Senior Director Grid Analytics

Leap29; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Leap29 is seeking a Senior Director of Grid Analytics to own and scale our in-house grid analysis capabilities, informing investment, development, and siting decisions.

The role leads end-to-end generator interconnection and transmission analysis, driving automation and strategic decisions to support rapid portfolio growth across high-growth U.S. power markets.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in transmission planning, interconnection analysis, and grid-related decision support.
• Hands-on experience with TARA, PSS/E, and Python APIs.
• Experience navigating generator interconnection processes through executed interconnection agreements.
• Strong proficiency in Python or other scripting languages used to automate power flow analysis, modeling, and post-processing.
• Knowledge of OATTs and WECC/SPP markets.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly.
• Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering; Master's degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Take end-to-end ownership of the existing grid analytics framework and evolve it to support faster, more consistent siting and interconnection decisions.
• Design and refine repeatable workflows for regional screening, scenario modeling, and sensitivity analysis.
• Reduce friction and formalize assumptions, methodologies, processes, and analytical outputs.
• Establish scalable analytical standards to support a rapidly expanding development portfolio.
• Perform and oversee power flow, injection, and scenario studies for development and interconnection.
• Lead generator interconnection processes from modeling to interconnection agreement execution.
• Coordinate with transmission owners and stakeholders to resolve schedule, technical, and cost issues.
• Drive automation and leverage AI-assisted tools to improve data processing and scenario generation.

Skills

Python

Power flow analysis

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Education

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

TARA

PSS/E

Python APIs

Job description

Senior Director, Grid Analytics

Leap29 are recruiting for a Senior Director of Grid Analyticson behalf of a rapidly growing utility scale renewable energy company focused on developing, acquiring, constructing, and operating solar and energy storage projects across high-growth U.S. power markets.

With a substantial development pipeline spanning utility scale Solar and BESS projects, the company is scaling rapidly from greenfield development through construction and commercial operation, while continuing to expand its portfolio through new development opportunities and strategic acquisitions.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a company at a pivotal stage of growth, where your work will have a direct impact on investment, development, and siting decisions. The successful candidate will have significant influence across the organization and the opportunity to grow with the business.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Senior Director of Grid Analytics to own, develop, and scale our in-house power flow and transmission system analysis capabilities.

This is a senior technical leadership role for an individual who combines deep expertise in transmission planning and generator interconnection with strong commercial judgment, systems thinking, and a strong bias toward automation and continuous improvement.

The company has established a grid analytics framework supporting its proprietary site-selection and development process. The Senior Director will take ownership of this framework and continuously enhance it to improve analytical speed, consistency, scalability, and decision quality.

This is not a "run studies as assigned" role. It is a decision-driving, system-owning leadership position with direct influence on executive-level investment, development, and siting decisions.

The role will also lead the generator interconnection process across the portfolio and support technical due diligence for M&A activities. This includes taking several mid-stage projects through generator interconnection agreements and into execution and commercial operation, while coordinating with transmission owners to ensure project schedules and milestones are achieved.

Key Responsibilities

Grid Analytics Framework

• Take end-to-end ownership of the existing grid analytics framework and continuously evolve it to support faster, more consistent, and forward-looking siting and interconnection decisions.
• Design and refine repeatable workflows for regional screening, scenario modeling, and sensitivity analysis.
• Reduce friction, rework, and reliance on institutional knowledge by formalizing assumptions, methodologies, processes, and analytical outputs.
• Establish scalable analytical standards that can support a rapidly expanding development portfolio.

Transmission & Interconnection Analysis

• Perform and oversee innovative and complex power flow, injection, and scenario studies supporting greenfield prospecting and project development.
• Independently predict, replicate, validate, and challenge ISO, transmission owner, and consultant study results.
• Estimate interconnection facility and network upgrade costs and assess associated project risks.
• Modify regional power flow base cases to reflect future resource mixes, generation retirements, load growth, and planned transmission upgrades.
• Identify grid constraints, opportunities, and risks early in the development lifecycle.

Generator Interconnection

• Lead and oversee the generator interconnection request process, from model and application preparation through interconnection agreement negotiation and execution.
• Coordinate with transmission owners and other stakeholders to resolve project schedule, technical, and cost issues during execution.
• Serve as the internal subject matter expert on generator interconnection procedures, queue windows, and processes governed by Open Access Transmission Tariffs (OATTs).
• Drive projects through the interconnection process while maintaining alignment with broader development and construction schedules.

Automation, Tooling & Leverage

• Design and maintain automated, scalable analytical workflows using Python or other scripting languages for model execution, post-processing, and scenario evaluation.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI-assisted tools for data processing, queue tracking, scenario generation, result synthesis, and other analytical workflows.
• Continuously improve analytical efficiency and coverage through automation.
• Build a grid analytics capability that scales with portfolio growth without requiring a linear increase in headcount.

Strategic Decision Support

• Translate complex transmission and interconnection analysis into clear, actionable recommendations for development teams and executive leadership.
• Clearly communicate assumptions, uncertainties, risks, and tradeoffs associated with siting and interconnection decisions.
• Support portfolio-level prioritization by identifying grid-driven risks and opportunities early in the development process.
• Help shape investment and development decisions through rigorous, commercially relevant grid analysis.

Leadership & Team Development

• Provide technical and strategic leadership to a junior power flow engineer, including guidance on modeling approaches, assumptions, interpretation of results, and professional development.
• Establish analytical standards and decision frameworks that enable junior team members to contribute effectively without becoming bottlenecks.
• Manage and direct third-party consultants as required while retaining internal ownership of core analytical thinking and decision-making.
• Build and develop the grid analytics and interconnection team as the portfolio grows, with anticipated future roles including Regulatory Lead and Interconnection Analyst(s).

External Engagement

• Represent the company in interactions with ISOs, transmission owners, utilities, regulators, and other industry stakeholders throughout interconnection and transmission planning processes.
• Track and participate in relevant transmission planning, queue reform, regulatory, and policy proceedings.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with external stakeholders critical to project execution.

Qualifications & Experience

• 10+ years of experience within an IPP, utility, consulting firm, or ISO/TO performing transmission planning, interconnection analysis, and grid-related decision support.
• Deep hands-on experience with TARA, PSS®E, or similar power flow tools, including experience with associated Python APIs.
• Demonstrated experience navigating generator interconnection processes through executed or near-executed interconnection agreements.
• Strong proficiency in Python or other scripting languages used to automate power flow analysis, modeling, and post-processing.
• Working knowledge of OATTs, generator interconnection procedures, and transmission planning processes within SPP and WECC markets.
• Strong understanding of transmission system constraints, interconnection risks, and their implications for project development and investment decisions.
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong analytical judgment, commercial awareness, and ability to operate independently in a fast-paced development environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field; Master's degree preferred.