Director of Renewable Energy Development

~ Catalyze is a renewable energy developer and independent power producer (IPP) that partners with medium-to-large commercial and industrial real estate groups. We increase property net income and tenant value with renewable, resilient, smart energy infrastructure including solar, storage, electric vehicle charging and microgrids. ~

Catalyze is a growing national company formed from industry veterans in renewable energy development, finance, software, and entrepreneurship. Our cross functional team values collaboration across all positions, and creativity in terms of problem solving. We look for teammates who bring an analytical mindset, critical problem-solving abilities, and willingness to create new ways of doing things that can be replicable and scalable in the market.

We uniquely enable our customers to use that increased income as competitive advantage to expand their property portfolios. Our proprietary origination-to-operations platform supports our partners with optimal site identification and acquisition, energy load estimation, system design, project finance, and asset management.

Catalyze is an equal opportunity employer and all decisions about hiring, promotion, compensation, bonus and discharge are made based on merit and business needs. We don't discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, or sexual identity. We are firm believers in the importance of team and community and use all the latest collaboration and communications tools.

Position Overview

Catalyze is seeking a Director of Renewable Energy Development – Western region (based in the Bay area) to help design, develop, and construct commercial and industrial (C&I) solar, battery storage, and microgrid projects, many with electric vehicle charging. Candidates will report to the VP of Development and are expected to work with our senior executives, sales, and account managers to create meaningful strategies and projects for our commercial real estate customers and partners.

Your Role:

As the Director of Renewable Energy Project Development – Western Region, you will have responsibility for originating, developing, and delivering projects on-time and on-budget. You will collaborate closely with colleagues at all levels of the organization to guide development strategies that will have the greatest customer impact and highest commercial value.

You will work collaboratively and demonstrate a high level of diplomacy with customers, utilities and local communities to create new processes and requirements that result in more effective commercial solution delivery. You will work in partnership with customers to fully understand their business goals in order to provide optimized renewable energy solutions.

In addition, you will translate ideas in the field to enhance our platform's efficiency and productivity through process automation and data analytics.

Responsibilities

• Originate projects with existing and/or new customers
• Project level development to NTP, and project management NTP through to COD
• Create and submit transmission and distribution grid interconnection applications with various utilities in priority markets
• Collaborate with our real estate and C&I partners as well as act individually to obtain building permits and all other non-ministerial ones
• Work closely with account managers to ensure smooth relations and development of parcels with our real estate partners
• Secure and manage power contracts and maximize the project business cases
• Manage a multi-disciplinary team to ensure survey work is completed and necessary permits, real estate, and grid interconnection agreements are secured
• Work collaboratively with the organization's markets and construction teams
• Develop and manage project schedule(s) and ensure that development milestones are met
• Work with partners and key stakeholders to realize key project deliverables and milestones

What You Bring to Catalyze

• Enthusiasm, passion and a relentless desire to make great things happen
• A minimum of five years of C&I renewable energy development experience
• Proficiency in understanding all aspects of solar power development, including siting, interconnection, permitting, construction and financing
• The ability to conceptualize and sell renewable energy solutions
• A deep understanding of utility/energy/grid transformation
• Direct experience in obtaining site control, acquiring interconnection services agreements, and managing equipment supply chains
• Experience with distributed energy projects and/or C&I behind or in front of the meter solar projects
• Experience in MISO, ERCOT, or SWPP is required
• Additional experience in ISO-NE, NY ISO, PJM, CAISO, or others is beneficial
• Experience in developing and delivering battery energy storage systems is highly important as is understanding principles and values in microgrids
• ISO-level battery storage development
• Transmission-level project development in addition to distribution-grid level
• At least one engineering degree is required; an MBA or other advanced cost accounting experience is a plus
• Commercial real estate development experience a plus
• Enterprise software requirements creation and development team participation
• Open to local and national travel 50% or more to meet with real estate partners, energy co-developers, suppliers, and project sites

What Catalyze Brings to You

• Opportunity to play a significant role in transforming an energy industry that is ripe for disruption
• A highly experienced team to collaborate with and learn from
• Ground floor opportunity to build something unique and game-changing
• Excellent benefits, growth opportunities, and equity stake in company
• Flexibility and a voice so that your thoughts and ideas will be heard