Manager, Supply Chain – Solar

Apex Clean Energy•Charlottesville, VA

17d•Onsite

About The Position

Apex Clean Energy is hiring a Manager or Senior Manager, depending on experience, to help build and lead procurement capabilities for utility-scale solar equipment. The role is part of the Strategic Procurement team and covers major equipment categories from technology selection and supplier negotiations through delivery. The successful candidate will build new programs and processes, working at the intersection of engineering, commercial negotiation, and supply chain while collaborating across technologies as priorities shift. The position leads solar equipment procurement programs and contracting, with a particular focus on establishing and running tracker procurement. It also supports site-specific equipment selection, compliance and market intelligence, supplier risk management, delivery oversight, and broader procurement team initiatives. The role works with teams including Solar Design, Engineering & Construction, Asset Management, Legal, Tax, Finance, Insurance, EPC partners, and suppliers. This is a full-time, exempt position in the Strategic Procurement department, based in Charlottesville, Virginia. Travel is 15–20% for supplier factories, project sites, and industry events. The work environment includes indoor office and outdoor settings, occasionally at night and in inclement weather; extended hours may be required to complete scheduled repairs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Economics, Business, or a related field.
At least 5 years of relevant work experience, including at least 2 years in utility-scale renewable energy with a developer, IPP, EPC, or equipment manufacturer.
Working knowledge of utility-scale solar equipment, such as trackers, modules, and inverters, and how it interacts with site design, energy yield, and construction.
Experience negotiating or supporting equipment supply agreements, including commercial and legal terms.
Strong financial and analytical skills, including advanced Excel skills and the ability to build bid comparisons and evaluate cost, schedule, and risk tradeoffs.
Clear written and verbal communication skills and the ability to influence stakeholders and senior leaders without direct authority.
Self-starter comfortable with ambiguity, shifting priorities, and building processes where none exist.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or MBA in Engineering, Supply Chain, Economics, or a related field.
At least 5 years of renewable energy experience, including direct experience procuring or supplying solar equipment through a developer, IPP, EPC, or manufacturer.
Experience with solar tracker or racking systems.
Experience leading technology review and contracting for utility-scale renewable energy equipment, including owner-furnished equipment or multi-project framework agreements.
Experience with solar module procurement, testing, or quality assurance.
Familiarity with Domestic Content, FEOC, and tariff compliance for solar equipment.
Structural, mechanical, or civil engineering background, or experience with geotechnical and pile considerations.
Experience with coding, data tools, or building AI-enabled tools.

Responsibilities

Build and operate solar equipment procurement programs, including decision workflows, roles, stage-gate timing, templates, and tools.
Develop weighted vendor-selection frameworks covering bankability, supply-chain compliance, price and payment terms, technology, reliability, warranties, and engineering support.
Create supplier risk-ranking methods and vendor engagement models, define program metrics, and report progress to procurement leadership.
Negotiate and execute volume commitment agreements, framework or master supply agreements, and purchase orders for solar equipment such as modules, trackers, and inverters.
Structure commercial terms involving volume and capacity reservations, deposits, price locks and commodity indexation, payment schedules, delivery flexibility, liquidated damages, and warranties.
Ensure equipment terms and pricing flow down appropriately into EPC agreements, and partner with Legal, Tax, Finance, and Insurance on contract structure, compliance exhibits, and risk allocation.
Establish and run the solar tracker procurement program, negotiating and managing volume commitment and framework agreements with tracker suppliers.
Select site-specific tracker technologies based on terrain, wind, hail, geotechnical conditions, and automation, in alignment with internal teams and EPC partners.
Coordinate site-specific equipment selection and supplier design iterations from early layout through final design, including extreme-weather mitigation and yield-enhancing technologies.
Support equipment compatibility reviews, bankability assessments, independent engineer diligence, and insurance diligence.
Support sourcing equipment that meets Domestic Content and FEOC requirements, including supplier documentation and compliance exhibits.
Monitor solar equipment markets, steel and commodity pricing, tariffs, trade cases, policy changes, supplier financial health, manufacturing footprint, and capacity; translate findings into procurement recommendations.
Build supplier relationships at operational, commercial, and executive levels and oversee production schedules, factory QA/QC, third-party audits, delivery logistics, and supply-issue resolution through commissioning.
Manage purchase requisitions, change orders, invoice reconciliation, and warranty or technical support escalations.
Support solar module procurement, including supply agreements, technical exhibits, testing requirements, and delivery coordination.
Assist with other technologies and initiatives as needed, including inverters, storage, and project assurance.
Help create shared processes, playbooks, and document libraries using tools such as Smartsheet and Procore, and identify opportunities to use automation and AI tools.