Senior Director of Construction and Operations, IPP

New Leaf Energy, Inc. • Lowell, MA

8d • $212,320 - $245,995 • Hybrid

About The Position

New Leaf Energy's Power Plants division is seeking a Senior Director of Construction and Operations to provide end-to-end operational leadership and executive oversight for their growing portfolio of solar PV, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and community wind projects. This role is responsible for managing EPC construction within scope, schedule, and budget, and for overseeing third-party vendors handling physical plant operations, technical maintenance, and financial services. The position requires a comprehensive understanding of renewable energy project lifecycles, from construction execution through commercial operation and into the operational phase.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive renewable energy experience, combining hands-on construction project delivery or EPC management with clean energy asset operations leadership at an owner/developer level.
• Demonstrated success managing multi-project portfolios, EPC procurement strategies, RFP evaluations, contractor selections, and cross-functional project teams.
• Deep understanding of project finance structures, lender requirements, tax equity frameworks, independent engineer (IE) processes, operational debt covenants, and financial statements.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, Finance, Business Administration, or an equivalent technical field.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced business degrees (MBA) or specialized asset management certifications are highly valued.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership-level oversight of active construction execution across all active projects within the portfolio.
• Own portfolio-level cost, schedule, and contingency management from construction kickoff through commercial operation date (COD) to ensure projects are delivered predictably and in alignment with capital plans.
• Partner with Sr. Director of Pre-Construction to ensure EPC construction contracts are structured, negotiated, and administered to preserve project value and baseline constructability assumptions.
• From EPC agreement execution, lead project delivery teams and direct project managers responsible for executing day-to-day site construction activities, scheduling, and commissioning milestones.
• Set clear expectations for safety leadership across all active EPCs and subcontractors, empowering project managers and field teams to strictly enforce safety protocols.
• Act as the primary commercial and operational point of contact for external turnkey operators and asset management providers, establishing and monitoring Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Oversee external partners executing routine preventive, predictive, and corrective maintenance.
• Direct third-party technical teams navigating complex equipment warranty claims with equipment manufacturers and battery integrators to minimize plant downtime and long-term maintenance costs.
• Analyze long-term asset performance data, localized degradation, and plant availability trends to formulate the annual operational master plan.
• Co-lead the development of annual project-level operating budgets (OpEx) alongside senior leadership; analyze and defend monthly and year-end actual-vs-budget variance reporting for both construction and operational phases.
• Manage external financial asset managers to deliver accurate reporting for capital partners and maintain programmatic oversight over all FERC, NERC, and regional ISO/RTO regulatory compliance deadlines.
• Coordinate project-level tax preparation and ITC recordkeeping while managing portfolio insurance renewals, bonding requirements, and auditing asset cloud security and disaster recovery protocols.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental and vision
• A 401k plan with immediate vesting and a company match (100% of the first three percent of your pay; 50% for the next two percent you contribute)
• An open and self-managed paid time-off policy
• A hybrid work location policy that supports working from home for part of the week
• A parental leave policy for both birthing and non-birthing parents, available immediately upon hire
• Professional development and education assistance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior