Senior Development Engineer - Utility-Scale Renewable Energy

Zelestra is driving global decarbonization with innovative, large-scale renewable energy solutions. They are seeking a Senior Development Engineer to lead and support the technical and engineering aspects of utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage projects, focusing on production modeling and strategic project objectives.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and conduct solar production modeling for internal financial scenarios and independent engineering assessments
• Serve as a subject matter expert in solar production modeling using PVSyst and post-processing models
• Lead the development and review of engineering timelines to achieve stated project milestones
• Create, review, and approve engineering scopes of work for design, hydrology, geotechnical, environmental, and related technical studies; manage timelines to ensure delivery within schedule and budget
• Lead and support technical assessments of solar PV, energy storage, and wind projects, including constraint analysis, constructability reviews, desktop analysis, and due diligence
• Lead, support, and perform technical activities for utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage projects from site identification through late-stage development and early construction readiness
• Conduct and review site studies for fatal flaws, including geotechnical, hydrology, environmental surveys, and related development risks
• Engage with cross-functional teams to support land acquisition, environmental, permitting, site layout, long-lead procurement, transmission, and interconnection activities
• Lead and conduct site visits to evaluate technical aspects of projects, define site characteristics, assess constructability, and develop relationships with local stakeholders
• Utilize AI in day-to-day activities to increase efficiency and productivity for assigned tasks

Requirements:

• Minimum of 5 years of engineering experience, including at least 2 years in utility-scale renewable energy
• Bachelor's degree in Civil, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or a related engineering field required; master's degree in an engineering field desirable
• Deep understanding of 10% / 30% / 60% / IFC design drawings and development-to-construction design processes for solar and energy storage projects
• Experience supporting development, engineering, procurement, construction, permitting, project finance, and/or M&A diligence for utility-scale renewable projects
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical workstreams, influence cross-functional teams, and provide guidance to peers without direct reporting authority
• Knowledge of renewable energy technical standards and practices, with ability to stay current with changing technologies, regulations, and trends
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Bluebeam, PV design tools, production modeling tools, and related engineering software required
• Daily AI user experienced in generative AI, prompt engineering, automation, research, content creation, and data-driven insights to boost productivity and outcomes
• Existing professional relationships with renewable energy technical providers preferred