Director, Project Operations - Commercial

The Director of Project Operations will guide and mentor a dedicated team of Project Managers, Project Engineers, and other project support staff, focusing on the financial, contractual, and client relationship aspects of EPC Solar & BESS Projects. This includes leading contract negotiations, managing risk assessments, handling change orders, and ensuring strict adherence to contractual obligations and company policies. The role requires evaluation of both internal resources and external vendor and subcontractor contributions to the projects’ success, addressing any contractual issues rapidly to maintain project momentum.

This position will oversee a portfolio of multiple solar projects of varying types and sizes. These projects are typically between $250K and $10M with a moderate to high level of complexity. This role serves as the unifying agent providing leadership, management, direction, coordination, and control of the overall project in accordance with the established policies, procedures, systems, and requirements of Sunspear. This position is considered a leadership position; minimum qualifications must be met to be placed within this position.

To be successful in this role, you should have extensive experience in the Hawaii solar industry, with a proven track record of managing large-scale and complex projects. You should also have strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills, as well as a passion for renewable energy and innovation. This position reports to the President of the company and will work closely with other members of the Executive and Senior Leadership team.

Essential Job Function & Responsibilities

Leadership

• Lead and manage a team of project planning professionals, including Project Engineering, EPC Contracts Management, Project Management, and Permitting fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.
• Mentor and coach team members to foster their professional growth and development, providing regular feedback and opportunities for skill enhancement.
• Serve as a mediator and support system in resolving conflicts or disputes within the project planning team or with external stakeholders, fostering positive working relationships and maintaining project momentum.
• Champion a culture of safety within the project planning team and across project sites, emphasizing the importance of safety protocols, training, and adherence to regulatory requirements.
• Lead with integrity, professionalism, and a commitment to ethical business practices, serving as a role model for the team and upholding the company’s values and culture.

Process Implementation & Management

• Oversee project planning activities from project inception to award, ensuring alignment with project goals, timelines, and budgetary constraints.
• Drive process improvements and implement best practices to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of project planning operations.
• Stay informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in project planning and project management, sharing knowledge and insights with the team to drive innovation and improvement.
• Evaluate and continually improve systems and processes to effectively meet customer requirements and profitability goals.

Estimation and Cost Management

• Ensure the Project Planning Management team is communicating and collaborating with the Estimating department to ensure all activities and deliverables are being completed within the parameters of the project schedule and requirements.
• Work with the Accounting department to build job costing systems to track project budgets and real time, and develop metrics to measure budgetary performance for the team.
• Review initial project cost estimates from the Development team to identify the costs provided fully represent the project scope of work.

Project Planning and Risk Evaluation

• Aid in the development of comprehensive project execution plans, identifying potential risks and mitigation strategies to ensure successful project execution.
• Provide input on project schedules and provide insight on durations and relationships of activities.
• Work with internal departments such as Procurement, Engineering, Legal, Safety, Project Finance, Development, IT, among others to ensure alignment on project needs, expectations, and constraints.
• Understanding self-perform construction means and methods to adequately plan projects and provide technical teams with optimization and value engineering efforts.

EPC Contract Management

• Lead the drafting efforts for Owner requested LNTP’s.
• Collaborate with legal and procurement teams to negotiate and execute EPC contracts, ensuring compliance with company standards and legal requirements.
• Lead commercial negotiations with clients, vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers to secure favorable terms and pricing for project materials and services.

Stakeholder Engagement/Management

• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, including clients, engineers, and regulatory agencies, to facilitate communication and ensure project alignment.
• Manage expectations with clients to ensure project success while forging lasting relationships with the client to promote repeat business.
• Engage with local AHJs to understand requirements and present Sunspear as a partner of the community.

Departmental Management

• Manage an extensive pipeline of PV solar and ESS projects from a diverse portfolio of internal developed and third-party clients.
• Make strategic decisions regarding resource allocation, project prioritization, and risk management, leveraging expertise and input from the project planning team and other key stakeholders.
• Identify and develop future leaders within the project planning team, creating opportunities for advancement and succession planning to ensure continuity of leadership and talent within the organization.
• Take ownership – Develop and build strong teams for each project while delivering quality output, meeting customer expectations, managing to scope, delivering on time, and delivering within budget.

Qualifications and Skills

· Bachelor’s degree in construction management or another related field is preferred;

· Project Management Professional (PMP) certification preferred;

· Minimum of 8 years of experience in engineering or construction;

· Minimum of 3 years of experience in solar project execution in Hawaii;

· Extensive track record of successfully designing and building complex C&I energy projects, preferably in Hawaii or similar domestic US markets, and a demonstrated track record of delivering results;

· Detailed knowledge and understanding of all phases of the renewables power plant development, including engineering, procurement, and construction and project management;

· Experience working with project developers and understanding of the RFP process;

· Have insight to highlight key risk factors and provide and deliver best EPC cost estimates;

· Solid experience with current solar EPC tools and processes, and remain current on best practices and trends in the industry;

· Demonstrated track record of initiating programs that lead to significant cost reduction and/or performance improvement;

· Understanding of solar module manufacturing and O&M experience is a plus;

· Ability to manage and lead large technical organizations, including significant experience managing numerous suppliers and contractors;

· Capability to interact with leadership cross-functionally, both within and outside the organization;

· Have both long-term strategic perspective and near-term action orientation, strong desire to continuously improve and push limits;

· Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills;

· Strong team player with high degree of professionalism in which one conducts self at all times;

· Willingness to travel.

Working Conditions

· Hybrid – Work will be performed from remote, company office, and onsite locations after the onboarding period.

· Inter-island travel may be required (mostly day trips)

· Stationary Position: frequently remains stationary up to 90% of the time and sitting up to 8 hours in a day

· Move/Traverse: infrequently bend, stand, stoop and/or walk

· Carry Weight: infrequently carry weight and/or lift objects (light to heavy) weighing up to 10 pounds

· Hearing and Speech: frequently communicates with the ability to hear and talk on a regular basis with employees, coworkers, and all personnel matters; must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations

· Sight: frequent use of sight to detect images on computer, office documents, and office objects near and far

· Climb: occasionally ascends/descends on stairway to get to office upper and lower floors

· Travel: up to 25% as needed

Why start an exciting career with Sunspear?

· Be part of a fast-growing company (Top 3 in Hawaii for 3 consecutive years), within a fast-growing industry that provides a valuable service of helping clients save money while simultaneously promoting sustainability.

· Company growth opens doors for career advancement, and we love to promote from within.

· A mentorship environment with a strong team of industry veterans to learn from and who will encourage you to be successful!

· Bonuses for sending us referrals!

· We’re a dog-friendly company (dogs can be allowed at the office provided they meet certain requirements)

· As a company, we have built a positive and family-style culture within the organization; we pride ourselves on a fun team atmosphere with result-based incentives.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, we comply with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: TBD, based on experience

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Vision insurance

Ability to Commute:

• Honolulu, HI 96817 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Honolulu, HI 96817: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Willingness to travel:

• 25% (Preferred)

Work Location: In person