Commercial Development Manager

Alva Energy, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Alva Energy is transforming nuclear power deployment in the U.S. by growing a pipeline of uprate opportunities with utilities and major power customers.

You will translate technical and financial concepts into compelling executive materials and lead commercial strategies from first engagement through feasibility studies and negotiations. As a senior team member, you will coordinate across engineering, licensing, finance, and project teams to move opportunities toward signed feasibility study

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a field related to engineering, economics, finance, business, policy, or energy systems.
• Strong written communications with ability to translate technical concepts for executives.
• Experience delivering executive presentations, investment memos, and customer-facing materials.
• Excellent PowerPoint and Excel skills with analytical capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage a pipeline of uprate opportunities with utilities and power customers.
• Develop commercial strategies and analyses from engagement through feasibility studies and negotiations.
• Collaborate with engineering, licensing, finance, and project teams to maintain momentum.
• Prepare executive content and participate in investor discussions and Board materials.

Skills

Executive communication

Commercial analysis

PowerPoint

Excel

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Economics, Finance, Business, Public Policy, Energy Systems, or related discipline

Job description

About Alva

The United States needs more clean, firm power faster than new generation can be built. Alva unlocks it from the nuclear fleet we already have. We partner with utilities to develop and deliver nuclear power uprates at existing nuclear plants, adding new carbon-free capacity in a fraction of the time and cost of new construction. With multiple utility partnerships already underway and demand for reliable power accelerating, we are building the team that will carry this model across the U.S. nuclear fleet.

Role Overview

This is a rare seat at the center of one of the most consequential commercial buildouts in American energy. Working directly with Alva’s Head of Business Development, you will grow Alva’s pipeline of projects across the U.S. nuclear fleet, converting surging demand for clean, reliable power into signed agreements, moving opportunities with utilities from first conversation to executed deal.

You will operate at the intersection of nuclear energy, power markets, project finance, and AI-driven electricity demand, forming partnerships with both utilities and hyperscale power customers. As an early member of a small, senior team, your work will directly shape how one of the most significant growth opportunities in the U.S. power sector gets built.

The first stage of every Alva Uprate is a feasibility study that evaluates site-specific factors — including safety and containment margins, core design and fuel performance, regulatory strategy, and second turbine island siting. The study delivers a full technical and economic assessment that serves as the first step in planning and executing a $1B+ nuclear power uprate project. Sourcing these studies and driving them to a signed agreement is the core of this role.

Your core objectives

• Build a pipeline of Alva Uprate opportunities by developing demand among nuclear utilities and power customers and converting that demand into utility engagement.
• Translate each plant opportunity into a compelling Alva Uprate proposition, working with Alva's engineering organization to tailor the technical and commercial case to utility executives and plant engineering leadership.
• Convert qualified opportunities into executed feasibility study agreements, coordinating Alva's engineering, licensing, projects, and finance teams through diligence, proposal development, and negotiation.
• Successfully launch each new feasibility study, establishing the working relationship between Alva and the utility and ensuring the technical and commercial workstreams begin with clear scope, ownership, and momentum.

Executing on these objectives requires strategy, analysis, negotiation support, and storytelling: building the engineering and business case that persuades a utility executive, shaping the terms that make a project financeable, and coordinating the workstreams that keep deals moving. You will be trusted to synthesize complex technical, financial, and regulatory information and make it clear, compelling, and decision-ready.

Key Responsibilities Commercial Strategy & Development

• Drive commercial engagement with utilities, hyperscale power customers, suppliers, and other strategic stakeholders.
• Develop commercial strategies and supporting analyses that advance project opportunities from initial engagement through feasibility studies, commercial negotiations, and project execution.
• Support the development of commercial frameworks, agreements, term sheets, and other transaction documents.
• Conduct market, customer, and competitive analyses to support strategic decision making and commercial positioning.
• Develop customer-specific business cases that clearly articulate the value proposition of Alva's uprate platform.

Executive Communications & Commercial Content

• Develop executive-quality presentations, memoranda, white papers, commercial proposals, and customer-facing content.
• Support preparation for executive meetings, customer presentations, industry conferences, investor discussions, and Board materials.

Commercial Execution

• Support commercial negotiations by coordinating internal workstreams, preparing supporting analyses, and ensuring customer requirements are reflected across technical and commercial teams.
• Track commercial opportunities and maintain visibility across active utility and offtaker engagements.
• Coordinate with engineering, licensing, finance, and project teams to gather information, resolve commercial questions, and maintain momentum across project development activities.

Market Intelligence

• Monitor developments across power markets, nuclear energy, AI-driven electricity demand, utility procurement, and project finance.
• Identify emerging commercial opportunities, competitive dynamics, and policy developments that may influence Alva's development strategy.
• Develop strategic research and executive briefings that inform customer engagement and corporate decision-making.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Economics, Finance, Business, Public Policy, Energy Systems, or related discipline.
• 4-8 years of experience in commercial development, corporate development, management consulting, investment banking, strategic finance, project development, infrastructure investing, utilities, or the energy industry.
• Demonstrated experience preparing executive presentations, investment memoranda, strategic recommendations, or customer-facing commercial materials.
• Outstanding written communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical and financial concepts into concise, persuasive business communications.
• Strong commercial and analytical capabilities, including experience evaluating project economics, commercial structures, or strategic business opportunities; Excellent PowerPoint and Excel skills.
• Experience working across multidisciplinary teams and managing multiple high priority initiatives simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the power, infrastructure, or energy sectors.
• Experience developing and selling large-scale capital projects, major equipment, nuclear fuel, or other high-value technical solutions to electric utility customers.
• Understanding of utility business models, electricity markets, and regulation. Exposure to project finance, commercial transactions, or long-term infrastructure agreements.
• Experience in customer negotiations, strategic partnerships, or capital formation activities.
• A network and knowledge of nuclear energy, hyperscale data centers, or large industrial power customers is a strong plus.

Personal Attributes

• Commercially minded, intellectually curious, and comfortable working across technical, financial, and strategic disciplines.
• Able to operate independently in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
• Highly organized with a strong ownership mindset.
• Motivated by the opportunity to help accelerate deployment of clean, reliable nuclear power at scale.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first year, this individual has played a critical role in Alva launching multiple new utility partnerships and feasibility studies, expanding the company’s active project pipeline across the U.S. nuclear fleet. This individual will have helped move opportunities from initial engagement through technical and commercial development to signed agreements and feasibility study kickoff, while taking increasing ownership of customer relationships, negotiations, and strategy as Alva scales.

Who We Are

Alva Energy is transforming how nuclear power scales. Our standardized power uprate approach helps assisting commercial nuclear reactors generate and deliver 10 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity to the U.S. grid through expert project delivery and systemic approach that brings predictability and speed to an industry that needs both.

We're an equal opportunity employer, committed to hiring and evaluating people on their work, not their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic that has nothing to do with how well they can do the job.

We're also committed to making our hiring process accessible to everyone. If you need accommodation at any point: applying, interviewing, or otherwise, reach out to your recruiter, who can help arrange it.

Compensation Range

Compensation will be paid in the range of up to $170,000 -$230,000 + Bonus. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicant's knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.