Energy & Utility Consulting Manager

Sargent & Lundy•Chicago, IL

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role offers a hybrid work arrangement. You'll spend three days a week in the office, giving you the flexibility to work remotely for two days. The Sargent & Lundy Consulting (SLC) group provides comprehensive technical, financial, and strategic advisory services for energy sector clients, including utilities, independent power producers (IPPs), project developers, lenders, investors, government agencies, and system operators. As part of our team, you will help clients navigate the energy transition from new generation and grid modernization to data center energy campus development and strategic planning. You will lead high-impact projects, collaborate with industry-leading technical experts, and build a career in energy and infrastructure consulting. In this role, you will help clients define and execute strategies for new and existing power projects and support clients with improving their business operations. You’ll lead multidisciplinary teams that combine consulting and engineering expertise to deliver rigorous analysis and practical recommendations. This position will require a great deal of interaction with power project developers, utilities, investors, legal advisors, and financial institutions during the execution of consulting services work for the firm. Key responsibilities may include: Leading strategic planning consulting projects, including market, technology, and policy assessments. Leading and contributing to project economic and cost analyses, risk assessments, and contracting strategies. Managing technical due diligence and owner’s engineering reviews for power and energy projects, including reviewing deliverables such as reports and studies. Providing client program and project management support, including improving governance, business processes, controls, and stakeholder alignment. Developing conceptual plans in coordination with Sargent & Lundy’s technical teams to meet clients’ needs. Preparing and presenting project implementation strategies and plans to client executives and project teams. Translating complex technical findings into clear, client-ready deliverables, including presentations and written reports. Leading discrete workstreams within larger client engagements. Coordinating day‑to-day activities of junior team members, providing clear instruction including technical approaches, and managing hours and work performed to budget and scope. Developing staff expertise through training and mentoring. Contributing to business development, including proposal preparation and client relationship building. The successful candidate will bring prior consulting experience, strong analytical skills, and energy-sector knowledge to help clients navigate an evolving energy landscape. You will lead projects involving utility planning and advisory, new generation portfolio development, grid modernization, and new energy campus planning, with exposure to both technical details and executive-level decisions. This is a full-time, client-facing position with extensive exposure to technical experts across the firm.

Requirements

We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.
Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, or civil engineering (other engineering disciplines or finance/economics may be considered) with 15 or more years of experience in the power industry.
Experience and technical knowledge in multiple power generation technologies.
Experience managing teams of engineers and/or consultants.
Prior management consulting or advisory experience with a consulting firm, advisory practice, or consulting role within an engineering firm or energy company, including direct client interaction and responsibility for analytical work products.
Demonstrated experience working with electric or gas utilities, independent power producers, project developers, grid operators, or energy investors.
Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, including comfort working with quantitative models, large data sets, and financial or economic analysis.
Proven ability to produce clear, well‑structured deliverables (Excel models, PowerPoint decks, and written reports) and to communicate complex topics to non‑technical audiences.
Experience leading client meetings, workshops, or presentations; comfort engaging directly with client stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines in a fast-paced, project-based consulting environment.
High level of initiative, ownership, and accountability, with a track record of delivering quality work products with limited supervision.

Nice To Haves

Experience in technical due diligence and owner’s engineering design reviews of power projects.
Understanding of power plant operations and performance, including key operational and financial drivers.
Understanding of electric utility business models, planning processes, and operations.
Experience with economic evaluation, cost analysis, and contract development (e.g., PPAs, EPC contracts, O&M agreements).

Responsibilities

Leading strategic planning consulting projects, including market, technology, and policy assessments.
Leading and contributing to project economic and cost analyses, risk assessments, and contracting strategies.
Managing technical due diligence and owner’s engineering reviews for power and energy projects, including reviewing deliverables such as reports and studies.
Providing client program and project management support, including improving governance, business processes, controls, and stakeholder alignment.
Developing conceptual plans in coordination with Sargent & Lundy’s technical teams to meet clients’ needs.
Preparing and presenting project implementation strategies and plans to client executives and project teams.
Translating complex technical findings into clear, client-ready deliverables, including presentations and written reports.
Leading discrete workstreams within larger client engagements.
Coordinating day‑to-day activities of junior team members, providing clear instruction including technical approaches, and managing hours and work performed to budget and scope.
Developing staff expertise through training and mentoring.
Contributing to business development, including proposal preparation and client relationship building.