Owner's Representative and Project Manager

AFFORDABLE SOLAR GROUP LLC•Albuquerque, NM

22h•Onsite

About The Position

Affordable Solar is a community solar developer and solar contractor based in New Mexico. We develop, build, and manage solar projects that let subscribers, from low-income households to school districts to hospitals to state agencies, save on their electric bills without putting panels on their own roofs. This role owns pre-construction and construction execution for Affordable Solar’s New Mexico community solar portfolio across two phases, with each project at roughly 5 MW AC / 7 MW DC. Phase 1.5 comprises three to seven projects targeting 2027 completion, two of which are under contract today. Phase 2.0 comprises 13 projects now in pre-construction, targeting completion in late 2028 and 2029. This is a hands-on role. You will supervise, coordinate, and review the work of multiple development and construction functions directly with project engineers, environmental firms, utilities, contractors, and others. You will be accountable for execution by managing schedules and deliverables, holding internal teammates and external consultants accountable, and escalating issues before they become critical-path problems. You are expected to understand enough of each discipline to ask the right questions and push a project forward. The right person is organized, comfortable running a project tracker, and enjoys the puzzle of getting a piece of raw land through the New Mexico Community Solar Program and through construction. You can read a site plan, understand a Phase I ESA, motivate others, and keep a dozen moving pieces in a coherent schedule.

Requirements

5–10 years in solar or renewables, with direct exposure to multi-megawatt PV projects in either development or construction.
Hands-on experience driving EPC contractor performance on multi-megawatt PV, schedule, scope, cost, change orders, and milestone tracking, including the temperament to hold a contractor accountable and escalate when needed.
Working knowledge of permitting and utility interconnection processes.
Familiarity with Community Solar Programs.
Ability to read and interpret site civil, electrical, and structural drawings, single-line diagrams, and EPC contract documents.
Strong written communication; able to translate field complexity into concise updates for executives and partners.
Comfort operating in a small-team environment where the work spans development, construction, and stakeholder coordination.
Valid driver’s license; willing and able to travel to New Mexico project sites — roughly 10-20% travel overall, with potential multiple site days per week occasionally during active construction.
Proficiency with project tracking and document tools such as Procore, MS Project or Smartsheet, and Bluebeam.

Nice To Haves

New Mexico permitting, interconnection (PNM, EPE, and Xcel), and Community Solar Program experience.
Experience carrying a project from greenfield through PTO as owner’s representative.
Familiarity with prevailing wage, domestic content, and other ITC adder compliance requirements.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Working under the direction of the Director of Development, the new hire will take on parallel streams of work, absorbing some of the workload on the Phase 2 development pipeline and stepping into execution oversight on the Phase 1.5 construction projects.
Stream A — Project Execution (Phase 1.5): Drive the EPC through to completion across multiple projects running in parallel. Constant, active engagement with the contractor is core to the role, not occasional oversight.
Manage the EPC contractor across all projects with active, daily engagement — set the cadence, hold the schedule, and push for performance.
Oversite of EPC logistics and procurement — confirm equipment is ordered on time, long-lead items are followed, and on-site staging supports the construction schedule.
Hold the contractor to construction schedules, milestones, and contractual obligations; identify gaps early, drive resolution, and escalate promptly when schedule or budget is at risk.
Inspect installation quality and verify conformance to design, specifications, and Affordable Solar’s asset standards.
Support utility interconnection coordination through energization, witness testing, and PTO for each project.
Troubleshoot field issues and unblock the contractor where Affordable Solar can add value.
Provide regular status reporting to internal stakeholders covering schedule, budget, risk, and decisions needed.
Hand off each completed, PTO’d, interconnected project to the asset owner and to the community solar acquisition and New Mexico asset management teams.
Stream B — Project Setup toward Notice to Proceed (NTP) (Phase 2): Support the Director of Development on projects from development through a complete NTP package — site studies, permitting, interconnection, and engineering — so that each project is ready to break ground on schedule.
Scope, solicit, and manage site studies — Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), cultural resource and archaeological surveys, wetlands delineations, threatened and endangered species reviews, geotechnical investigations, ALTA surveys, and any additional diligence required by the interconnecting utility, program administrator, or financing party.
Track the utility interconnection process with PNM, EPE, and applicable New Mexico cooperatives.
Track study application timelines and review feasibility, system impact, and facilities study results with engineering.
Support the Director of Development on completing an NTP package for the EPC team. This includes executed site control, all non-ministerial permits and approvals, signed interconnection agreement with known costs and schedule, IFC engineering drawings, equipment procurement status, and a documented list of outstanding items.
Work with engineering and procurement to drive project equipment selections based on price and availability.