Project Development Director - Eastern US

REC Solar is a top-tier provider of high-quality solar and energy-saving solutions to a wide range of commercial customers nationwide, including businesses, municipalities, schools and universities. For over 26 years, REC Solar has helped customers reduce energy costs, decrease greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrate corporate sustainability. As an ArcLight company, REC has stability and access to an unprecedented depth of expertise, partners and financing that we can use to positively impact our customer’s energy strategies.

Our team has unmatched expertise in helping customers maximize their solar and renewable energy investments. We are looking for team members that want to make a difference at REC Solar, for our customers and in the world.

The Project Development Director – Eastern US will lead the development of various behind-the-meter and utility scale solar projects by directing project teams, engaging with clients and stakeholders, and working collaboratively with various internal departments to ensure effective achievement of project milestones from Project Award to Notice to Proceed (NTP). This role requires strong technical expertise and demonstrated successful execution of project management with solid focus on real estate and land use, interconnection and incentives, site diligence, design/engineering, and all federal, state, and local permitting for project viability within schedule and budget.

Essential Responsibilities

• Secure and negotiate greenfield sites for community solar, 20MW AC merchant power projects, and other distributed generation solar projects as needed.
• Manage applications, incentives, and policy requirements in local Eastern utility and ISO/RTO markets.
• Contract development partners/consultants and manage all development and permitting scope, schedule, cost, risks, and communications across multiple project portfolios of various configurations and complexities.
• Contribute to Sales and RFP teams with proposal responses to development requirements such as schedule, permitting, cost, and environmental/site constraints.
• Lead kickoff calls to ensure project performance and strategy between cross-functional teams of technical experts to address critical paths, project/constructability risk, required spends, and next steps.
• Own entire PM function during development lifecycle from pre-award to NTP for Construction handoff.
• Control project schedules and budget risks for multiple project types.
• Negotiate full-suite/turnkey and partial scope third-party services with development consulting firms to perform end-to-end development for solar projects from award to permitting.
• Manage budgets, execute POs and WOs, and approve payments for various vendor invoices.
• Lead all communications and external/internal project status meetings with clients, stakeholders, and project teams to review requirements and delivery
• Attend meetings with all necessary local, county, state, or federal Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) agency and/or third-party consultants for necessary permitting requirements, approvals, and timelines.
• Direct development partners/consultants, engineers, permitting expeditors, land use attorneys, etc. to compile all documents required to submit for, and obtain, required permits/approvals for development and financing partners.
• Perform diligence and QA/QC of all development and project deliverables to de-risk projects.
• Attend and present at all required local/municipal meetings for discretionary permitting.
• Collaborate with internal departments to identify and cure any title defects, easements, and encumbrances on the property to secure site control and constructability.
• Perform onsite customer meetings and site visits as needed.
• Complete all regulatory filings, studies, and obtain approvals for site/environmental conditions.
• Perform site feasibility evaluation, design, and permitting tasks for all types of system configurations such as carport, ground mount, rooftops, and BESS projects
• Collaborate with Pre-Construction, Construction, and Engineering teams during design to ensure constructability within budget and schedule.
• Secure all project funding conditions precedent (CPs) as required by financing partners.

Qualifications/Requirements/Desired Characteristics

• Successful previous experience in developing 500kW-100MW solar projects in Eastern markets of the U.S. of various mounting types with battery energy storage systems components.
• Technical knowledge in the solar, construction, or real estate industries, with strong background in real estate, zoning, and land use for greenfield, brownfields, and commercial development.
• Proven familiarity of local utility and PJM/MISO/NYISO/ISO New England small generator interconnection applications, incentives, policies, processes, requirements, and timelines.
• Ability to work remotely and independently, preferably located in Northeast/Mid-Atlantic with required regional travel, as needed.
• Demonstrated proficiency in attending, presenting to, and securing approvals/permits with AHJs – state, local, township, county, and all approval having jurisdictions in the eastern states.
• Familiarity navigating requirements for discretionary approvals, permits, and entitlements with federal and state agencies – ie, environmental agencies, FAA, Fish and Wildlife, siting councils, etc…
• Demonstrated experience and comfort with land acquisition efforts and negotiating with landowners.
• Working knowledge of solar project financials, modeling, and economics across various contract methodologies including PPAs, Leases, Acquisitions, Sales, etc…
• High level understanding of project construction and subcontractor relationships
• Advanced or Expert-level capabilities with full Microsoft Office suite, and strong knowledge of project management tools (ie. MSProject, ProCore, et.c
• Proven ability to think critically and problem solve to prioritize, manage multiple projects, and execute in a fast-paced and dynamic environment with a strong ownership mentality.

REC Solar is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, disability, genetic information, military status, protected veteran status or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. REC Solar complies with all applicable state, federal and local laws, regulations and ordinances prohibiting discrimination in places where we operate.