The Company
Our client stands at the forefront of the sustainable power sector, delivering dependable, affordable, and environmentally friendly energy solutions to American utilities and enterprises. Through inventive strategies, the company handles the creation, construction, funding, ownership, and management of large-scale solar systems, battery storage, solar-plus-storage systems, and distributed energy assets.
Role Overview
Our client is looking for a Senior Director/Director of Development to lead the development of utility-scale solar and battery storage projects from initial concept through construction readiness across various U.S. markets. This leader will manage a team driving all stages of project advancement, including land agreements, permitting strategies, community outreach, and compliance with local and state requirements. The role includes close collaboration with internal groups—such as engineering, grid interconnection, legal, finance, and construction—to move projects toward execution. In addition to overseeing active projects, this position will support the expansion of the company’s clean energy portfolio.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Direct the planning and execution of key development tasks such as securing land rights, obtaining local permits and negotiating tax incentives
- Evaluate potential challenges and bottlenecks affecting project timelines, formulate risk reduction strategies, and relay critical updates to relevant stakeholders
- Recruit, lead, and support a team of development professionals in driving forward a diverse pipeline of renewable energy projects
- Oversee land acquisition activities, including lease negotiation and title due diligence
- Coordinate the permitting process and manage negotiations for incentives and agreements with local jurisdictions
- Build trust and partnerships with communities to unlock new project sites and address concerns
- Collaborate with the interconnection team to monitor queue status, interpret studies, and inform decisions related to contracts
- Work closely with the public affairs team to maintain productive relationships with key external parties
- Serve as a central liaison between project development and internal departments like legal, finance, procurement, engineering, and operations
- Align development efforts with broader company strategies and ensure adherence to organizational standards and goals
- Provide senior leadership with updates on potential project risks, along with recommended solutions and contingency plans
Qualifications
- Ten years of hands-on experience in clean energy project development, showing steady growth in leadership and project oversight
- Familiarity with multiple U.S. power markets (e.g., ERCOT, MISO, WECC) and their regulatory and interconnection environments
- Skilled at analyzing detailed documentation and effectively articulating development risks and potential impacts to stakeholders
- Proactive, adaptable professional with strong cross-cultural communication abilities, analytical thinking, and a talent for organizing, negotiating, and decision-making
- Background in building and guiding high-performing teams through all phases of project development
- Demonstrated ability to manage several renewable energy projects concurrently with successful outcomes
- Established expertise in site scouting and land acquisition, title resolution and due diligence, securing discretionary approvals and permits, navigating the interconnection process, building support through community outreach, tackling development hurdles and learning rapidly and maintaining project timelines and financial targets
- Coordinating closely with cross-functional groups from project origination to construction readiness
- Willingness and ability to travel domestically up to half of the time
- Strong command of Microsoft Office tools and related software
- Hundreds of megawatts of renewable energy capacity brought to successful completion