Director, Execution Management

Avantus•San Diego, CA

11h•Hybrid

About The Position

Avantus is looking for a Director, Execution Management to serve as the execution owner for one or more utility-scale solar and battery storage projects in our active portfolio. This is a high-accountability, high-visibility role at the center of how we deliver projects. The Director joins a project approximately two months prior to Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) execution — the point at which a project transitions from development into active delivery planning. From that moment through construction mobilization and financial close, the Director is the phase lead: the person responsible for the integrated execution picture across engineering, procurement, construction, finance, legal, interconnection, and commercial. Avantus is an Independent Power Producer — we develop projects to own and operate them. That distinction matters for this role. The Director is not simply managing a delivery process; they are stewarding an asset that Avantus will operate for decades. Decisions made during pre-construction and execution have long-term consequences for plant performance, operational cost, and asset value. The right candidate brings an owner’s mentality: they think beyond NTP, ask how today’s decisions affect tomorrow’s operations, and hold the integrated picture with that lens in mind. This is not a traditional project management role. The Director leads through influence across a highly matrixed organization, holding cross-functional accountability without direct authority over every function. Success requires operational rigor, strong communication, the ability to identify risks before they surface, and the credibility to drive alignment across senior stakeholders. The Execution Management team is the integration layer across Avantus’s project delivery organization. We succeed through influence, rigor, and an ownership mentality. The right candidate is equally comfortable in a detail-heavy schedule review and in an executive briefing — and thrives in environments where the path forward is not always fully defined. At Avantus, we develop projects to own them. That means every member of the EM team is expected to think like an owner — not just a delivery manager. The assets we are building today will be operating for 30+ years. The decisions made during execution set the foundation for that performance, and we take that responsibility seriously.

Requirements

10+ years of cross-functional project management experience, with at least 5 years in utility-scale renewable energy development and/or construction
Demonstrated ability to own integrated project schedules, manage critical path, and drive accountability across multiple functions simultaneously
Strong financial acumen: fluency in project cash flows, budget management, financial liability schedules, and executive-level reporting
Deep familiarity with utility-scale EPC contracting, major equipment procurement, project financing, and the full project delivery lifecycle
Technical proficiency in MS Project and MS Excel; PowerPoint proficiency required for executive-level reporting and stakeholder communication
Understanding of the interrelationships between PV, high-voltage, and BESS milestones and how they affect schedule
Proven ability to lead through influence in matrixed environments — driving alignment and accountability without direct authority
Clear, precise communicator with the ability to synthesize complex information for executive audiences
Owner’s mindset: you think about the full lifecycle of an asset, not just the delivery milestone in front of you
Proactive, ownership-oriented approach — you ask the questions no one else is asking and escalate before problems become crises

Nice To Haves

Primavera P6 proficiency — valuable for schedule integration with construction contractors who use it as a primary tool
Deep contractual knowledge: familiarity with EPC, balance of plant, and major equipment contract structures, including risk allocation and change order management in a utility-scale solar context
IPP ownership and operating experience — prior work within an owner/operator organization with exposure to how pre-construction decisions affect long-term plant performance, O&M planning, and asset management
Project finance experience across the full capital stack: construction debt, permanent debt, tax equity, and back-leverage; candidates who have supported a project through financial close understand the documentation, timing, and coordination demands that come with it
PMP certification or equivalent formal project management qualification
Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related technical field

Responsibilities

Own the integrated execution plan: Develop and maintain the project’s integrated schedule, owning the critical path and managing cross-functional dependencies from pre-PPA through mobilization.
Lead project kickoff meetings and stage-gate reviews, ensuring all functions are aligned on scope, schedule, budget, and key milestones.
Maintain a realistic, up-to-date execution baseline — and flag deviations early.
Ensure pre-construction decisions are made with long-term operability, maintainability, and asset performance in mind.
Drive cross-functional coordination: Serve as the primary integration point across Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Finance, Legal, Interconnection, and Commercial.
Identify gaps between functions before they become schedule or commercial problems.
Facilitate issue resolution across teams; escalate to executive leadership when required.
Maintain “no surprises” communication — surfacing risks, options, and recommendations proactively.
Coordinate early with Construction Management, O&M, and Asset Management to ensure operational requirements are incorporated during pre-construction, not retrofitted after.
Manage financial and commercial execution: Develop and maintain project budgets, cash flow forecasts, and financial liability schedules.
Track expenditures, identify cost risks, and report to senior management with accuracy and clarity.
Ensure execution assumptions remain aligned with commercial commitments and financing requirements.
Support financial close readiness across construction debt, permanent debt, tax equity, and back-leverage structures as applicable.
Track procurement and long-lead items: Monitor the status of major equipment procurement and EPC contracting activities.
Identify procurement risks that could affect schedule or budget and develop mitigation strategies.
Coordinate with the Procurement team on supplier milestones, delivery schedules, and contract close-out.
Manage risk and reporting: Maintain a living risk register; proactively identify issues no one else is asking about.
Prepare executive-level reporting on project status, risks, and milestone progress.
Support portfolio-level visibility and contribute to EM team governance and process improvement.