Vice President of Project Development

Nenni and Associates; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading energy consulting firm is seeking a Vice President of Project Development to lead the development of Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) projects. This role requires over 10 years of experience in energy infrastructure project development and a strong understanding of project finance. The VP will collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure projects meet technical and financial thresholds while fostering customer relationships. Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor's in Engineering, with a Master's preferred, and excel in leadership and strategic stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in project development for central utility plants and energy infrastructure.
• Proven track record of delivering Energy-as-Service projects to financial close.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end development of Energy-as-a-Service projects.
• Build repeatable development frameworks and improve project quality.
• Ensure adherence to project workflow and risk review processes.

Skills

Project finance

Cross-functional leadership

Risk management

Energy Efficiency

Customer engagement

Education

Bachelor of Science in Engineering

Master's Degree in Engineering, Business or Finance

Job description

Vice President, Project Development

The Vice President of Project Development is responsible for leading the end-to-end development of our client’s Energy-as-a-Service (EaaS) projects from initial concept through financial close. This role serves as the owner of project development execution, ensuring projects are technically sound, commercially viable, financeable, constructable and aligned with our client’s long-term sustainable energy infrastructure asset ownership strategy while meeting customer’s needs. The Vice President will report to the CEO and work cross-functionally with sales, finance, legal and operations, while having direct interface serving customers and partners.

Duties and Responsibilities

Project Development Leadership

• Own the development of schedules, budgets, decision gates and manage expectations across long project development cycles.
• Collaborate and work with ESCO and Design, Build, Operate, Maintain (DBOM) partners. Proactively work to define the optimal allocation and ownership of key project development steps and work between our client and its partners.
• Ensure adherence to project development workflow, including quality control, decision gates and risk review process steps.
• Build repeatable development frameworks to improve quality and shorten EaaS project development times. Establish standards, templates and best practices.

Technical Scope Development

• Translate customer energy infrastructure and sustainability needs into financeable project scopes of work that meet both customer technical and financial needs and our client’s investment requirements.
• Develop integrated sustainable energy and energy infrastructure solutions that include distributed heating and cooling systems, central utility plants (e.g., chillers, boilers, etc.), energy efficiency and electrification measures that are constructable, financially viable and align with customer needs.
• Manage and drive the development of the technical inputs required for our client to analyze EaaS investments, including EPC costs, construction timing, annual project savings and performance, and ongoing annual O&M expenses.
• Lead the development of economic deal drivers associated with technical solutions (e.g., energy savings, O&M savings, incentives, revenue, avoided capex, health & safety benefits, etc.) and work with the sales team to ensure they are included in customer presentations and project business cases.
• Develop industry leading EaaS proposals and presentations.

Customer Engagement

• Build trust and rapport with multiple customer stakeholders. Become customers trusted technical and commercial EaaS expert.
• Support sales team in customer meetings across sales lifecycle, from lead qualification through deal closing.
• Partner with sales in the presentation of customer proposals.

Contracting and Risk Management

• Partner with finance to make sure projects meet investment return threshold and performance guarantee requirements.
• Partner with sales to support our pursuit on deals while ensuring adherence and quality assurance to our project development process.
• Lead contract negotiation on technical matters for project-level EaaS, EPC, and O&M agreements.
• Lead the development of project performance guarantees and measurement and verification plans.
• Ensure seamless transition from development to construction and operations.

Team Leadership

• Build, manage and mentor high-performing project development team.
• In partnership with sales, recruit, review and onboard high quality ESCO and DBOM partners.
• Excel at cross functional leadership across our client’s team, that includes sales, finance and asset management.

Qualifications & Experience

• 10+ years of experience leading the project development of central utility plant, distributed heating and cooling and other energy infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated success developing and delivering long-term Energy-as-Service projects to financial close (PPA’s, ESA’s, P3s, Concession deals).
• Strong understanding of project finance, risk allocation and Energy Savings Performance Contracting.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams that include external partner and customer stakeholders.
• Bachelor of Science in Engineering or similar degree. Masters Degree in Engineering, Business or Finance or similar degree is preferred.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Directly supervises 1 or more employees. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds as well as frequently required to stand, walk, talk and hear. The employee frequently is required to handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit for computer work for extended periods; regularly climb or balance; and frequently stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Work is performed primarily indoors.