Manager of Energy and Fuel Procurement

Vicinity Energy, Inc.; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Vicinity Energy in Philadelphia, PA, seeks a Manager of Energy and Fuel Procurement to lead sourcing, contracting, and risk management for fuel and energy commodities supporting a utility-scale facility. The role reports to the Plant Manager and focuses on reliable, cost-effective supply with regulatory compliance.

The position collaborates with operations, finance, trading, regulatory affairs, supply, and environmental teams to align procurement with schedules and risk tolerance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in fuel or energy procurement, commodity trading, or supply chain management within the power generation or utility industry.
• Demonstrated expertise in fuel markets (coal, natural gas, fuel oil) and commodity risk management and hedging instruments.
• Strong working knowledge of FERC, NERC, and EPA regulations, along with ISO/RTO market structures.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the plant's fuel procurement strategy to ensure continuous, reliable supply aligned with generation requirements.
• Negotiate and manage fuel supply agreements, transportation and logistics contracts, and storage arrangements with suppliers and transporters.
• Monitor fuel and energy markets, analyze price trends, and advise leadership on procurement timing and risk positioning.
• Oversee fuel inventory management and coordinate delivery schedules to prevent disruptions.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements related to fuel procurement, emissions, and reporting.
• Manage supplier relationships, competitive bidding, and RFP processes; evaluate supplier performance and creditworthiness.
• Develop the annual fuel budget, forecast costs, and report variance to finance and executive leadership.
• Collaborate with trading on day-ahead and real-time market participation and ISO/RTO scheduling.
• Evaluate alternative fuel sources, co-firing opportunities, and PPA/REC options to support decarbonization goals.
• Maintain contingency and business continuity plans for fuel supply disruptions.

Skills

Negotiation

Regulatory knowledge

Financial modeling

Cross-functional leadership

ERP systems

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Job description

Summary

The Manager of Energy and Fuel Procurement leads the sourcing, contracting, and risk management of fuel and energy commodities for a utility-scale power generation facility. Reporting to the Plant Manager, this role is accountable for ensuring a reliable, cost-effective, and compliant fuel supply while managing exposure to commodity price volatility. This position partners with plant operations, finance, trading, regulatory affairs, supply, and environmental compliance teams to align procurement strategy with generation schedules and corporate risk tolerance. Occasional availability outside standard business hours may be required to respond to market events, weather-driven supply risks, or fuel delivery emergencies. This is a full-time exempt position located in Philadelphia, PA.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the plant's fuel procurement strategy (i.e. natural gas, fuel oil, biomass, or other fuel types as applicable) to ensure continuous, reliable supply aligned with generation requirements.
• Assist in negotiating and managing fuel supply agreements, transportation and logistics contracts (i.e. rail, pipeline, trucking, marine), and storage arrangements with suppliers and transporters.
• Monitor fuel and energy markets, analyze price trends, and advise senior leadership on procurement timing and risk positioning.
• Oversee fuel inventory management and coordinate delivery schedules with plant operations to prevent supply disruptions.
• Ensure compliance with FERC, NERC, EPA, and applicable state regulatory requirements related to fuel procurement, emissions, and reporting.
• Manage supplier relationships, competitive bidding and RFP processes, and evaluate supplier performance and creditworthiness.
• Develop the annual fuel budget, forecast fuel costs, and report variance analysis to finance and executive leadership.
• Collaborate with the trading desk on day-ahead and real-time market participation, ISO/RTO scheduling, and transmission congestion management.
• Evaluate alternative fuel sources, co-firing opportunities, and renewable energy credit (REC) or power purchase agreement (PPA) options to support decarbonization goals.
• Maintain contingency and business continuity plans for fuel supply disruptions.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in fuel or energy procurement, commodity trading, or supply chain management within the power generation or utility industry.
• Demonstrated expertise in fuel markets (coal, natural gas, fuel oil) and commodity risk management and hedging instruments.
• Strong working knowledge of FERC, NERC, and EPA regulations, along with ISO/RTO market structures.
• Advanced proficiency in financial modeling, risk analytics, and procurement or ERP systems (i.e. SAP, Oracle).

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA.
• Professional certification such as CPSM, CPM, PMP, or FRM.
• Experience operating within ISO/RTO markets (i.e., PJM, ERCOT, MISO, NYISO, ISO-NE).
• Experience with renewable energy procurement, power purchase agreements (PPAs), or carbon and REC markets.
• Familiarity with pipeline logistics for natural gas transportation.
• Experience supporting a utility-scale generation facility through fuel conversion, co-firing, or decarbonization initiatives.

Other Qualifications

• Strategic negotiation and contract management.
• Quantitative and analytical skills, including commodity risk and financial modeling.
• Strong leadership and cross-functional collaboration.
• Regulatory and market acumen.
• Executive-level communication and presentation skills.
• Sound decision-making under uncertainty and crisis management.

Physical Requirements

• This role is primarily office-based with regular visits to the power plant site, supplier facilities, and industry conferences, estimated at 10% of the time.