Chief Development Officer

talisman; United States; On-site; USD 200,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential, Distributed Generation Platform seeks a Chief Development Officer to lead and scale national project development across multi-state DG markets. You will own origination, development execution, and pipeline strategy, partnering with capital markets to align funding timelines and growth objectives.

The role requires 12+ years in renewable energy development, strong leadership, and deep knowledge of interconnection, permitting, and regulatory frameworks.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in renewable energy development, DG or C&I solar.
• Proven track record from origination to NTP.
• Deep knowledge of interconnection, permitting, and regulatory frameworks across multiple U.S. markets.
• Experience scaling development teams in a high-growth environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead all project development activities from origination through NTP across a multi-state portfolio.
• Define and execute the development strategy, including market selection and pipeline prioritization.
• Build and manage a high-performing development team across origination, permitting, interconnection, and PM.
• Oversee site acquisition, land origination, lease negotiation, and partnerships.
• Drive utility and regulatory engagement, including interconnection strategy and policy positioning.
• Coordinate with capital markets, finance, and leadership to align development with funding timelines.
• Improve development timelines, cost efficiency, and execution certainty.
• Manage external stakeholders including landowners, utilities, municipalities, and partners.
• Support M&A and partnerships related to pipeline acquisition or joint development.
• Provide regular reporting on pipeline status, risks, and growth outlook.

Skills

Executive leadership

Renewable energy

Project development

Interconnection

Strategic planning

Job description

Company:

Confidential, Distributed Generation Platform

Overview

A high-growth distributed generation platform is seeking a Chief Development Officer to lead and scale its national project development function. The company focuses on commercial and industrial solar, community solar, and distributed energy solutions across multiple U.S. markets. This executive will be responsible for driving origination, development execution, and pipeline strategy to support long-term growth and capital deployment objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all project development activities from origination through NTP across a multi-state portfolio
• Define and execute the company’s development strategy, including market selection, product mix, and pipeline prioritization
• Build and manage a high-performing development team spanning origination, interconnection, permitting, and project management
• Oversee site acquisition efforts, including land origination, lease negotiation, and partnership development
• Drive utility and regulatory engagement, including interconnection strategy and policy positioning in key markets
• Partner closely with capital markets, finance, and executive leadership to align development with investment strategy and funding timelines
• Establish and refine internal processes to improve development timelines, cost efficiency, and execution certainty
• Manage external stakeholders including landowners, utilities, municipalities, and strategic partners
• Support M&A and partnership opportunities related to pipeline acquisition or joint development
• Provide regular reporting to executive leadership on pipeline status, risks, and growth outlook

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in renewable energy development, with a focus on distributed generation or C&I solar
• Proven track record of bringing distributed energy projects from origination through NTP
• Deep understanding of interconnection processes, permitting, and regulatory frameworks across multiple U.S. markets
• Experience managing and scaling development teams in a high-growth environment
• Strong commercial acumen, including experience negotiating land agreements, offtake structures, and development partnerships
• Familiarity with project finance fundamentals and ability to align development with capital deployment strategies
• Established network within the distributed energy ecosystem, including utilities, developers, and industry stakeholders
• Executive presence with the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders

Preferred Background

• Experience in community solar and C&I project structures
• Exposure to storage or hybrid project development
• Experience working with private equity or infrastructure investors

Compensation

Competitive base salary, annual bonus, and long-term equity participation aligned with company performance and growth milestones.