Sr Exec Dir Natural Gas Plant Delivery

CMS Energy, Corp.; Jackson (MI); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision

401k with company match

Paid parental leave

Up to 13 paid holidays

Paid time off

Job summary

CMS Energy in Michigan seeks a Senior Executive Director, Thermal Generation to lead the development and delivery of new natural gas generation facilities. The role oversees planning, interconnection, fuel supply, and execution through commissioning and readiness.

The ideal candidate has extensive experience with utility-scale projects, stakeholder management, regulatory oversight, and cross-functional leadership to ensure safe, cost-effective, and reliable generation assets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, Project Management, or a related field, and twelve (12) or more years of experience leading major project execution, large-scale capital projects, utility infrastructure projects, power generation development, construction management initiatives, or similarly complex, business-critical programs.
• Associate degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, Project Management, or a related field, and fourteen (14) or more years of relevant technical experience.
• High school diploma or equivalent, and sixteen (16) or more years of relevant technical experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership and accountability for the successful delivery of new natural gas generation facilities, from siting and development through operational readiness.
• Establish project strategy, stakeholder engagement plans, governance structures, organizational frameworks, and execution plans aligned with corporate objectives and long-term generation requirements.
• Direct all aspects of project development, including siting, interconnection, fuel supply, community and stakeholder engagement, labor and procurement strategies, contract negotiations, funding approvals, cost estimating, and project planning.
• Lead cross-functional alignment among internal business partners, executive leadership, regulatory agencies, contractors, and external stakeholders.
• Oversee project financial performance, capital investment stewardship, schedule performance, risk management, commercial strategy, and achievement of key business objectives.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing organization focused on safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and execution excellence.

Skills

Large-scale projects

Stakeholder management

Regulatory knowledge

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Associate degree +14+ years experience

High school diploma +16+ years experience

Job description

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy knows job number one is to keep the lights on for customers. We are committed to delivering reliable, clean, and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.

This position is not eligible for immigration sponsorship, e.g., H-1B, TN, etc. Please do not apply if you will need immigration sponsorship for a work visa now or in the future, including sponsorship for H-1B, TN, etc., now or in the future. We are unable to hire individuals with CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT for this position as the position is not eligible for participation in the H-1B lottery program and is not eligible for current or future immigration sponsorship for a work visa.

Location: This is a hybrid (virtual/onsite) position with required onsite days on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday assigned to One Energy Plaza located in Jackson, MI. The selected candidate must be within a commutable distance or willing to relocate (relocation package is available for those that qualify).

General Summary of Job Responsibilities

The Senior Executive Director, Thermal Generation is responsible for providing executive leadership, strategic direction, and comprehensive oversight for the development and delivery of new natural gas generation facilities. This role leads projects from planning and development through execution, construction, commissioning, and operational readiness, ensuring alignment with company goals, business plan objectives, reliability requirements, and long-term generation strategy.

This leader will establish the project delivery strategy, governance framework, project controls, risk mitigation approach, and cross-functional operating model necessary to deliver safe, cost-effective, and reliable generation assets. The role requires extensive experience leading large-scale utility, power generation, construction, or infrastructure projects involving significant capital investment, siting and interconnection activities, fuel supply planning, complex contract negotiations, regulatory oversight, and enterprise-wide impact. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with Engineering, Operations, Finance, Legal, Regulatory, Supply Chain, Environmental, Community Affairs, Governmental Affairs, and other key stakeholders to ensure strategic alignment and disciplined project execution.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership and accountability for the successful delivery of new natural gas generation facilities, from siting and development through operational readiness.
• Establish project strategy, stakeholder engagement plans, governance structures, organizational frameworks, and execution plans aligned with corporate objectives and long-term generation requirements.
• Direct all aspects of project development, including siting, interconnection, fuel supply, community and stakeholder engagement, labor and procurement strategies, contract negotiations, funding approvals, cost estimating, and project planning.
• Lead cross-functional alignment among internal business partners, executive leadership, regulatory agencies, contractors, and external stakeholders.
• Oversee project financial performance, capital investment stewardship, schedule performance, risk management, commercial strategy, and achievement of key business objectives.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing organization focused on safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and execution excellence.
• Serve as the executive decision-maker and escalation point for strategic issues that could affect project success.
• Perform other duties as assigned or as required.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Extensive knowledge of large-scale capital project delivery, including project management, construction management, governance, project controls, and risk management.
• Strong knowledge of utility operations, power generation assets, engineering principles, regulatory requirements, commercial strategy, and financial management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, high-risk, and high-visibility initiatives with significant enterprise impact.
• Proven leadership capability in developing high-performing teams and influencing cross-functional and matrixed organizations.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical, decision-making, and business acumen skills.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, stakeholder management, and organizational leadership skills.

