Director of Energy Engineering and Project Development
Position Summary
The Director of Energy Engineering and Project Development will lead the technical development of large-scale energy performance contracting projects while managing and mentoring a distributed engineering team. This role combines technical leadership, customer engagement, project development, and commercial discipline.
The Director will work directly with customers to understand their operational, financial, and capital objectives and translate those needs into technically sound, executable project plans. A critical responsibility is ensuring that energy savings calculations, M&V methodologies, and contractual savings commitments are rigorous, achievable, and appropriately managed for performance risk.Preferred Location isPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, however remote candidates will be considered.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and manage a distributed team of energy engineers across the project-development pipeline.
- Direct technical development from initial customer discovery through detailed engineering, proposal, contracting, and implementation transition.
- Serve as a senior technical contact for customers, executives, facility teams, and internal stakeholders.
- Translate customer objectives into clear project scopes, schedules, budgets, responsibilities, and deliverables.
- Lead development of comprehensive energy conservation measure (ECM) portfolios, from conventional efficiency measures to complex engineered solutions.
- Provide technical oversight of HVAC, lighting, controls, motors, VFDs, central plants, boilers, heat recovery, compressed air, water systems, electrification, geothermal, renewables, and process-energy opportunities.
- Ensure ECMs are sufficiently engineered to understand cost, savings, constructability, operational impacts, and performance risk before commitments are made.
- Own the quality and accuracy of energy savings calculations, baselines, engineering assumptions, utility analysis, and supporting documentation.
- Develop and/or approve practical M&V strategies and plans consistent with project requirements and accepted methodologies.
- Balance maximizing customer energy savings with prudent management of technical and savings-guarantee risk.
- Conduct technical and financial reviews to identify cost, schedule, engineering, and savings risks before proposals and contractual commitments.
- Coordinate engineering with sales, estimating, construction, procurement, controls, commissioning, finance, legal, and M&V teams.
- Manage multiple projects while maintaining clear priorities, schedules, budgets, and accountability.
- Communicate complex technical concepts and recommendations clearly to both technical and executive audiences.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of management experience with an ESCO, energy performance contracting organization, or comparable business.
- 7+ years of engineering experience within an ESCO or comparable energy-performance organization; greater experience preferred.
- Demonstrated experience developing large, complex performance contracts involving multiple ECMs and guaranteed energy savings.
- Proven experience leading engineering teams, including distributed or remote personnel.
- Strong customer-facing experience with executive, financial, operational, and facility stakeholders.
- Expert understanding of energy savings calculations, baseline development, utility analysis, engineering modeling, and guaranteed savings.
- Strong knowledge of M&V methodologies and performance-contracting requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to manage project-development schedules, resources, budgets, and customer expectations.
- Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and leadership skills.
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, energy engineering, or a related discipline.
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional Engineer (PE) license.
- Certified Energy Manager (CEM) or similar credential.
- Experience with IPMVP or comparable M&V frameworks.
- Experience working with institutional, municipal, higher education, healthcare, industrial, or complex commercial facilities.
- Located in or near Philadelphia; highly qualified remote candidates will be considered.
What Success Looks Like
Success means building a high-performing engineering organization that consistently develops technically sound, financially attractive projects on schedule while maximizing viable energy savings and managing technical, contractual, cost, schedule, and performance risks.
The ideal candidate is energized by complex technical challenges, enjoys working with customers and senior stakeholders, and wants to make a meaningful impact through both project outcomes and team leadership.
Compensation and Benefits
- Annual Performance Incentive Plan (MIP)
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- 401(k) with Company Match
- Company provided Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Generous Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
- Tuition Assistance and Professional Development
- Professional Certification Reimbursement
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring current or future employer sponsorship for employment authorization.
Equal Opportunity Employer, including disabled and veterans.