Director of Solar Operations

Job Description:

• Lead the safe, reliable, compliant, and cost-effective operation of Onward Energy's solar fleet totaling over 1,800 MWdc across 36 facilities
• Provide leadership for a team of approximately 45 employees
• Achieve fleet safety, availability, reliability, production, maintenance, and financial objectives
• Champion fleet-wide safety performance, incident prevention, corrective action programs, and continuous improvement initiatives
• Maintain accountability for operational performance, contractual obligations, regulatory requirements, and budget performance
• Establish fleet performance objectives and drive initiatives that improve asset reliability and operational results
• Lead operational readiness, emergency response, and business continuity activities
• Lead, coach, and develop geographically dispersed managers, supervisors, and technicians
• Build a high-performing organization through talent development, succession planning, workforce planning, and performance management
• Drive fleet-wide reliability and performance improvement through data analysis, root cause analysis, standardization, and best-practice sharing
• Support new technologies, predictive maintenance strategies, and operational excellence programs
• Develop and manage fleet operating and maintenance budgets
• Drive cost optimization while maintaining safety, reliability, and compliance standards
• Evaluate and recommend capital investments, major maintenance activities, life-cycle replacements, and strategic improvement projects
• Support business planning and provide operational input for long-term asset strategies
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to maximize asset value
• Provide fleet performance reporting, strategic recommendations, and operational updates to executive leadership
• Support acquisitions, integrations, new asset onboarding, and other strategic initiatives

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or related discipline required; equivalent experience may substitute for degree requirements
• MBA or advanced degree preferred
• 10+ years of power generation operations experience, including significant utility-scale solar experience
• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience managing multi-site operations and teams
• At least 5 years leading an organization through subordinate managers across a broad geography
• Demonstrated success building strong safety cultures and developing high-performing organizations
• Strong knowledge of solar operations, maintenance, reliability, budgeting, compliance, and contractor management
• Proven ability to drive operational performance improvements through data-driven decision making and continuous improvement
• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills
• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance operational priorities and financial objectives
• Strong proficiency in MS Office Suite, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Must be able to accomplish physical requirements with or without reasonable accommodation
• Ability to stand, walk, talk, hear, and close and distance vision capability
• Ability to sit, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, and/or crouch
• Ability to lift and/or move up to 20 pounds
• Valid U.S. driver's license with acceptable MVR history
• Ability to travel regularly, up to 45%
• Full-time authorization to work in the United States; no visa sponsorship

Benefits:

• Market competitive compensation
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Retirement savings benefits
• Reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process