Director of Preconstruction

BayWa r.e. Americas; California; Remote; USD 180,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary range $180k-$210k

Annual bonus

Health and welfare benefits

401(k) with employer match

Remote first culture

Unlimited PTO

Relocation assistance

Educational reimbursement

Job summary

BayWa r.e. Americas is seeking a Director of Preconstruction to lead preconstruction activities for utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage projects in North America.

You will oversee EPC contracting, procurement, budgeting, interconnection, and permitting, while collaborating with legal and engineering teams to ensure project success. You will manage a team across preconstruction or project management, driving risk management, cost optimization, and contractor relations to deliver on

Qualifications

• 10+ years in renewable energy, engineering, construction, or related field with utility-scale project experience.
• 7+ years managing EPC contracting, procurement, preconstruction or project management for utility-scale renewables.
• Advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead preconstruction efforts for pipeline of late-stage development projects (EPC, interconnection, procurement, engineering, permitting).
• Manage EPC contracting from engagement to contract execution and negotiation.
• Negotiate and select EPC contractors; communicate key initiatives to executive management.
• Develop and manage project schedules and budgets; identify risks and mitigation actions.
• Coordinate with procurement and engineering teams on major equipment selections.

Skills

Leadership

EPC contracting

Budget & scheduling

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional teamwork

Communication

Project finance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, Project Management or related field

Job description

We are BayWa r.e. Americas Projects & Services, a leading developer of utility-scale renewable energy. We are also an in-house and third-party operations and services provider, offering 24/7/365 monitoring from our headquarters in Carlsbad, CA. Our team of dedicated experts spans the United States and Mexico. Since first entering the North American market in 2014, we have brought over 2 GW online and are currently managing over 1.6 GW of operational assets. Our development pipeline is currently 11.5 GW in North America alone and continues to grow at an impressive pace.

Our mission is to deliver reliable and affordable energy across the Americas. We value long-term partnerships and actively collaborate with local communities and organizations to fund workforce development, support disaster relief efforts, and incorporate sustainability and biodiversity into our projects.

BayWa r.e. Americas Projects & Services is a subsidiary of BayWa r.e., a leading global developer, service provider, distributor, and energy solutions provider. BayWa r.e. has a development pipeline exceeding 22 GW and over 10 GW in assets under management.

Our shareholders are BayWa AG, an international group with diversified operations in agriculture, energy, and construction, and Energy Infrastructure Partners, a leader in energy infrastructure investment with a global investor base.

Purpose:

BayWa r.e. Americas is seeking a Director of Preconstruction to join Engineering & Construction team.

The Director of Preconstruction is a leadership role responsible for overseeing preconstruction activities related to the development of utility scale solar, wind, and battery storage projects in North America. This position requires a combination of technical expertise, project management and leadership skills, and a strong understanding of contracting, engineering, construction, and procurement processes.

The Director will lead a team of professionals within the Preconstruction or Project Management department and work collaboratively with various stakeholders to ensure successful execution of contracts in support of late-stage projects.

Responsibilities we will trust you with:

• Lead preconstruction efforts for BayWa’s pipeline of late-stage development projects. This includes management or support of a broad scope of activities including but not limited to EPC contracting, interconnection management, procurement, engineering, real estate, and permitting.
• Manage EPC contracting efforts through initial contractor engagement through EPC contract execution. This includes negotiation of EPC contracts and driving commercial decision making.
• Communicate recommendations for key initiatives, such as contractor selection, to the executive management team.
• Solicit indicative pricing from EPC contractors.
• Maintain (with support from BayWa’s legal and engineering teams) templates and forms of contracts or exhibits such as SOW documents.
• Act as BayWa’s primary point of contact with EPC contractors. Build and maintain relationships with EPC contractors at various levels to create leverage to achieve favorable terms and reduce overall risk on a project.
• Develop and maintain project schedules. Identify critical path items or major risks and implement risk mitigation strategies.
• Develop and maintain project budgets. Support development of EPC budgets for earlier stage projects. Utilize cost estimates from EPC contractors to refine internal estimates.
• Collaborate with BayWa’s procurement and engineering teams to finalize major equipment selections.
• Support BayWa’s development team with earlier stage efforts such as constructability review, discretionary permitting, negotiation of road use agreements, etc.
• Support BayWa’s structured finance team with financing or project sale efforts.
• Meet with AHJs to review project status, status of permit conditions, etc.
• Manage reporting requirements under offtake agreements, interconnection agreements, permits, or internal policies.
• Under broad direction, this role plans and executes the contracting activities associated with engaging services in support of utility scale solar projects. This includes full cycle contracting including but not limited to qualifying contractors, issuing requests for proposals, evaluating proposals, managing contract document review, ensuring contract compliance, and supporting contract closeout.
• Support BayWa’s procurement team with the procurement of major equipment to support the project pipeline and company goals, including contract review, negotiation, execution, and management.
• Develop and implement strategic plans for engineering and construction contracting activities aligned with the organization's overall goals.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and cost optimization.
• Lead and support relationship management with contractors and vendors which may include contract negotiation and conflict resolution.
• Evaluate prospective EPC contractors for compliance with company requirements including but not limited to safety performance, quality control plan, financial health, and organizational/past performance competency.
• Prepare Requests for Proposal and manage the process from development of bidder lists, bid package development, receive and review RFIs, generate and issue Addenda, receive proposals, verify accuracy and completeness of proposal package, produce commercial bid evaluation/analysis, and seek/obtain input from technical SMEs.
• Prepare contract documents by coordinating the drafting of contractual language across legal and technical stakeholders, manage and drive document review process until finalized. Assist internal and external teams through the negotiation and execution of the EPC Agreement.
• Ensure payment and performance bonds are requested and obtained when required along with contractually compliant certificate(s) of insurance.
• Interface with internal departments on project-specific labor compliance, PLA, and PSA requirements.
• Build and execute the “hand over” process of contract to the Project Management and Construction team.
• Maintain accurate and well-organized files with clear trail of documentation/history in accordance with company best practices and document control procedures.
• Solicit feedback from stakeholders on contractor performance.
• Work closely with SMEs and stakeholders throughout the organization including supply chain, project management, engineering, accounting, finance, and legal to establish good working relationships, understanding their objectives or directives when executing tasks.
• Identify and implement initiatives for process improvement, flexibility to lead and keep functional pace with company and industry strategies.
• Protect the company’s interest and ensure compliance with company policies, legal and regulatory requirements.
• Perform other job-related duties and special projects as assigned.

Your areas of knowledge and expertise:

• 10+ years of experience in renewable energy, engineering, construction, project development or a related field, with significant experience supporting utility-scale projects.
• 7+ years of experience managing EPC contracting, procurement, preconstruction or project management activities for utility-scale renewable energy projects.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, Project Management or a related field. Advanced degree preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with utility-scale solar, wind and/or battery energy storage projects, including project development, engineering, procurement and construction processes.
• Strong knowledge of EPC contracting, including RFP development, contractor evaluation, commercial bid analysis, contract negotiation and contract execution.
• Experience developing and managing project budgets, cost estimates, schedules, risk assessments and critical path activities.
• Experience evaluating and managing EPC contractors and major equipment suppliers, including safety, quality, financial and organizational capabilities.
• Strong understanding of project finance, interconnection, permitting, real estate and offtake considerations as they relate to project development and construction.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams and working collaboratively with engineering, development, procurement, finance, legal, project management and construction teams.
• Strong negotiation, communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience presenting recommendations and project risks to senior leadership.

What we are ready to offer you

• The salary range for this role is $180,000 - $210,000.
• Competitive annual bonus target based on individual and company performance.
• Health and welfare benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, pet insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance plans.
• 401(k) retirement plan with 5% employer matching.
• Flexible work hours and remote first culture.
• Unlimited Paid Time Off policy for all Salaried, Full-time employees in the US
• 8 weeks paid family leave
• Health and wellness benefit; up to $500 annually.
• Educational reimbursement.
• Relocation assistance, as applicable.
• A diverse and inclusive global team with a strong culture focusing on employee health and wellbeing.

Are you ambitious enough to make a big impact in our business and beyond? Do you create meaningful solutions?

Do you believe that we succeed as a team? We collaborate honestly, friendly, and respectfully. We have fun and celebrate our successes. How about you?

Are you reliable? We create trust by taking on responsibility.

Do you inspire others with an open mind, courage, and innovation? We challenge the status quo.

Our values define our unique way of working together and give us direction in our daily actions.

At BayWa r.e. we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, pregnancy, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.