Utility-Scale Solar Assistant Project Manager

Samuel Knight Energy & Digital Infrastructure; United States; Remote; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Samuel Knight Energy is partnering with an established solar EPC contractor to recruit Assistant Project Managers to support utility-scale solar projects across the United States. This opportunity suits experienced Project Engineers looking to advance into project management, as well as current Assistant Project Managers seeking greater responsibility within a growing renewable-energy EPC organization.

Rotations typically involve 3 weeks on site and 1 week home, with exposure to engineering,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred in Engineering, Construction Management, Business or related field.
• Experience within EPC or major construction environment.
• Experience coordinating RFIs, submittals, drawings, procurement, change orders and project documentation.
• Understanding of construction schedules, milestones, look-ahead planning and project controls.

Responsibilities

• Support Project Manager with execution of utility-scale solar projects through procurement, construction, commissioning, COD and closeout.
• Coordinate activities between engineering, procurement, construction and subcontractor teams.
• Support schedules, budgets, forecasts and project reporting.
• Track progress against milestones, schedules and look-ahead plans.
• Coordinate site activities with Construction Managers, Superintendents and field teams.
• Assist with cost tracking, forecasting, commitments and cost-to-complete reporting.
• Support preparation and tracking of change orders, RFIs, submittals, POs and subcontractor documentation.
• Coordinate with engineering teams to ensure drawings and technical information align with construction needs.
• Support procurement and delivery tracking of major equipment and materials (modules, trackers, inverters, transformers).
• Participate in project meetings and produce updates on schedule, cost, procurement, engineering, safety and quality.
• Identify risks and commercial issues and escalate to project leadership.
• Maintain project documentation and track key actions and decisions.
• Support relationships with owners, developers, subcontractors and suppliers.
• Assist with commissioning, turnover documentation, punch lists and COD attainment.
• Support project closeout and final completion activities.
• Take increasing ownership of workstreams toward Project Manager progression.

Skills

Project delivery

Project Engineer experience

Assistant Project Manager experience

Utility-scale solar PV

Scheduling & project controls

Budgeting & forecasting

Communication with stakeholders

Travel across US

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Construction Management/Business

Tools

Primavera P6

Procore

Job description

Assistant Project Manager – Utility-Scale Solar

Solar EPC | United States | Project Site Based

(Advertised as remote, as there is no fixed location for the role and to reach a full national audience. Project locations will vary, with a typical rotation of 3 weeks on site, 1 week home.)

Samuel Knight Energy is partnering with an established and growing solar EPC contractor to recruit Assistant Project Managers to support the delivery of utility-scale solar projects across the United States.

This opportunity is well suited to experienced Project Engineers ready to take the next step into project management, as well as established Assistant Project Managers looking to take on greater responsibility within a growing utility-scale solar EPC organization.

Working alongside Project Managers, Senior Project Managers and site leadership, you'll support projects from NTP through procurement, construction, commissioning, COD and final completion, gaining exposure across the commercial, engineering, procurement and field-construction aspects of project delivery.

This is an opportunity to build toward full Project Manager responsibility while working directly on major renewable-energy construction projects.

The Role

As Assistant Project Manager, you'll work closely with the Project Manager and wider project delivery team to coordinate the day-to-day execution of utility-scale solar projects.

You'll act as an important link between engineering, procurement, field construction, subcontractors and project leadership, taking increasing ownership of project controls and delivery activities as your experience develops.

Responsibilities will include:

• Supporting the Project Manager with the execution of utility-scale solar projects through procurement, construction, commissioning, COD and closeout.
• Coordinating project activities between engineering, procurement, construction and subcontractor teams.
• Supporting project schedules, budgets, forecasts and project reporting.
• Tracking project progress against contractual milestones, construction schedules and look-ahead plans.
• Working closely with Construction Managers, Superintendents and field teams to coordinate site activities, subcontractors, materials and resources.
• Assisting with project cost tracking, forecasting, commitments and cost-to-complete reporting.
• Supporting the preparation, review and tracking of change orders, RFIs, submittals, purchase orders and subcontractor documentation.
• Coordinating with engineering teams to ensure drawings, design packages and technical information are issued in line with construction requirements.
• Supporting procurement and tracking the delivery of major equipment and materials including modules, trackers, inverters and transformers.
• Participating in project meetings and producing clear updates covering schedule, cost, procurement, engineering, safety, quality and risk.
• Identifying potential project risks, delays and commercial issues and escalating them to project leadership.
• Maintaining project documentation and ensuring key actions, decisions and deliverables are properly tracked.
• Supporting relationships with owners, developers, subcontractors, suppliers and other project stakeholders.
• Assisting with commissioning, turnover documentation, punch-list completion and achievement of COD.
• Supporting project closeout and final completion activities.
• Taking increasing ownership of project workstreams with the goal of progressing into a Project Manager position.

What We're Looking For

We're particularly interested in speaking with Project Engineers and Assistant Project Managers who have developed their careers within utility-scale solar, renewable energy, power generation or major EPC/design-build construction.

You may already be operating as an Assistant Project Manager, or you may be a Project Engineer who has developed strong project-delivery experience and is ready to move into a broader commercial and operational role.

Ideally, you'll bring:

• 2+ years of project engineering, construction or project delivery experience within an EPC or major construction environment.
• Experience as a Project Engineer, Assistant Project Manager or similar project-delivery professional.
• Utility-scale solar PV experience is strongly preferred, particularly with an EPC contractor.
• Exposure to projects through engineering, procurement and field construction.
• Experience coordinating RFIs, submittals, drawings, procurement, change orders and project documentation.
• An understanding of construction schedules, milestones, look-ahead planning and project controls.
• Exposure to project budgets, cost tracking, forecasting or commercial management.
• Experience working alongside field leadership, subcontractors, engineering teams and procurement functions.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple project priorities simultaneously.
• Confidence communicating with internal project teams, subcontractors, clients and other stakeholders.
• A proactive approach to identifying issues and driving actions through to completion.
• A genuine ambition to progress into full Project Management responsibility.
• A willingness to work on project sites across the United States and travel according to project requirements.

A Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Business or a related discipline is preferred, although relevant project experience will also be considered.

Experience with BESS, substations, high-voltage interconnection, Primavera P6, Procore or similar project-delivery systems would be advantageous.

The Opportunity

This is not an administrative APM position.

You'll work directly alongside experienced Project Managers and field leadership on major utility-scale renewable-energy projects, with exposure to the engineering, procurement, construction, commercial and client-facing elements required to eventually manage projects yourself.

For an experienced Project Engineer, this represents a clear route into project management. For an established Assistant Project Manager, it offers the opportunity to increase your level of ownership and progress toward a Project Manager position.

The business is continuing to expand its project portfolio across the United States and offers a genuine progression path through Assistant Project Manager → Project Manager → Senior Project Manager → Project Delivery leadership.

You'll join a team focused on delivering projects properly — balancing safety, schedule, quality and commercial performance while developing the next generation of project leadership within the organization.

Samuel Knight Energy is managing this search on behalf of our client. All applications and conversations will be treated confidentially.

If you're currently working as a Project Engineer or Assistant Project Manager within utility-scale solar or EPC construction and are interested in taking the next step in your career, we'd like to hear from you.