Manager - Solar Project Development

 DTE is one of the nation’s largest diversified energy companies. Our electric and gas companies have fueled our customer’s homes and Michigan’s progress for more than a century. And as Michigan’s largest source of renewable energy, we’re creating a cleaner, healthier environment to power our future. We’re also serving communities beyond Michigan, where our affiliated businesses offer renewable energy, emission control technologies, and energy services to industries in 19 states.
 

But we’re more than a leading energy company... and working at DTE is more than just a job. At DTE, we take great care of each other and our customers, and we use our energy to be a force for growth and prosperity in our communities.  When you join us, you’ll be part of a team that welcomes, recognizes, and celebrates differences and values everyone’s health, safety, and wellbeing.  Are you ready to make that kind of difference? Bring your energy to DTE. Together, we can achieve great things.
 

Testing Required:

Hybrid Role: Must be able to come on-site periodically and reside a commutable distance from the assigned work location.

Emergency Response: Yes – Must be available to perform a primary assignment in support of DTE’s emergency response to storms or other events that impact service to our customers.

Job Summary

• Oversees all aspects of renewable energy project development for the Corporation, including planning and preliminary siting studies, performing and coordinating all environmental/wildlife studies, project layouts, developing and obtaining permit approvals, managing community relations, and contractor support. Also coordinates associated financial and budget analyses.  Additionally, responsible for overall scope of land owner care and payment program related to operational renewable energy projects managed by direct report.  Assignments are received from multiple directors primarily in the form of broad goals/areas of responsibility.  Incumbent has latitude (within defined scope of responsibility) for independent action in setting objectives and deciding how to proceed, consistent with Corporate goals and objectives.  Span of control: 8-9 FTEs

Key Accountabilities

• Communicates and coordinates team priorities, goals, and targets ensuring alignment with overall renewable energy and Corporation priorities
• Oversees all aspects of developing potential renewable energy projects
• Sets overall permitting strategy to support overall renewable energy project approval
• Leverages development team expertise for review of potential renewable energy build-transfers
• Ensures proper execution of interconnection studies, project layouts, and project application development
• Sets community relations/engagement strategies to optimize project outcomes
• Facilitates financial analysis, budgeting and cost control, and project approval requests
• Manages overall scope of land owner care/payment program
• Ensures maintenance and leveraging of network of developers, contractors, vendors, regulators, and researchers to continually benchmark renewable energy trends, enhancing Corporation’s ability to develop cost-effective projects
• Proactively applies, models, and coaches on the use of continuous improvement principles and tools to the work of team to enhance outcomes
• Responsible for the successful execution of general management duties including ability to listen, build strong relationships, prioritize and manage tasks, set challenging goals, motivate and provide leadership, build commitment, make decisions and understand the impact of those decisions, and providing feedback, coaching and mentoring to employees
• Establishes overall strategy regarding wildlife and environmental aspects of renewable projects directly for development and indirectly for operations and maintenance
 

Minimum Education & Experience Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, environmental, mechanical, civil, or electrical engineering and 7 years of experience including project, environmental management and/or renewable energy development experience; OR
• Master's degree in business, environmental, mechanical, civil, or electrical engineering and 5 years of project, environmental management and/or renewable energy development experience

Other Qualifications

Preferred

• Environmental or Civil Engineering Discipline
• Direct experience leading various stages of wind and solar project development
• Experience developing and implementing community relations/engagement strategies

 

Other Requirements

• Advanced project management skills.
• Analytical & problem-solving skills consistent with the ability to identify key issues from a broad range of alternatives and recommend optimal solutions for various situations.