manage, and maintain permitting records and approvals in collaboration with project managers. 

• Ensure compliance with municipal codes, zoning, accessibility, safety, and environmental regulations. 

Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent OBM in meetings with municipalities, community boards, and permitting agencies. 

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with jurisdictional partners to foster smoother approval processes. 

• Provide regular permitting updates to senior leadership and project teams, highlighting risks and opportunities. 

Future Development

• Establish permitting best practices, standard operating procedures, and tracking systems across IKE markets. 

• Mentor and develop permitting-focused project managers as OBM's IKE portfolio continues to scale. 

• Contribute to long-term strategies for multi-market deployment efficiency. 

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of experience in permitting, entitlement, or preconstruction roles, ideally within construction, development, or infrastructure sectors.

• Strong knowledge of municipal processes, codes, and permitting pathways.

• Proven success in managing permitting for a high volume of multi-site and multi-jurisdictional projects

• Demonstrated experience coordinating with utilities and external jurisdictions to identify and secure power in the Right-of-way.

• Excellent communication and negotiation skills with city staff and public agencies.

• Ability to lead cross-functional coordination and manage competing priorities.

• Experience developing processes and mentoring junior team members preferred.