Director of Project Development and Strategy, High Voltage

SOLV Energy is a leading provider of infrastructure services to the power industry designing building and maintaining utility scale solar battery storage and high voltage substation projects nationwide.

Job Description Summary:

The Director of Project Development and Strategy leads all preconstruction activities for SOLV Energys High Voltage Infrastructure business unit from early-stage opportunity identification through estimate finalization proposal submission and handoff to project execution. This role owns the accuracy consistency and competitiveness of HV bids and budgets including transmission substation and switchyard scope and works closely with Business Development Engineering Procurement and Operations leadership to convert pipeline opportunities into well-scoped biddable and constructible projects. The Director builds and standardizes preconstruction process across a growing HV portfolio including the integration of recently acquired self-perform capability and is a key contributor to win-strategy and pricing decisions presented to executive leadership.

This role is based full-time in our office in San Diego CA. Specific location details and expectations will be discussed during the interview process.

Job Description:

*This job description reflects managements assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned

Position Responsibilities and Duties:

• Lead the HV preconstruction team through all phases of estimating and proposal development conceptual/budgetary pricing competitive hard-bid estimates negotiated pricing and change order/scope development for existing projects.
• Own the preconstruction stage-gate process for the HV business unit ensuring consistent scope definition take-off methodology risk review and estimate quality across all opportunities and estimators.
• Partner with Business Development to evaluate incoming opportunities support go/no-go decisions and shape win strategy pricing philosophy and differentiation for client proposals and RFP responses.
• Direct quantity take-offs unit pricing and labor productivity assumptions for HV scope including substations switchyards transmission lines and BOP tie-in work using both self-perform and subcontracted delivery models.
• Lead constructability reviews with Engineering and Operations toidentifyschedule sequencing and cost risk during design development and to ensure estimates reflect buildable field-validated approaches.
• Managesubcontractorand major equipmentvendorbid solicitation leveling and qualification (transformers switchgear structures conductor and specialty subcontract scopes) working closely with Procurement and Supply Chain.
• Develop and present cost estimates risk registers and pricing recommendations to executive leadership and ownership (American Securities) as part of proposal and award approval processes.
• Ensure a clean well-documented handoff of awarded projects from preconstruction to project execution teams including budget basis of estimate key assumptions andidentifiedrisk/contingency items.
• Track win rates estimate-to-actual performance and productivity/pricing benchmarks across the HV portfolio; use this data to refine future estimating assumptions and unit costs.
• Standardize estimating tools templates and historical cost databases across HV incorporating lessons learned from ongoing process improvement work and integration of Spartan Infrastructure and Roberson Waite Electric.
• Build and develop the preconstruction teams bench strength including hiring mentoring and succession planning for estimators and preconstruction managers as the HV pipeline grows.
• Support long-lead item identification and early procurement (LNTP) coordination with Operations and Supply Chain to reducetransformer switchgear and structure lead-time schedule risk.

Minimum Skills or Experience Requirements:

• 10 years of progressive experience in preconstruction estimating or engineering roles within high voltage transmission substation or heavy electrical/industrial construction; 3 years in a preconstruction leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience leading competitive and negotiated pricing efforts for HV/substation EPC or self-perform projects including hard-bid design-build and progressive design-build delivery models.
• Strong command of substation and transmission scope major equipment (power transformers GIS/AISswitchgear structures protection & control) and associated cost drivers.
• Experience building and leading an estimating team including process standardization across multiple concurrent pursuits.
• Working knowledge of construction project controls scheduling and constructability principles and how theyinform estimate accuracy and risk.
• Strong executive communication and presentation skills with experience presenting pricing and risk recommendations to senior leadership.
• Bachelors degree in Construction Management Electrical Engineering Civil Engineering or related field or equivalent industry experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience estimating for both utility-scale solar/BESS interconnection substations and standalonetransmission/substation projects.
• Familiarity with estimating and take-off platforms ( comparable tools) and evaluation of estimating technologyupgrades.
• Experience integrating preconstruction processes following an M&A transaction or multi-entity combination.
• Existing relationships with major HV equipment manufacturers and specialty subcontractors.
• PE license or PMP certification a plus though notrequired.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without requiring employer sponsorship now or in the future.

SOLV Energy Is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At SOLV Energy we celebrate the power of our differences. We are committed to building diverse equitable and inclusive workplaces that improve our communities. SOLV Energy prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind against an employee or applicant based on race color age religion sex sexual orientation gender identity or expression marital status national origin or ethnicity mental or physical disability veteran status parental status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Benefits:

Employees (and their families) are eligible for medical dental vision basic life and disability insurance. Employees can enroll in our companys 401(k) plan and are provided vacation sick and holiday pay.

Compensation Range:

$164122 - $205153

Pay Rate Type:

Salary

SOLV Energy does not accept unsolicited candidate introductions referrals or resumes from third-party recruiters or staffing agencies. We require all third-party recruiters to communicate exclusively with our internal talent acquisition team. SOLV Energy will not pay a placement fee to any third-party recruiter or agency that has not coordinated their recruiting activity with the appropriate member of our internal talent acquisition team.

In addition candidate introductions or resumes can only be submitted to our internal talent acquisition recruiting team if a signed vendor agreement is already on file and the third-party recruiter or agency has received formal instructions from our internal talent acquisition team to submit candidates for a particular job posting.

Any unsolicited candidate introductions referrals or resumes sent by third-party recruiters to SOLV Energy or directly to any of our employees or received through our website or career portal will be considered property of SOLV Energy and will not be eligible for a placement the event a third-party recruiter submits a resume or refers a candidate without a previously signed vendor agreement SOLV Energy explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire the candidate(s) without financial liability to such third-party recruiter.

Job Number: J13633

If youre interested in a meaningful career with a brighter future join the SOLV Energy Team.