An innovative Independent Power Producer (IPP) in the solar industry is seeking a Senior Project Developer to join their team. This individual will oversee a portion of the company's project portfolio from inception through financial closing and the start of construction. The role involves leading the development of two large solar projects totaling 850 MW of solar PV. The Senior Project Developer will work closely with the Land Acquisition, Community Engagement, and Delivery teams, as well as local stakeholders in the project communities and will have two dedicated support resources. The ideal candidate will have 5-10 years of experience in developing utility-scale renewable energy projects and a proven track record in navigating the zoning process.
Responsibilities
- Lead project development, owning project schedule, budget, and success, serving as the primary coordinator across a diverse set of internal and external stakeholders to ensure projects achieve success metrics.
- Execute real estate and title diligence processes including negotiation of crossing agreements to ensure that title insurance can be secured prior to financial closing.
- Execute plans for county and/or state zoning; coordinate with the Head of Communications and Director of Community Engagement; represent the company in meetings and hearings with community members and local government officials.
- Oversee site diligence process and preparation of early designs, coordinating with the Environmental Director to hire and manage vendors to study constraints, survey the site, and apply for and receive regulatory approvals.
- Support land acquisition, coordinating with the internal Land Acquisition Team to build and execute campaigns to secure land for the solar array and easements on the timeline necessary for the project.
- Support interconnection filings and studies with internal and external engineering specialists to achieve project timeline.
- Support platform growth by assessing renewable energy opportunity and risk of possible acquisitions.
- Assist with negotiation of offtake contracts and support project finance team members with closings.
Qualifications & Skills
- At least 5 years of experience leading development of utility-scale solar projects, preferably in the specified region.
- Strong grasp of real estate contract terms and conditions and ability to quickly extract key provisions from land agreements and legal documents.
- Public speaking skills.
- Experience managing others.
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work closely with a diverse range of stakeholders.
- Strong organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills and the ability to structure work to meet project schedules and deadlines.
- Ability to travel 25-40% of the time.
