The Director of Project Development will lead urban solar and energy storage projects, managing client coordination, permitting, and internal collaboration to ensure projects are ready for construction.
Location Preferences:
Denver, CO (preferred)
Chicago, IL
Baltimore, MD
Remote in the US will be considered
ROLE OVERVIEW
The Director, Project Development, will lead the execution of solar and solar + energy storage projects located in urban, commercial, and infrastructure-adjacent settings. This role exists at the intersection of Pivot’s Corporate Clean Energy Solutions (“CCES”), Project Development – Origination (“PD-O”), and Project Development – Execution (“PD-E”) teams, serving as the dedicated owner of post-contract development execution for built-environment projects across all origination teams. This hire is the foundational step in Pivot’s evolving development execution organizational structure, tasked with establishing excellence in built-environment and storage project execution, just as Pivot has done with its traditional greenfield portfolio
As Pivot’s commercial pipeline continues to grow, particularly in urban settings, this role ensures that the full development scope—including site diligence, zoning approval/discretionary permitting, technical coordination, and stakeholder engagement—is consistently managed within PD-E’s specialized processes. The Director will take over primary responsibility for PD-E’s scope following contract or LOI signature, allowing CCES to remain focused on business development, client relationships, origination, and early-stage analysis.
This successful candidate will be responsible for managing client coordination, permitting strategy, interconnection, discretionary approvals, site use documentation, consultant coordination, and internal handoffs. Success in this role requires strong organizational skills, comfort navigating complex jurisdictional environments (often with ambiguous or non-existent paths to permits/approvals), and the ability to manage multiple high-touch projects with clear communication and attention to detail. The Director will collaborate closely with internal teams (CCES, Engineering, Preconstruction, Project Management, Legal/Title, Structured Finance) and external stakeholders (site/building owners, permitting authorities, vendors) to move projects efficiently from contract to construction readiness.
This role will lead site diligence and permitting for renewable energy generation facilities, and other major capital development projects, including battery energy storage systems (“BESS”), reflecting Pivot’s growing investment in storage expertise. It is a high-impact role designed for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment and is excited to help scale Pivot’s work in the built environment.
- Serve as the PD-E lead for all built-environment projects—including carports, rooftop solar, and energy storage—following LOI or contract execution
- Support the evolution of PD-E’s built-environment/storage execution team, including mentoring, process-building, and eventual direct people management responsibilities.
- Co-lead development kick-off meetings with clients in conjunction with CCES
- Manage and execute the full scope of development tasks post-handoff from CCES, ensuring projects remain on schedule, de-risked, and ready for construction
- Conduct and coordinate site-specific due diligence, including structural analyses, title review, ALTA/site surveys, floodplain studies, FAA/SHPO reviews, and zoning assessments
- Develop permitting strategies tailored to urban and infrastructure-adjacent settings; prepare and submit for zoning permits, administrative approvals, and discretionary land use permits
- Lead coordination with municipal permitting departments, zoning officials, property managers, and other local authorities
- Oversee third-party consultants responsible for geotech, structural, civil, and electrical assessments, ensuring scopes are aligned with urban deployment requirements
- Identify and address long-lead permitting or interconnection items to reduce schedule delays
- Maintain accurate project schedules and documentation using Pivot’s project management platforms (e.g., Smartsheet, Sitetracker)
- Represent Pivot at internal and external handoff meetings, translating project requirements clearly between CCES, Engineering, Preconstruction, Project Management, and other stakeholders
- Own the development-to-construction handoff process, ensuring all diligence and permitting deliverables are complete, organized, and actionable
- Support the development of standardized processes and internal documentation for urban project execution, helping scale institutional knowledge across the PD-E team
REQUIRED COMPETENCIES
- 4+ years of direct experience in urban-setting renewable energy development (rooftop, carport, or similar), with demonstrated experience in developing BESS projects (either standalone or storage-coupled)
- Excellent communication and public relations skills, and a positive attitude to enhance the company’s reputation through interpersonal interactions
- Experience managing or mentoring junior developers or consultants, with the ability to build out and lead a team as the function grows.
