Project Development Manager (East)

BayWa r.e. Americas; Charlottesville (VA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and welfare benefits

401(k) with employer matching

Flexible work hours

Remote first culture

Unlimited PTO

8 weeks family leave

Relocation assistance

Educational reimbursement

Job summary

BayWa r.e. Americas Projects & Services seeks a Development Manager to lead a portfolio of 4–6 utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects through development lifecycle.

You will coordinate cross-functional teams, consultants, landowners, utilities, and regulators from origination to handoff for financing and construction. The role requires 3+ years in utility-scale development and 5+ years in renewables, with a preference for candidates in the Eastern US region and near

Qualifications

• 4+ years in renewable energy project development, preferably utility-scale.
• Ability to manage cross-functional teams and external partners.
• Experience with permitting, interconnection, and land/real estate.
• Strong financial analysis and project valuation skills.
• Proven track record delivering projects on schedule and budget.

Responsibilities

• Lead development activities from origination through handoff to execution.
• Coordinate with landowners, utilities, regulators, and consultants.
• Prepare investment requests and support portfolio planning.
• Develop development strategies to hit milestones on time and budget.
• Manage permitting, interconnection, and stakeholder engagement.
• Travel 35-50% to project sites as needed.

Skills

Utility-scale project development

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Regulatory permitting

Land acquisition

Financial modeling

Education

Bachelor's degree in Energy/Engineering/Real Estate/Business/Environmental Studies

Tools

GIS software

Microsoft Office

Cloud-based PM platforms

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

The Development Manager is responsible for leading the development of a portfolio of 4-6 utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects through the development lifecycle. This role manages project development activities from early-stage origination through handoff to execution by coordinating cross-functional teams, consultants, landowners, utilities, regulatory agencies, and other key stakeholders. The Development Manager also partners with the Regional Development Vice President and the Origination Team leadership to support strategic planning, portfolio reporting, and market analysis to successfully advance projects toward financing and construction.

Projects may be located across multiple states and generally have development timelines of 36-60 months. The candidate for this position is required to be located in the Eastern United States region, preferably within the PJM or NYISO service territory. There is a preference for the candidate to be based near our Charlottesville, VA office and work on a hybrid basis; however, qualified remote candidates within the Eastern United States will also be considered.

Reponsibilities we will trust you with

• Lead, manage, and coordinate all development activities including, but not limited to, site acquisition, real estate and title curative, interconnection, regulatory approvals, engineering, land use and environmental permitting, and financial evaluation by partnering with internal teams, external consultants, and local stakeholders.
• Foster effective communication, collaboration, and problem-solving across multidisciplinary project teams.
• Maintain project profit and loss accountability from site acquisition through handoff to the execution team, including preparing and presenting Requests for Investment to company leadership.
• Develop and execute project development strategies to achieve critical milestones on schedule and within budget, advancing projects toward financing and construction.
• Gather market intelligence and cultivate relationships with local governments, utilities, and other stakeholders to support project development and permitting efforts.
• Manage the local permitting process, including pre-application coordination, community engagement, permit application preparation and submission, public hearing presentations, and compliance with permit conditions.
• Manage preliminary project valuation modeling in partnership with the Project Finance team to understand project assumptions, financial drivers, and sensitivities.
• Identify, assess, and communicate project risks while developing mitigation strategies to maintain project schedules and budgets.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with landowners, development partners, authorities having jurisdiction, utilities, and other key project stakeholders.
• Review and manage project agreements, including leases, interconnection agreements, and power purchase agreements, ensuring compliance with contractual obligations.
• Travel to project sites as needed (approximately 35-50% of the time).
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support departmental and organizational objectives.

Your areas of knowledge and expertise

• 3+ years of direct utility-scale renewable energy project development experience, with 4+ years preferred.
• 5+ years of professional experience in the renewable energy industry.
• Bachelor's degree in Energy, Engineering, Real Estate, Business, Environmental Studies, or a related field preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound decisions and recommendations with limited information in a dynamic environment.
• Strong project management, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to successfully manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously.
• Results-driven with a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.
• Proficiency with cloud-based project management platforms, GIS applications, document management systems, and Microsoft Office Suite.

What we are ready to offer you

• The salary range for this role is $150,000 - $160,000.
• 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.