Director, Project Finance

Apex Clean Energy; Charlottesville (VA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental

401(k) with match

Parking

Cell phone

Disability insurance

Vision insurance

Flexible spending

Wellness discounts

Job summary

Apex Clean Energy is seeking a Director of Project Finance to lead modeling for wind, solar, and storage projects. The role combines hands-on modeling with team leadership, overseeing a four-person analysis group and coordinating with deal teams, lenders, and investors.

You will own select deal models end-to-end, drive standards, and contribute to strategic transactions while maintaining up-to-date knowledge of tax equity, debt, and hybrid financing structures in the evolving energy market.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics (MBA or CFA a plus).
• 10+ years of experience in project finance, financial modeling, or valuation.
• Experience building and defending complex financial models (tax equity, debt, M&A).
• Experience mentoring a team of modeling professionals.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain financial models for project finance transactions—from screening to close.
• Review and stress-test models across active transactions; set standards and templates.
• Manage workload and coach analysts in a live transaction pipeline.
• Serve as point of contact for deal teams, lenders, and investors on modeling questions.
• Present model outputs and economics to executives and committees.

Skills

Financial modeling

Excel proficiency

Project finance

Team leadership

Communication

Travel 5%

Education

Bachelor’s in finance/economics

MBA or CFA a plus

Tools

Excel

Tax credit knowledge ITC/PTC

Job description

Apex Clean Energy was founded with a singular focus: to accelerate the shift to clean energy. Through origination, construction, and operation of utility-scale wind, solar, and storage facilities, distributed energy resources, and green fuel technologies, Apex is expanding the renewable frontier across North America. Our mission-driven team of nearly 400 professionals uses a data-focused approach and an unrivaled portfolio of projects to create solutions for the world’s most innovative and forward-thinking customers. For more information about how Apex is building the energy company of the future, visit apexcleanenergy.com .

Apex strives to excel in every phase of project realization, from origination and financing to construction and asset management. Our mission-driven team seeks determined, resolute individuals who strive to innovate and go above the call of duty, and who will relentlessly do their part to help accelerate the shift to America's clean energy future.

Job Description

We are seeking a Director of Project Finance to help us accelerate the shift to clean energy by leading both the strategic direction and hands-on execution of our project finance modeling function. Reporting to the EVP, Head of Project Finance, this role sits at the center of every wind, solar, and storage financing transaction Apex closes.

The Director of Project Finance leads Apex's 4-person Project Finance analysis team—establishing priorities, setting modeling standards, reviewing team output, and managing workload and staffing across a live transaction pipeline—while also personally owning the financial model for a subset of individual project finance transactions each year, including deal structuring, base case development, and sensitivity and scenario analysis. This is a hybrid role: part team leadership, part hands-on modeling, and the balance will shift with deal flow and team capacity.

Our ideal candidate has deep, current, hands-on financial modeling experience in renewable energy project finance—not only management experience—combined with a track record of leading and developing a team of analysts or associates. You are equally comfortable running a model yourself on a live deal and reviewing someone else's work with a critical eye, and you bring the judgment to know when a transaction warrants your direct involvement versus your team's.

Primary Responsibilities

• Personally build, structure, and maintain financial models for a subset of individual project finance transactions—including tax equity, back-leverage debt, and M&A analyses—from initial screening through financial close.
• Review, stress-test, and validate financial models produced by the Project Finance analysis team across all other active transactions, and set the modeling standards, templates, and methodologies used across the Project Finance function.
• Manage day-to-day workload, staffing, and prioritization for the Analysis team across a live transaction pipeline, while coaching and developing analysts and associates through hands-on technical mentorship.
• Serve as a point of contact for internal deal teams, lenders, and tax equity investors on modeling questions, for both team-led and self-led transactions.
• Present model outputs and key transaction economics to executive leadership and, as needed, approval committees.
• Identify and resolve modeling and structuring issues that surface during diligence, negotiation, or closing.
• Drive continuous improvement in modeling tools, processes, and quality controls across the function.
• Serve as the Project Finance team's subject matter expert on the technical mechanics of debt, tax equity, and hybrid financing structures—including partnership flips, back-leverage, sale-leasebacks, and transferability-based structures—and maintain current knowledge of how those structures, their pricing, and the underlying tax and regulatory landscape are evolving so that Apex's models and deal assumptions reflect current market terms.

Qualifications

Success Profile

To succeed as a Director of Project Finance at Apex Clean Energy, you'll need to excel within the following criteria:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, or a related field; MBA or CFA a plus but not required
• 10+ years of experience in project finance, financial modeling, or valuation, including hands-on deal modeling experience that remains current—not solely managerial
• Demonstrated experience personally building and defending complex financial models (tax equity, debt, M&A) through investor and lender diligence
• Prior experience managing or mentoring a team of modeling experts in a finance-intensive function
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills, along with familiarity with renewable energy tax credit structures (ITC/PTC, transferability) and financing structures
• Experience with employing artificial intelligence as a tool to streamline and add efficiency and accuracy to modeling activities is a strong plus
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize across a live transaction pipeline and a personal modeling workload simultaneously
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present financial analysis clearly to executives, lenders, and investors
• A responsive, customer-service orientation to internal and external requests for information, analysis, and explanation of modeling concepts and sensitivities
• Sound judgment and decision-making under time pressure, particularly near financial close
• A collaborative, hands-on mindset—comfortable moving between individual-contributor and people-leader responsibilities day to day
• Willingness to travel up to 5%
• This position requires very limited but periodic travel for meetings, trainings, and/or site visits. Employees are expected to be able to make necessary travel arrangements, which may include securing a method of payment for travel-related expenses (e.g., through company booking tools or reimbursement processes) and possession of a valid Driver's license.
• Ability to work from Apex's headquarters in Charlottesville, VA; hybrid work considered for the right candidate.

At Apex Clean Energy, we believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation and success. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where all individuals feel valued and empowered. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply, even if you do not meet every qualification listed in the job description. Your unique experiences and skills could be the perfect fit for our team!

Additional Information

Works primarily traditional office hours in an indoor office environment. Flexible work hours allowed when work duties and business operations permit.

How You'll Grow

At Apex Clean Energy, our professional development plans focus on helping people at every level of their career to identify and use their strengths to do their best work every day. From entry-level employees to senior leaders, we believe there's always room to learn. We offer opportunities to help sharpen skills in addition to hands-on experience in the dynamic, fast-paced renewable energy industry. From on-the-job learning experiences to a robust multi-week onboarding experience to formal development programs, our professionals have a variety of opportunities to continue to grow throughout their career.

What Apex Can Offer You

At Apex Clean Energy, we know that great people make a great company. We value our people and offer employees a broad, best-in-class range of benefits.

• A mission-driven, energetic environment that supports and encourages our people to do their best work every day.
• A respect for and celebration of individuality, differences, and uniqueness
• Collaborative and driven professional workforce committed to supporting your ideas and feedback and accelerating your potential
• Ongoing support and guidance such as on-the-job learning, hands-on experience, and mentorship
• Training, strategies, and tools to support your personal and professional growth
• Team atmosphere of diverse professionals committed to making an impact as an organization
• Opportunities to volunteer and give back to our local communities
• Exceptional benefits such as medical and dental; 401(k) with corporate match
• Base and bonus commensurate with experience
• Benefits Offered: comprehensive high-deductible health plans, dental and vision insurance plans, short-term and long-term disability, group life insurance, 401(k) corporate matching, flexible spending arrangements, company paid parking and cell phone, fitness and wellness corporate discounts

At this time, Apex will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.

Apex Clean Energy, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.