- Comfort speaking in public while presenting Pivot project concepts to recommending and decision-making bodies
- Strong understanding of municipal planning, land use/zoning, and permitting processes
- Comfort in ambiguity, particularly in settings in which no obvious solution or path forward exists
- Naturally persuasive personality, ability to quickly develop strong personal rapport, and willingness to lead partners to solutions even when there isn’t a consensus on the best path forward
- Relentless drive and focus on solutions; ability to chart a path forward when others would give up
- Ability to anticipate project requirements and address long-lead time items to limit schedule slip
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, and ability to communicate complex concepts within and outside of Pivot, including to C-Suite executives
PREFERRED COMPETENCIES
- Self-starter who can work with minimal supervision and who is not afraid to ask questions and take on tasks outside of their comfort zone
- Ability to prioritize tasks and manage complex evaluation processes for a significant number of sites to inform sound project siting and related project decision making
- Understanding of real estate title, LLCs, tax maps, deeds, and parcel identification
- Ability to multitask, maintain flexibility, and work independently with minimal supervision
- Strong computer skills in all basic programs, Microsoft Office Suite, Google Earth, and ArcGIS are preferred
- Valid driver’s license and ability to drive to sites and permitting authorities
- Ability to travel up to 50% of the time, make own travel arrangements, and be self-reliant
Recruitment Agency Notice:
We appreciate your interest in partnering with us; however, we are not seeking recruitment agency support for this role.
ABOUT PIVOT
Pivot Energy is a national renewable energy provider that develops, finances, builds, owns, and manages solar and energy storage projects that help decarbonize our nation’s electricity, increase equitable access to clean energy for local communities, and provide real cost-savings to American businesses and
families.
We are fiercely dedicated to accelerating the rapid transition taking place in the energy industry to a more decentralized and cleaner approach to power generation. We are committed to positively contributing to the local communities and people we serve with more than clean energy. We believe global warming poses an existential threat to our planet and that we have a responsibility to help mitigate the threat. Our portfolio includes projects that reduce energy burden for income-limited families, create workforce pathways for under-represented groups within the solar industry, and include robust community investment opportunities.
As a Certified B Corporation and one of Denver’s “Best Places to Work”, we believe that company success is driven by a healthy environment, thriving society, and workplace where all individuals are respected. We evaluate every internal decision on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors to determine if our actions will result in a net positive impact on the community, our employees, customers, shareholders, and the environment. Learn more in our annual ESG Report.
At Pivot, our core values guide our work internally and externally:
· Impact – We hold ourselves accountable to having a measurable impact on our people, communities, and the planet
· Balance – Put family first; work hard/have fun
· Determination – Find ways to be successful no matter how difficult the challenge
· Professionalism – Impress everyone we touch, be a team player
· Honesty – Be truthful and transparent, externally and internally
· Kindness – Create an environment where kindness, empathy, and vulnerability are embraced
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION and JUSTICE STATEMENT
At Pivot, we are proactively developing and maintaining an inclusive culture, rooted in mutual respect, that supports a workforce of different generations, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, ability statuses, religions, and cultures to work collaboratively together for greater impact. We seek to build a team that invests in relationship building, celebrates each other’s successes, and makes space for the unique contributions and working styles people bring into Pivot.
Pivot invests in company-wide trainings, assessments, and programs to advance internal inclusion and equity practices, such as employee allyship building, cross-cultural communications, and equitable hiring and management protocols to increasingly recognize bias and ensure mutual respect and belonging.
EEO STATEMENT
Pivot Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce. We actively work to cultivate an inclusive culture that welcomes, empowers, and enables equitable career growth for employees regardless of background.
Top Skills
Arcgis
Google Earth
Microsoft Office Suite
Sitetracker
Smartsheet
Pivot Energy Denver, Colorado, USA Office
Located right across the street from Union Station, our Denver HQ is at the heart of lower downtown Denver, accessible by public transit within walking distance to hotels, restaurants, the Rockies Stadium and Ball Arena.
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