Manager, Project Development

Wärtsilä•Houston, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Wärtsilä is an innovative technology company known for being a forerunner in the Marine and Energy markets. Every day, we – Wärtsilians - put our hearts and minds into turning Wärtsilä's purpose of enabling sustainable societies through innovation in technology and services into reality. Our ultimate aim is to provide increased value to both our customers and society. New, game-changing ideas and continuous improvement have been part of our DNA since 1834. Together, we can create new business opportunities and more sustainable future that we can all be proud of. We want to transition the world towards a decarbonised and sustainable future. By pushing the boundaries of engineering and technology, we can make it work. We are always on the lookout for future-oriented talent – want to join the ride? We are looking for a Manager, Project Development to lead and coordinate the development of gas-fired power generation projects from origination and early-stage development through financial close and handover to execution. In this role, you will help ensure projects are technically feasible, commercially viable, properly de-risked, and investment-ready. You will coordinate key development activities such as permitting, land/site control, environmental approvals, grid connection, commercial agreements, project finance, stakeholder management, and internal governance. The ideal candidate will have experience in project development within the energy sector, preferably in power generation, gas-fired projects, thermal power plants, oil & gas, renewables, utilities, IPPs, or energy infrastructure. Experience across the project lifecycle — from origination and development to financial close, execution handover, or post-development — will be highly valued. You should bring strong commercial and financial acumen, experience managing project risks, and the ability to understand the balance between development budget, project risk, expected return, and execution readiness.

Requirements

4–6+ years of experience in project development, project execution, commercial development, or infrastructure development within the energy sector.
Experience in power generation is highly preferred; experience in oil & gas, renewables, utilities, IPPs, or energy infrastructure may also be considered.
Understanding of the project lifecycle, including origination, development, financial close, execution handover, and/or post-development.
Experience with permitting, regulatory processes, site control, grid connection, EPC contracts, project finance, commercial structuring, or investment cases.
Strong ability to assess and manage project risks, development budgets, and risk-return trade-offs.
Strong stakeholder management, negotiation, and cross-functional coordination skills.

Responsibilities

Lead project development activities from origination through financial close and handover to execution.
Coordinate permitting, land/site control, environmental approvals, regulatory compliance, and grid connection processes.
Support commercial structuring and key project agreements, including PPAs, Fuel Supply Agreements, EPC contracts, O&M agreements, and LTSA contracts.
Contribute to financial modeling, project finance, investment cases, and internal approval processes.
Manage relationships with offtakers, utilities, IPPs, industrial customers, developers, co-development partners, and other key stakeholders.
Identify, track, and mitigate project development risks using structured risk tools, checklists, and mitigation plans.
Work closely with Business Development, Sales Support, Legal, Finance, Engineering, Project Execution, and Operations teams.