Director, Execution Management

Avantus; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 195,288 - 204,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Medical and dental plan options

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Avantus is seeking a Director, Execution Management to own the integrated execution plan for utility-scale solar and storage projects. The role sits at the center of delivery planning from pre-PPA through mobilization, coordinating engineering, procurement, construction, finance, legal, interconnection, and commercial teams to ensure operational readiness and asset performance over decades.

The successful candidate will lead through influence in a matrixed organization, maintain a rigorous

Qualifications

• 10+ years of cross-functional project management experience in utility-scale renewable energy development and/or construction.
• Strong ability to own integrated schedules, manage critical path, and drive accountability across functions.
• Deep financial acumen: project cash flows, budgets, and executive reporting.
• Understanding of PV, HV, and BESS milestones and their impact on schedule and assets.

Responsibilities

• Own the integrated execution plan from pre-PPA through mobilization.
• Lead cross-functional coordination across Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Finance, Legal, Interconnection and Commercial.
• Manage budgets, cash flows, and financial liability schedules; ensure alignment with financing.
• Track procurement and long-lead items; mitigate risks affecting schedule and cost.
• Provide executive-level reporting on status, risks and milestone progress; maintain risk register.
• Foster a no-surprises communication culture and proactive issue resolution.

Skills

Cross-functional project management

Executive reporting

Risk identification & mitigation

Strategic thinking / owner mindset

Communication & influence

Operational rigor

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

PMP certification (nice to have)

Tools

MS Project

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Primavera P6

Job description

ABOUT AVANTUS

Avantus develops, owns and operates utility-scale clean energy projects across California and the Desert Southwest. Our development pipeline of solar with integrated storage will generate enough dispatchable power to serve more than 10 million Americans, day and night. Backed by strategic investment from KKR and EIG, and building on more than a decade of industry leadership, Avantus is growing its position as an independent power producer, delivering affordable, reliable clean energy solutions to meet America’s growing energy demand.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Avantus is looking for a Director, Execution Management to serve as the execution owner for one or more utility-scale solar and battery storage projects in our active portfolio. This is a high-accountability, high-visibility role at the center of how we deliver projects.

The Director joins a project approximately two months prior to Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) execution — the point at which a project transitions from development into active delivery planning. From that moment through construction mobilization and financial close, the Director is the phase lead: the person responsible for the integrated execution picture across engineering, procurement, construction, finance, legal, interconnection, and commercial.

Avantus is an Independent Power Producer — we develop projects to own and operate them. That distinction matters for this role. The Director is not simply managing a delivery process; they are stewarding an asset that Avantus will operate for decades. Decisions made during pre-construction and execution have long-term consequences for plant performance, operational cost, and asset value. The right candidate brings an owner’s mentality: they think beyond NTP, ask how today’s decisions affect tomorrow’s operations, and hold the integrated picture with that lens in mind.

This is not a traditional project management role. The Director leads through influence across a highly matrixed organization, holding cross-functional accountability without direct authority over every function. Success requires operational rigor, strong communication, the ability to identify risks before they surface, and the credibility to drive alignment across senior stakeholders.

The Execution Management team is the integration layer across Avantus’s project delivery organization. We succeed through influence, rigor, and an ownership mentality. The right candidate is equally comfortable in a detail-heavy schedule review and in an executive briefing — and thrives in environments where the path forward is not always fully defined.

At Avantus, we develop projects to own them. That means every member of the EM team is expected to think like an owner — not just a delivery manager. The assets we are building today will be operating for 30+ years. The decisions made during execution set the foundation for that performance, and we take that responsibility seriously.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Own the integrated execution plan

• Develop and maintain the project’s integrated schedule, owning the critical path and managing cross-functional dependencies from pre-PPA through mobilization


• Lead project kickoff meetings and stage-gate reviews, ensuring all functions are aligned on scope, schedule, budget, and key milestones


• Maintain a realistic, up-to-date execution baseline — and flag deviations early


• Ensure pre-construction decisions are made with long-term operability, maintainability, and asset performance in mind

Drive cross-functional coordination

• Serve as the primary integration point across Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Finance, Legal, Interconnection, and Commercial


• Identify gaps between functions before they become schedule or commercial problems


• Facilitate issue resolution across teams; elevate to executive leadership when required


• Maintain “no surprises” communication — surfacing risks, options, and recommendations proactively


• Coordinate early with Construction Management, O&M, and Asset Management to ensure operational requirements are incorporated during pre-construction, not retrofitted after

Manage financial and commercial execution

• Develop and maintain project budgets, cash flow forecasts, and financial liability schedules


• Track expenditures, identify cost risks, and report to senior management with accuracy and clarity


• Ensure execution assumptions remain aligned with commercial commitments and financing requirements


• Support financial close readiness across construction debt, permanent debt, tax equity, and back‑leverage structures as applicable

Track procurement and long‑lead items

• Monitor the status of major equipment procurement and EPC contracting activities


• Identify procurement risks that could affect schedule or budget and develop mitigation strategies


• Coordinate with the Procurement team on supplier milestones, delivery schedules, and contract close‑out

Manage risk and reporting

• Maintain a living risk register; proactively identify issues no one else is asking about


• Prepare executive‑level reporting on project status, risks, and milestone progress


• Support portfolio‑level visibility and contribute to EM team governance and process improvement

REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• 10+ years of cross-functional project management experience, with at least 5 years in utility‑scale renewable energy development and/or construction


• Demonstrated ability to own integrated project schedules, manage critical path, and drive accountability across multiple functions simultaneously


• Strong financial acumen: fluency in project cash flows, budget management, financial liability schedules, and executive‑level reporting


• Deep familiarity with utility‑scale EPC contracting, major equipment procurement, project financing, and the full project delivery lifecycle


• Technical proficiency in MS Project and MS Excel; PowerPoint proficiency required for executive‑level reporting and stakeholder communication


• Understanding of the interrelationships between PV, high‑voltage, and BESS milestones and how they affect schedule


• Proven ability to lead through influence in matrixed environments — driving alignment and accountability without direct authority


• Clear, precise communicator with the ability to synthesize complex information for executive audiences


• Owner’s mindset: you think about the full lifecycle of an asset, not just the delivery milestone in front of you


• Proactive, ownership‑oriented approach — you ask the questions no one else is asking and elevate before problems become crises

NICE TO HAVES

• Primavera P6 proficiency— valuable for schedule integration with construction contractors who use it as a primary tool


• Deep contractual knowledge: familiarity with EPC, balance of plant, and major equipment contract structures, including risk allocation and change order management in a utility‑scale solar context


• IPP ownership and operating experience — prior work within an owner/operator organization with exposure to how pre‑construction decisions affect long‑term plant performance, O&M planning, and asset management


• Project finance experience across the full capital stack: construction debt, permanent debt, tax equity, and back‑leverage; candidates who have supported a project through financial close understand the documentation, timing, and coordination demands that come with it


• PMP certification or equivalent formal project management qualification


• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field

Avantus offers competitive compensation with an excellent benefits package, including 401(k) matching; comprehensive medical and dental plan options; and flexible PTO. We are an equal‑opportunity employer.

• 401(k) matching


• comprehensive medical and dental plan options


• flexible PTO

We are an equal‑opportunity employer.

The base salary range for this full‑time position is listed below (plus bonus and benefits). Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position in California. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job‑related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the applicable location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus and benefits.

Pay Range: $195,288 — $204,000 USD

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