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, Project Management, or a related field, and twelve (12) or more years of experience leading major project execution, large-scale capital projects, utility infrastructure projects, power generation development, construction management initiatives, or similarly complex, business-critical programs;
• Demonstrated experience leading organizations or teams with a large span of control, managing high-visibility and high-risk projects, navigating complex stakeholder environments, and overseeing initiatives with significant financial, operational, regulatory, and safety implications.
  • [OR] Associate degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business, Project Management, or a related field, and fourteen (14) or more years of relevant technical experience.
  • [OR] High school diploma or equivalent, and sixteen (16) or more years of relevant technical experience.

Why should you join our team?

At Consumers Energy, we offer more than just a place to work. We foster a culture that supports career development, growth, and stability, and we take pride in offering our co-workers excellent benefits and compensation packages. We are deliberately creating an inclusive culture that makes our diverse team of co-workers feel valued, supported, and empowered every day. We're a company made up of thousands of people, all with different stories to share and work to do, but we stand united in our company purpose: world class performance delivering hometown service.

What we offer:

• Competitive compensation packages
• Medical, Dental and Vision
• 401k with company match
• Paid parental leave
• Up to 13 paid Holidays
• Paid time off
• Educational Assistance Program

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

We, at CMS Energy, value Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. It is part of our DNA. We treat our employees with respect, we treat each other fairly and we value the opinions of others. We are passionate about building and nurturing an environment where everyone feels included. We don’t discriminate. We seek to learn about each other and better understand our unique differences. Our uniqueness makes us authentic. We create safe spaces where everyone can be who they truly are. We invite difficult conversations and uncomfortable topics. We value diverse perspectives; this is what makes us great together. We harbor an inclusive environment where employees feel empowered to share their backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. Our Employee Resource Groups, Women in Energy (WE), Minority Advisory Panel (MAP), Pride Alliance of Consumers Energy (PACE), GENERGY (Different Generations), capable (Different Abilities), Interfaith, People Planet Partners, and Veterans Advisory Panel (VAP) are key enablers to living the values of our company culture: Caring, Empowered, Deliberate, Agility, and Ownership.

All qualified applicants will not be discriminated against and will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected veteran status, disability, race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.

Job Segment: Governmental Affairs, Supply Chain, Equity, Law, Procurement, Government, Operations, Finance, Legal

Consumers Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer, please review our Equal Employment Opportunity Policy, Family and Medical Leave Act, and Military Leave Allowance. CMS Energy endeavors to make https://careers.consumersenergy.com/ accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact our team at [e-mail]. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications. ACCOMMODATION NOTICE: Federal law and many state laws require employers to make accommodations to disabled applicants and employees where the accommodation does not impose an undue hardship on the employer. For those applicants seeking a position within the State of Michigan, a disabled individual needing accommodation for employment must notify the employer in writing within 182 days after the need is known or should have been known. Michigan law provides that failure of a Michigan employee to properly notify the employer will preclude any claim that the employer failed to accommodate the disabled individual. However, this does not waive an individual’s right under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, which sets no time limit for requesting an accommodation nor does it require such accommodation in writing.