Project Structurer

Coda Search│Staffing; New York (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Coda Search│Staffing is seeking an expert cost engineer for O&M heavy infrastructure projects in the United States. The role focuses on building rigorous, defendable cost models for microgrids, data centers, and mission-critical assets, supported by benchmarking and detailed staffing plans.

You will collaborate with developers, engineers, and finance partners to define scopes, budgets, and risk mitigations, while guiding make-versus-buy analyses and SLA considerations across multi-year

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field.
• 10–15 years of energy or utilities O&M experience.
• Experience enabling service agreements, DBOO PPP models.

Responsibilities

• Develop accurate, competitive cost models, maintenance estimates, and staffing plans for long-term O&M contracts.
• Build benchmarks database for wage assessments and labor rate modeling.
• Model maintenance budgets including SLAs and third-party services.
• Collaborate with project teams to define scopes and make-versus-buy analyses.
• Support engineering and capital projects scoping and estimation.
• Identify risks and mitigation strategies for project execution.
• Collaborate with operations to develop mobilization plans and cost estimates.

Skills

Financial modelling

Cost estimation

O&M operations

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Job description

The ideal candidate brings deep O&M domain knowledge, a strong grasp of industry benchmarks and cost norms, and enough financial modeling fluency to build rigorous, scenario-capable models that can be defended in front of clients, leadership, and financial partners.

Primary Duties / Responsibilities:

• Develop accurate, competitive cost models, maintenance estimates, and comprehensive staffing plans, including role definitions and headcount requirements, to support long-term O&M contracts for microgrids, behind-the-meter power generation, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), and mission-critical utility infrastructure.
• Build and maintain a database of best-practice benchmarks from the existing project portfolio to perform wage assessments, establish competitive labor rates, and model personnel availability for project due diligence.
• Model maintenance requirements and develop annual budgets for the full term of agreements, including Service Level Agreements (SLAs), specialty contractors, and third-party analytical services.
• Collaborate closely with project developers to define project scopes, including asset-based maintenance limits, fixed-fee service carve-outs, and LTSA interfaces, while supporting make-versus-buy analyses and establishing competitive fee structures.
• Support engineering, construction, and capital project teams in scoping and estimating capital projects, asset upgrades, and new infrastructure implementations.
• Identify project risks and develop mitigation strategies that support successful project execution and long-term performance.
• Collaborate closely with operations teams throughout all project phases to leverage operational data, develop mobilization plans and ramp‑up schedules, and prepare corresponding cost estimates to support successful project start‑up, transition, and ongoing operations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering (or a related field with equivalent commercial experience)
• 10–15 years of experience in energy or utilities operations and maintenance within industrial, institutional, or mission-critical markets (e.g., data centers, healthcare)
• Experience supporting the development of service agreements, DBOO project delivery models, or Public-Private Partnerships (PPP)

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Technical knowledge of energy systems, including power generation, distribution, heating, cooling, combined heat and power, battery systems, Distributed Energy Resources (DER), and microgrid infrastructure; Direct experience with gas turbine O&M — either as an operator, service provider, or commercial manager is preferred
• Ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships across internal disciplines and support client-facing meetings
• Strong analytical, technical, and financial modeling skills, including the ability to assess complex utility infrastructure, equipment inventories, and asset data to perform comprehensive technical due diligence
• Advanced spreadsheet capabilities for developing detailed bottom‑up O&M cost models, lifecycle maintenance and capital expenditure forecasts, and scenario-based sensitivity analyses that inform strategic development decisions

Additional Requirements

Ability to travel 25%+ to customer locations nationwide