utility Scale Development Director

RWE•Chicago, IL

4d•$190,000 - $286,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Development Director, Utility-Scale Development - Central Region at RWE Americas is a senior individual contributor responsible for initiating, developing, and acquiring utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage projects in the United States and Canada. The Director independently leads complex projects and cross-functional project teams from greenfielding through start of construction and supports projects through commercial operation. The role has no direct reports and delivers results by applying advanced development expertise, influencing internal and external stakeholders, and driving alignment with RWE’s North American strategy.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in engineering, business/economics, environmental science, planning, public policy, or a related field; advanced degree preferred
Minimum of 11 years of relevant work experience, including at least 4 years of utility-scale wind, solar, or battery storage development experience in the United States
Demonstrated success independently leading complex, capital-intensive energy or infrastructure projects through multiple development stages
Experience leading multidisciplinary project teams and managing external consultants, advisors, contractors, or strategic partners
Expert knowledge of utility-scale project development, including land acquisition, permitting, interconnection, engineering, preconstruction, stakeholder engagement, commercial structuring, budgeting, forecasting, and risk management
Exceptional project and portfolio management skills, including the ability to establish priorities, drive accountability, and deliver results across multiple complex workstreams
Proven ability to lead through influence, align diverse cross-functional stakeholders, and resolve disagreements without relying on direct reporting authority
Strong financial and commercial acumen, including the ability to assess project economics, development tradeoffs, capital requirements, and risk-adjusted value
Excellent analytical, negotiation, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to develop practical solutions to ambiguous or high-impact issues
Excellent executive communication skills and the ability to translate detailed project information into concise recommendations for senior leadership
Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with landowners, communities, government officials, regulators, utilities, partners, and internal stakeholders from diverse backgrounds
Motivated self-starter who is goal-oriented, detail-oriented, adaptable, and capable of managing multiple priorities independently while contributing effectively as part of a team
Excellent proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams
Ability to travel up to 50%
This position is an office-based role with travel to other RWE Americas offices, project sites, public meetings, and field locations
Must be able to sit, walk, or stand for extended periods of time
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. RWE Americas is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time.

Responsibilities

Develop and oversee utility-scale solar, wind, and energy storage projects from greenfielding through start of construction, with accountability for schedule, budget, risk, and project value
Serve as project lead for complex or high-priority projects, directing large cross-functional teams of internal subject-matter experts and external consultants without direct people-management authority
Manage the full project lifecycle, including site due diligence, land control, environmental review and permitting, interconnection, engineering and preconstruction, energy yield, tax abatements, power marketing, financing support, and readiness for construction
Define project strategy and critical-path priorities by integrating market, transmission, permitting, land, technical, commercial, financial, and stakeholder considerations
Establish and manage project budgets, objectives, schedules, forecasts, decision points, and deliverables; prioritize development spending based on project economics, risk, and market attributes
Lead cost-estimating and EPC-bidding activities in collaboration with Preconstruction, Procurement, Engineering, and Finance to improve cost certainty and support investment decisions
Drive optimization of engineering design, constructability, commercial structure, and other technical and financial levers to strengthen project competitiveness and risk-adjusted returns
Identify, analyze, and resolve high-complexity issues involving land, grid access, permitting, community opposition, project design, commercial terms, or competing priorities, escalating material risks with recommended actions
Lead critical negotiations with landowners, utilities, transmission providers, regulators, governmental entities, consultants, contractors, and strategic partners
Understand the key drivers of project financial attractiveness and identify strong project locations in collaboration with RWE’s commercial, transmission, and technical teams
Lead due diligence for project acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and other transactions in collaboration with RWE’s M&A and functional teams
Prepare executive-level presentations and investment recommendations and drive internal review and approval processes with clear articulation of project value, risks, tradeoffs, and required decisions
Support power marketing, financing, tax-equity, and transaction processes by providing project inputs, coordinating due diligence, and ensuring that development assumptions are accurate and supportable
Provide strategic and technical mentorship to Development Managers, Associates, and other colleagues; guide project work and share expertise without formal supervisory or performance-management responsibility
Actively shape Central Region development strategy and lead internal initiatives that improve development processes, tools, governance, standardization, and portfolio execution
Provide support during construction to resolve development-related issues and help ensure successful commercial operation