Now Hiring: Solar Project Development Manager

Reports to: Director of Real Estate Development

Position Status: FT, Exempt

Salary: based on related skills & experience.

Base salary starts at $73,000, commensurate with experience. Additional opportunities for bonuses up to 5% of base salary.

Office in Charlottesville, VA. This position is a hybrid role.

ABOUT PIEDMONT HOUSING ALLIANCE

Piedmont Housing Alliance’s mission is to create affordable housing opportunities and foster community through education, lending, and development. We are the backbone affordable housing organization in the region and operate through a collaborative approach as evidenced through a broad range of partnerships from new housing development to recently jointly opening Charlottesville’s first Financial Opportunity Center. Our work reflects our core values of Equity, Opportunity, Home, Community, and Respect. Over the last five years, Piedmont Housing has increasingly deepened its focus on racial equity as a primary lens for the organization’s work – internally, programmatically, and through advocacy - and we strive to become an anti-racist organization.

We define anti-racism as a practice – a continual, active effort to identify, evaluate, and dismantle the beliefs and structures that perpetuate racism. 

POSITION SUMMARY

We believe in equitable access to clean energy and therefore have embarked upon integrating solar energy with our existing property portfolio, as well as participating in Community Solar opportunities. To lead our solar energy initiatives, we are looking for a self-motivated, entrepreneurial person who thinks out-of-the-box and is passionate about enabling solar energy investments in affordable housing. The Solar Project Development Manager is responsible for managing the entire development process of solar energy related opportunities for Piedmont Housing Alliance.

The position will report to the Executive Director, allowing cross-collaboration with the Director of Real Estate Development and the Director of the Piedmont Community Land Trust (PCLT) creating permanently affordable homeownership opportunities.

Piedmont Housing Alliance is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a team that uplifts and values inclusive policies and equitable practices. Candidates of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities are encouraged to apply.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

● Identify, develop, and execute solar energy related opportunities for the Piedmont Housing Alliance portfolio

● Understand the technology, installation, and financial/tax aspects of a solar investment

● Be able to develop the concept and initial financial model for the solar investment

● Produce bid documents for the project(s) to invite installation proposals

● Set up bid selection criteria; be able to negotiate pricing, design, and other aspects of a project with bidders; respond to bidder's questions

● Oversee the complete installation and interconnection process, as well as the submission of forms related to tax credits, and solar credits (SRECs or similar)

● Ensure that the systems are producing as expected and are being serviced as per the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) contract

● Convert solar production into environmental attributes (e.g. trees planted, cars off the road, clean energy per household/person, etc.) for PHA staff to use in presentations, reports, websites, etc.

● Work in a multidisciplinary team

● Write grant applications to secure funding from a variety of sources

● Cultivate productive, positive, professional working relationships with the development community, lenders, various levels of government, and other public, private and non-profit partners.

● Develop, lead, and maintain knowledge of the Solar Development practices, including evaluating all decisions through a J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) lens.

● Perform other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Ability to successfully manage and deliver multi-faceted projects; demonstrated ability in project management, including coordinating teams and managing schedules, tasks and construction.

• Prior experience in solar business.

• Strong working knowledge of affordable housing development and finance.

• Ability to analyze information, evaluate opportunities, and recommend a course of action.

• Team player with excellent interpersonal skills, who interacts productively and positively with other members of the Piedmont Housing Alliance team.

• Strong communication skills, with ability to make presentations to residents, neighbors, civic leaders, government and funders.

• Ability to meaningfully engage with issues of racial equity and inclusion.

• Detail-oriented; able to plan, prioritize, and organize multiple projects concurrently.

• Capacity to adapt to change.

• Self-motivated, with an ability to work both independently and within a team setting.

• Proficient in computer software, including Word, Excel, and Power Point.

• Strong work ethic, integrity, and good judgment.

QUALIFICATIONS

While this position leads several vital areas of our work, it is not our expectation that candidates have a mastery across all areas; instead, we encourage candidates to apply who have self-awareness and humility around areas they will need to grow in and the motivation and aptitude to lead the learning required to hit the ground running.

· A minimum of 3 years of solar project development experience, preferably with affordable housing.

CONDITIONS FOR EMPLOYMENT

· Successful completion of a criminal background check and 10-panel drug screen.

· This position requires the willingness and ability to travel within the service region (Charlottesville city and Albemarle, Nelson, Fluvanna, Greene, and Louisa Counties).

· Candidates must own or consistently have a vehicle available for use for local and out-of-area travel as needed.

BENEFITS OVERVIEW

Piedmont Housing offers a highly competitive salary and benefits package which includes:

· Generous Paid Time Off

o Four weeks PTO (sick vacation); goes to five weeks after two years of employment.

o One extra PTO day on (or near) an employee’s birthday

o 11 paid holidays

o ½-day Fridays during the summer months

o Four weeks of parental leave (birth or adoption)

· Opportunity for merit-based bonuses

· Retirement

o 3% salary contribution to 403B by PHA

o Match up to 2%

· Medical

o Paid medical dental insurance for employee

o Dependent Care FSA

· Training/Coaching

o Access to regular, paid training/travel opportunities through NeighborWorks Training Institutes (and other national intermediaries) as well as Virginia-specific opportunities to support skills and career development.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $73,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan

Experience level:

• 3 years

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Charlottesville, VA 22901