Engineer, Development

Job Type: Exempt Salaried, Full-Time
Location: Charlottesville, VA (onsite in-office) | Remote (Mid-Atlantic / Southeast Regions preferred)
Reports To: Senior Manager, Development Engineering
Department: Operations

Job Summary

This position will give you the opportunity to lead the technical development on a portfolio of large PV and energy storage projects, with ownership over design strategy, interconnection approach, and technical risk assessment. Our development engineers work on a team as equals with developers, with both having shared accountability and responsibility. While this is a technically focused position that draws on engineering principals, you can expect to spend time approaching projects as both a "developer" and as an "engineer".

This role serves as a subject matter expert (SME) within development engineering, driving technical decisions, improving processes, and influencing project outcomes across the portfolio.

The ideal candidate will bring experience in development engineering design and interconnection management, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic Southeast regions.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Execution
  
  • Execute the technical development of solar PV and BESS projects from origination through late-stage development, under guidance of Senior Engineers
  • Drive optimization of project layouts, equipment selection, and performance outcomes
  • Utilize GIS based systems for site and constraints analysis
  • Create and maintain development site designs and energy yield analyses, validate technical assumptions
  • Maintain a strong understanding of the technical requirements for specific projects

• Interconnection
  
  • Submit interconnection requests, review study results, and engage utilities, under guidance of the Interconnection team and Senior Engineers
  • Interpret complex interconnection results, develop schedule and cost projections, identify risks & opportunities
  • Negotiate technical aspects with utilities, ISOs, and RTOs
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  
  • Partner with Development, Delivery, and Operations teams to support project advancement
  • Support permitting including land use and zoning (typically Conditional Use Permit / Special Use Permit) via county planning and zoning authorities, as well as any state or federal permits as may be necessary (e.g. VA DEQ Permit By Rule)
  • Develop project documentation, reporting, and engineering deliverables
  • Support due diligence activities for project acquisitions
• External Coordination
  
  • Manage third-party consultants and engineering partners
  • Other duties, as assigned

Skills & Competencies

• A joyful approach to work and life combined with a sense of humor highly recommended
• Integrity, tenacity, and credibility complimented by a bias for action and a strong sense of personal accountability
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills necessary for community building internally, and trust building externally
• Creativity in problem solving and strong analytical capability
• High energy, responds well to pressure, works to deadlines
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to quality work product
• Well organized; able to manage a myriad of competing priorities
• Ability to work on own initiative as well as with a team
• Willingness to travel as needed; regular presence at the Charlottesville, VA office preferred

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (or equivalent experience)
• 2+ years of experience in renewable energy engineering (solar, wind, and/or storage)
• Familiarity with tools such as ArcGIS, AutoCAD, PVsyst (or similar)
• Foundational understanding of interconnection processes and project development lifecycle
• Broad technical understanding of solar and battery storage project development, including the interconnection process and the ability to perform cost-benefit analyses of design variants to optimize outcomes

Recruitment Agency Notice:

TerraForm Power Human Resources team does not accept unsolicited resumes from third party recruiters, staffing firms, or related agencies. The Human Resources team coordinates all recruiting and hiring at our company. We do not accept resumes from third-party recruiters unless authorized by the Human Resources team and if a signed agreement is in place. Any unsolicited resumes will be considered property of TerraForm Power and we are not responsible for any related fees. All communication related to recruiting partnerships should ONLY be directed to the Human Resources team.