The Senior Project Developer is responsible for managing a portion of a company's project portfolio from inception through financial closing and construction start. This role will lead the development in Illinois, totaling 850 MW of solar PV. The Senior Project Developer will work closely with the Land Acquisition, Community Engagement, and Delivery teams, along with various local stakeholders. This position includes two dedicated support resources. The ideal candidate will have 5-10 years of experience in utility-scale renewable energy projects and a proven track record in navigating the zoning process.
Responsibilities:
- Lead project development, managing schedule, budget, and success metrics, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders.
- Execute real estate and title diligence processes to secure title insurance before financial closing.
- Implement county and state zoning plans; coordinate with the Head of Communications and Director of Community Engagement; represent the company in community and local government meetings.
- Oversee site diligence and early designs, coordinating with the Environmental Director to manage vendors for site studies and regulatory approvals.
- Support land acquisition, coordinating with the Land Acquisition Team to secure land and easements on the project timeline.
- Support interconnection filings and studies to meet project timelines.
- Assess renewable energy opportunities and acquisition risks.
- Assist with offtake contract negotiations and support project finance team members during closings.
Qualifications & Skills:
- At least 5 years of experience in utility-scale solar project development, preferably in Illinois and/or the Midwest.
- Strong understanding of real estate contracts and ability to extract key provisions from agreements and legal documents.
- Public speaking skills.
- Experience managing others.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with diverse stakeholders.
- Strong organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to meet project deadlines.
- Ability to travel in Illinois 25-40% of the time.
