Director, Engineering and Pre-Construction| ChicagoConfidential search for a senior engineering leader to anchor the technical side of a distributed solar and storage portfolio. The mandate is commercial as much as it is technical: lower the cost to construct, improve project constructability, and protect schedule and budget through to NTP.
This role is a blend of strategic guidance and direct ownership. You'll work alongside developers from early design through pre-construction handoff, while owning utility relationships, the consultant bench, and key technical workstreams that decide whether projects clear the finish line.
Scope covers:- Project design and economics. Pressure-test layouts, equipment selection, and civil/structural choices against pro forma. Run value engineering. Anchor early cost views in real construction numbers.
- Permitting. Set site design parameters ahead of discretionary approvals. Direct or delegate building and stormwater permit pursuits. Manage outside consultants on scope, cost, and quality.
- Interconnection. Advise on application strategy, study review, and cost allocation across distribution-level territories. Own primary utility relationships and stay close to technical standards and hosting capacity data.
- Equipment and procurement. Track module, inverter, and transformer markets. Manage OEM relationships and inform sourcing timing and pro forma inputs.
- EPC oversight where the company self-performs contracting.
Profile:- 8 to 12+ years in renewables development or construction, with weight in pre-construction, engineering management, or technical PM
- Solar projects taken through permitting, engineering, and construction readiness
- Distribution-level interconnection fluency across multiple utility territories
- Working knowledge of solar, BESS, and balance-of-system equipment markets
- Genuine appetite for cost estimation and value engineering, whether through direct experience or willingness to develop it
- Comfortable managing third-party engineering, permitting, and technical consultants
- Engineering degree preferred (EE, civil, or environmental)
- Suited to an entrepreneurial environment where initiative is the default setting
The company:Established distributed solar and storage developer with a track record of completed projects across multiple US markets. Lean team, broad capability set from land through operations. The role reports into senior leadership with direct exposure to development, finance, and construction decisions.
Contact:All conversations confidential. Patrick Burnell, SolSearch Energy.
[email protected].
