Solar O&M Manager — Plant Performance & Safety

Southwest Generation Operating Company; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Onward Energy is seeking a Solar Operations & Maintenance Manager in Bakersfield, California to lead site safety, reliability and cost-efficient operations across multiple PV facilities.

You will supervise O&M Supervisors and staff, develop annual budgets, coordinate maintenance campaigns, drive continuous improvement, and partner with Asset Management, Engineering and Compliance to maximize fleet performance.

Qualifications

• 7 years of work experience in operations and/or maintenance in power generation, with at least 2 years in solar.
• At least 2 years in a lead or supervisory role.
• Ability to plan, organize, schedule and direct safe operations across multiple sites.
• Strong understanding of EH&S compliance, budgeting, and performance management.

Responsibilities

• Ensure health, safety, and environmental performance aligns with policies and standards.
• Provide leadership for assigned solar facilities to ensure safe, reliable operations.
• Lead and develop O&M Supervisors and site personnel through coaching and performance management.
• Set performance expectations and drive safety, reliability, and cost performance.
• Foster safety culture, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with policies, environmental requirements, and regulations.
• Own operational performance including availability, reliability, and budget.
• Develop budgets and manage site expenditures within approved plans.
• Monitor expenses and identify cost optimization opportunities while maintaining reliability.
• Establish KPIs and operational objectives aligned with company targets.
• Lead reliability improvements through monitoring, RCA, and preventive maintenance.
• Collaborate with Asset Management, Engineering, Supply Chain, Compliance, and ROC.
• Oversee maintenance programs per PV industry best practices and manufacturer guidance.
• Manage CMMS data quality, maintenance compliance, and asset history.
• Lead annual maintenance planning, outages, and major campaigns.
• Develop contractor performance expectations and oversee vendor relationships.
• Review scopes of work and major maintenance activities for quality and safety.
• Ensure contractor services meet procurement, safety, and ops requirements.
• Identify operational risks and develop mitigation strategies for safety and asset performance.
• Support fleet-wide standardization and best practices across facilities.
• Lead staffing, succession planning, and organizational development for regions.
• Provide updates and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
• Support audits, due diligence, and regulatory inspections.
• Represent Operations in cross-functional initiatives and capital projects.

Skills

PV plant operations

Leadership

Budget management

Regulatory compliance

Maintenance planning

Root cause analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related

Associate degree in Engineering or related

Tools

CMMS

MS Office Suite

ERP systems

Job description

Onward Energy is seeking a Solar Operations & Maintenance Manager in Bakersfield, California to lead site safety, reliability and cost-efficient operations across multiple PV facilities.

You will supervise O&M Supervisors and staff, develop annual budgets, coordinate maintenance campaigns, drive continuous improvement, and partner with Asset Management, Engineering and Compliance to maximize fleet performance.