Senior Interconnection Manager

The Senior Interconnection Manager owns Highland's utility interconnection and new-service program across a large, fast-moving portfolio of battery energy storage (BESS), edge compute, and EV charging sites. Utility diligence, new service applications, and utility coordination sit on the critical path to a build-ready site — this role is accountable for moving them at portfolio scale and on an aggressive timeline. 

The Senior Interconnection Manager serves as Highland's primary interface with electric utilities, functionally leads the external partners who perform utility diligence and application work, and builds the relationships, playbooks, and standards that make utility engagement faster and more repeatable across every territory Highland develops in. This is a high-ownership program role. The portfolio is comprised of ~100 (and growing) sites in 20 states and major utility partners include ComEd, SCE, Ameren, National Grid, NYSEG, Idaho Power, DTE, Entergy, and El Paso.

The Sr. Interconnection Manager sets the pace on utility workstreams, clears roadblocks with utilities before they threaten project schedules, and keeps utility milestones tracking in parallel with design and permitting so that new electrical service is secured when each site needs it.

This position reports to the Vice President, Development & Construction, with an expectation of approximately 20% travel.

• Own the utility interconnection and new-service program across Highland's development portfolio, from early diligence through energized service.
• Lead utility diligence to confirm each site's buildability from a utility standpoint — available capacity, service voltage, required upgrades, timelines, and costs.
• Prepare and manage new utility service and interconnection applications, driving them through to approval on an aggressive, portfolio-wide schedule.
• Serve as Highland's primary point of contact with electric utilities, managing utility timelines, budgets, and escalations.
• Functionally lead and quality-check the external partners performing utility diligence and application work
• Keep utility workstreams tracking in parallel with design and permitting so that utility milestones feed the design packages on time.
• Manage rate schedule and tariff selection.
• Contribute utility upgrade and service costs to project budgets and support a repeatable unit-cost installation model.
• Build and maintain a repository of utility requirements, processes, and contacts by territory to make each new engagement faster.
• Develop relationships and standardized interconnection playbooks with the utilities Highland works with most.

Required

• Bachelor's degree, or 8 years of directly related professional experience.
• Substantial experience working with electric utilities — interconnection, new service requests, and service upgrades — on the developer, customer, or utility side.
• Program or portfolio management experience coordinating many concurrent projects and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to move utility applications and approvals forward on aggressive timelines.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating phased or partial interconnection agreements with utilities.

Preferred

• Experience with utility interconnection for distributed energy resources (BESS, solar) or large commercial/industrial electrical loads.
• Exposure to EV charging, edge compute/data center power, or renewable energy development.
• Familiarity with interconnection standards and utility processes (e.g., IEEE 1547, utility tariffs, and state interconnection rules).
• Experience working alongside permitting authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) and engineering consultants.
• Prior experience at or embedded with an electric utility; PMP or equivalent certification.