Solar Project Manager, Construction

As Scout’s Solar Energy Construction Project Manager, you will play a pivotal role in the construction of utility-scale solar projects.  You will have the opportunity to share your knowledge to mentor colleagues and shape the processes and best practices for solar energy construction at a growing IPP with an entrepreneurial culture. You will be involved in all phases of facility construction, from pre-construction design and planning through commissioning and closeout.

Your attention to detail and ability to concurrently drive multiple work streams forward on time and on budget will be key to your success. Your technical knowledge of utility-scale solar and your ability to communicate that with audiences who have a wide range of technical proficiency will be widely valued in this role.

You will dive into Scout’s first solar construction project – the 161 MWAC Markum project near Waco, TX. The project is underway and is ready for your immediate leadership impact. Travel to site is expected one to two times per month during project construction to ensure the project’s completion within budget and on schedule.

You will thrive in an entrepreneurial team-based environment in which:

• You mentor and collaborate closely with a high-performing, early career construction project manager.
• You work closely with counterparts in the Engineering, Procurement, Development, and Interconnection teams to identify and address challenges that arise during project construction (e.g., permitting and schedule changes) and then implement solutions.
• You drive process development from the ground up as the project progresses and document learnings to inform future solar project construction.

During project construction, you will:

• Be responsible for the successful execution of all activities at the project site, including BOS contractor, equipment suppliers, construction services and related work, including ensuring safety is a priority and is adequately addressed by all on site personnel associated with the project.
• Ensure QC/QA measures are implemented and documented.
• Manage the schedule, resolve potential delays, update the schedule, and keep relevant internal stakeholders informed of progress and challenges.
• Manage the third-party on-site team of quality control professionals representing the owner, including the site manager and the electrical and civil specialists.
• Manage the various construction contracts and interface with the BOS contractor, owner’s engineers, and independent engineers, including change orders and cost control of project within the approved budget.
• Manage the receipt and inspection of equipment and materials.
• Manage and approve invoices and costs incurred under all project contracts.

Communicate with and represent Scout effectively and professionally with a variety of project partners and stakeholders, including:

• Lead weekly meetings with the BOS contractor and host internal update meetings with the Development and Finance teams.
• Attend monthly meetings at the project site.
• Develop, write and distribute weekly and monthly reports on construction status, schedule, and cost controls.
• Respond to questions with independent engineers throughout construction and close out any open items to support the project’s achievement of on-time financial closure.

Leverage your technical expertise to ensure efficient and effective project delivery, including:

• Develop and implement new Scout processes for managing solar construction projects.
• Oversee the review and approval process of engineering designs.
• Assist in the resolution of design issues and contract enforcement.
• Interface with the interconnecting and local utilities to ensure compliance with the GIA requirements.
• Provide guidance and support during all commissioning, start-up testing, and third-party inspections.
• Review and maintain project records.

Close out the project, including:

• Coordinate final service acceptance inspections, punch list close out, and transition the project to Operations and Maintenance (O&M).
• Conduct Lessons Learned meeting and report out to the Construction group.

In future projects, you will also use your technical knowledge and practical experience to inform the Scout team’s approach to phase developing and designing the solar facilities during pre-construction:

• Interface with Engineering, Development, Procurement, and Finance to optimize project design, including site selection, constructability reviews, interconnection options, review of construction documents, and permitting process support.
• Provide input to BOS EPC contract negotiations, including providing input to development and review of competitive RFPs for selection of general contractors or vendors and creating relevant contract exhibits.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management or a relevant technical field required.
• Past work experience must include at least one of the following:
• Project manager on at least 2+ utility scale solar construction projects.
• Held a role reporting to the project manager on at least 3+ utility-scale solar construction projects, or
• Reported to the project manager and/or acted as the project manager on at least 4+ projects in a relevant adjacent industry with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Preference for experience across all phases of construction – preconstruction, construction, and handoff to operations.
• Experience in BESS a plus; Scout has opportunities for management of BESS projects.
• Experience mentoring and training junior team members.

Technical skills:

• Familiarity with managing utility-scale solar construction contracts.
• Demonstrated understanding of plans and specifications for civil and electrical work.
• Ability to solve problems and make informed decisions quickly.
• Strong verbal and written communication, organizational, project management, problem-solving and team-building skills.
• Providing pre-construction estimates based on industry knowledge.
• Developing contract exhibits for BOS contracts.

Proficient with computers and has strong working knowledge of the following:

• MS Office, MS Project, and document management systems (e.g., SharePoint, Procore).
• Creating and managing schedules using MS Project (a plus).
• Adept at the use of Google Earth. Understanding of ArcGIS and GlobalMapper a plus.

Work Environment and Work Style:

• Demonstrated high level of ownership and responsibility over all aspects of project work.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a flat organization, successfully leveraging the expertise of multiple colleagues in different lines of reporting.
• Ability to multi-task and arbitrate between conflicting priorities with clear target setting and follow-through capability in a fast-paced and rapidly changing work environment.

Additional Qualifications:

• Must have a valid current driver license, and able to travel and perform field work.
• Working knowledge of OSHA requirements. OSHA 10 certification preferred.
• Authorized to work in the United States.

Working Conditions

• Ability to work outside of a Monday through Friday schedule, including holidays and weekends, at times when needed by the project.
• This position requires up to 50% travel to project sites in the U.S. In addition, remote candidates will need to travel to Boulder at least one week per month.
• Office based employees work together and collaborate in the Boulder office three days per week and have the flexibility to work from home two days per week.

Invitation to Women and U.S. Underrepresented Groups

We encourage applications from all demographics and especially those that are traditionally underrepresented in the energy industry. Consistent with our core values, Scout celebrates the diversity of thought and experience that comes from a range of backgrounds including, but not limited to, gender, race, and ethnicity.

Invitation to Veterans

Scout welcomes veterans of the United States Armed Forces to apply for this position. Scout includes veterans of all branches and a diverse set of occupational specialties. We value the independent thinking, problem solving, leadership, and teamwork that our veterans have developed through their service. We welcome applications from any service and any military occupational specialty.

Benefits

Target base salary: $120,000-150,000. Negotiable for the right candidate. Attractive bonus potential.

Scout offers a full range of benefits, including medical/dental/vision insurance with attractive premiums, 401(k) match, STD, LTD, paid parental leave, an Employee Assistance Program, and a range of optional supplemental insurance coverage.