Main Responsibilities:
- Measure and drive performance improvements across portfolio assets, contributing to higher energy yields, ensuring the application of O&M best practices, enhancing on-site personnel safety, and improving long-term reliability and resilience of the assets.
Main Functions:
- EHS and Compliance: Ensure safe working conditions and strict adherence to safety procedures on the project. Understand and enforce company, federal, and state EHS regulations. Ensure that any major repairs or modifications are implemented in full accordance with EHS standards, local compliance, and prioritizing the safety of personnel and the protection of the environment.
- Supervision: Oversee all activities of the O&M contractors, ensuring they perform scheduled and corrective maintenance in alignment with safety, compliance, applicable laws, contractual obligations, and O&M industry best practices. Address any deviations with the contractors and proactively challenge them to maximize performance and ensure on-budget and on-schedule delivery.
- Performance: Analyze production performance and KPIs against forecasts, collaborating with the operations and asset management team and O&M/AM contractors to ensure accurate data collection and energy loss breakdowns. Utilize remote monitoring, internal and external reports, site visits by in-house field engineers, and on-site inspections to recommend corrective actions for restoring asset performance.
- Engineering: Collaborate with contractors to define the scope of work for major repairs, focusing on repowering or reconfiguring damaged portions of the asset. Contribute to research and strategy for procuring additional materials and labor, ensuring cost efficiency and timely delivery. Review technical proposals, provide recommendations, and oversee implementation to align with industry best practices and project objectives.
- Risk Management: Identify potential operational risks, including equipment failures and under-performance, to develop mitigation strategies to address them. Conduct regular risk assessments to anticipate and resolve issues before they escalate. Suggest predictive maintenance to reduce under-performance and downtime of major equipment.
- Reporting: Collect operative and corrective maintenance reports from the O&M contractors and discuss with them in relation to performance, KPIs, and events affecting the performance of the assets. Participate in periodic meetings with the global operations department for technical and operational alignment activities.
- Production Forecast: Provide guidance on production forecast adjustments, including reviewing historical performance data, weather conditions, equipment availability, and any operational limitations. Ensure accurate communication of forecast changes to stakeholders to assist with financial planning, reporting, and performance analysis.
- Best Practices: Stay informed about industry innovations and emerging best practices in solar and BESS operations. Attend conferences and workshops to learn about new technologies or methods that can further optimize asset performance.
- Leadership: Provide coaching and leadership to all O&M contractors and subcontractor's personnel and technicians, ensuring the company's culture, values, and processes are upheld. Create and facilitate a team environment that keeps contractor's personnel educated, motivated, and inspired.
- Relations: Demonstrate a professional demeanor and ensure all contractor personnel maintain professionalism when interacting with counterparts. Interact courteously with site landowners, financing entities, authorities having jurisdiction, town officials, and other external stakeholders. Negotiate possible claims and disputes with the aim of mitigating issues and reaching agreements in the mutual interest of all parties. Adhere to contracts and local laws during negotiations.
Requirements:
- In-depth knowledge of EHS regulations.
- Renewable energy or environmental degrees or certifications.
- At least 5 years of experience in photovoltaic, wind, or battery technology.
- Good understanding of typical performance issues in utility-scale solar and battery projects.
- Leadership skills to oversee and manage vendors and contractor's personnel, including RFP, commercial negotiations, and disputes.
- Ability to travel nationally, typically around 25%, with flexibility to accommodate additional travel in case of major performance issues.
- Ability to adapt to different environments and challenges that may arise during remote supervision.
- Problem-solving attitude and comfort making critical decisions independently or with limited support.
- Familiarity with relevant code regulations and standards in the renewable energy sector.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Office.
- Good understanding and negotiation skills of commercial, technical, and operating contractual terms.
- Experience with SCADA systems, monitoring software, and data analysis tools used in solar/battery projects.
- Passion for exploring new technologies and strategies available in the industry.
