Director, Operations

Urban Grid; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Health Savings Account (HSA)

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

Life insurance (company-paid)

Short-term disability

Long-term disability

Retirement plan with matching

Job summary

Urban Grid seeks a Director of Operations in Houston to lead safe, compliant, and performance-driven operations for a portfolio of solar and battery storage assets. You will partner with executives, investors, and service providers to drive disciplined execution and continuous improvement across asset lifecycles.

The role requires a track record in multi-site operational leadership, strong safety governance, and expertise in reliability engineering and performance analytics.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or related field (preferred).
• 10+ years in renewable energy, power generation, or infrastructure operations.
• Direct experience managing utility-scale solar and/or battery storage assets.
• Strong experience in O&M oversight and vendor performance management.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational performance across a portfolio of solar and battery storage assets.
• Drive safety culture with zero tolerance for unsafe conditions.
• Deliver portfolio performance against budget, contracts, and KPIs.
• Oversee root cause resolution and implementation of corrective actions.
• Manage third-party O&M providers with clear KPIs and SLAs.
• Oversee asset onboarding and transition from construction to operations.

Skills

Operational leadership

Safety leadership

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Data analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or related field

Tools

SCADA systems

Reliability engineering practices

Performance analytics

Job description

Urban Grid is a leading independent power producer (IPP) delivering reliable, utility-scale solar and storage solutions to help meet America’s unprecedented energy demand. We develop, own and operate projects that strengthen local economies through long-term partnerships and responsible land stewardship. By integrating agrivoltaics into our land management practices, we enhance soil health, support local farmers and benefit the communities we serve.

Urban Grid is a leading independent power producer (IPP) delivering reliable, utility-scale solar and storage solutions to help meet America’s unprecedented energy demand. We develop, own and operate projects that strengthen local economies through long-term partnerships and responsible land stewardship. By integrating agrivoltaics into our land management practices, we enhance soil health, support local farmers and benefit the communities we serve. With a strong focus on execution and integrity, we are committed to being a trusted domestic energy provider and responsible corporate citizen. Urban Grid is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and operates across the United States with a growing portfolio that includes 12,000 megawatts of development assets. We continue to maintain our optionality to co-locate with battery storage based on customer demand, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness in our energy solutions. Since becoming an IPP in 2023, we have successfully brought five solar projects online, begun construction on three additional projects and are actively advancing one gigawatt of capacity into pre-construction. To learn more, please visit www.UrbanGridSolar.com. Urban Grid is a portfolio company of Brookfield. one of the world’s largest owners and operators of renewable power and climate transition assets.

Job Summary

The Director, Operations is a highly visible leadership role responsible for driving operational performance, safety, and value optimization across a portfolio of utility-scale solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) assets. This role serves as the primary operational leader internally and externally, interfacing with executive leadership, investors, partners, and third-party service providers. The Director, Operations will build trust through disciplined execution, transparent reporting, and consistent delivery of results aligned with the company’s mission. The Director, Operations is critical to delivering Sustainable Operational Excellence through safe, compliant, and performance-driven operations, reinforced by a strong culture of accountability and continuous improvement. This position owns end-to-end operational execution across the asset lifecycle, including onboarding new projects and leading transition from construction through care, custody, and control to long-term operations.

Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Visibility

• Serve as the operational face of the portfolio to senior leadership, investors, and external partners
• Provide clear, data-driven insights on performance, risks, and optimization opportunities
• Build credibility through consistent delivery, transparency, and disciplined execution
• Accountable for communicating operational performance, risks, and mitigation strategies to internal and external stakeholders

Safety Leadership & Culture

• Champion and embed a proactive, zero-compromise safety culture across all operations
• Ensure safety is integrated into all operational decision-making and vendor expectations
• Partner with HSE to continuously improve safety performance and compliance
• Accountable for enforcing safety standards across all teams and providers, with authority to halt operations where unsafe conditions exist

Portfolio Performance & Accountability

• Accountable for delivering portfolio performance against budget, contractual obligations, and operational targets, including:
  • Availability and reliability
  • Production / generation performance
  • Forced outage reduction
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to maximize uptime and asset value
• Accountable for execution and closure of all corrective actions required to address performance gaps

Root Cause Resolution & Performance Improvement

• Ensure all underperformance is investigated and resolved in a timely and structured manner
• Accountable for translating root cause findings into executable actions and ensuring full resolution across the portfolio
• Partner with Reliability Engineering to implement technical recommendations and performance improvements

O&M Oversight & Vendor Accountability

• Provide full oversight of third-party O&M providers with clear KPIs, SLAs, and performance expectations
• Accountable for identification, prioritization, and execution of all site repairs and corrective work that fall outside the scope of O&M contracts and OEM warranties
• Conduct structured performance reviews and enforce corrective actions
• Accountable for ensuring O&M providers execute in accordance with defined standards, maintenance programs, and reliability strategies
• Drive standardization and disciplined execution across all operating assets

Asset Lifecycle & Project Onboarding

• Lead onboarding of all new assets into the operating portfolio
• Partner with Construction and EPC teams to support:
  • Commissioning and punch list closure
  • Documentation readiness
  • Warranty tracking and enforcement
• Lead transition through care, custody, and control (CCC)
• Own operational readiness decisions and provide final approval for transition from construction to operations, including acceptance of operational risk

Cross-Functional Execution

• Partner with Asset Management to align operational execution with commercial and financial objectives
• Collaborate with Reliability Engineering, SCADA/OT, and HSE teams to deliver integrated solutions
• Serve as the primary execution bridge across construction, engineering, and operations

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or related field preferred
• 10+ years of experience in renewable energy, power generation, or infrastructure operations
• Direct experience managing utility-scale solar and/or battery storage assets
• Strong experience in O&M oversight and vendor performance management
• Proven track record of delivering operational performance across multi-site portfolios
• Experience engaging with senior leadership, investors, and external stakeholders
• Experience managing large-scale solar and BESS portfolios preferred
• Knowledge of ISO/RTO markets (e.g., ERCOT, PJM, MISO)
• Familiarity with SCADA systems, performance analytics, and reliability engineering practices
• Experience supporting construction-to-operations transitions and portfolio onboarding
• Location: Hybrid in Houston, Texas (4 days in office, Fridays remote)
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Visa sponsorship or transfer visas, including H-1B or L-2, are not available for this position

Key Competencies

• Visible, accountable operational leadership
• Strong safety leadership and cultural influence
• Strategic and data-driven decision-making
• Executive communication and stakeholder management
• Ability to drive disciplined execution across complex portfolios

Benefits

Urban Grid offers an exciting benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, health savings account, flexible spending account, company-paid life insurance and short-term disability, voluntary life, and long-term disability, paid paternal leave, and a retirement plan with matching contributions. Full-time position with competitive compensation package, including bonus.