Project Development Manager in Chicago, Illinois at Scale Microgrid Solutions

This is a senior individual contributor role with strategic oversight responsibility for leading full lifecycle development of on-site power generation and infrastructure projects to support speed-to-power for hyperscale data centers.

You will originate land opportunities, secure site control, manage interconnection strategy, oversee permitting and commercial structuring, and drive projects to notice to proceed and financial close. This role owns outcomes: it requires strong market knowledge, commercial discipline, regulatory awareness, on-the-ground expertise, and the ability to coordinate internal and external stakeholders without directly managing large teams.

This role will report to our VP, Development – Data Centers, and can be a hybrid role based in Ridgewood, NJ, NYC, Chicago, or West Palm Beach, FL offices.

Project Origination & Strategy

• Identify and originate development opportunities to develop, own, and operate on-site energy infrastructure to support hyperscale data center loads
• Evaluate capacity, energy, and ancillary service market fundamentals.
• Develop market entry strategies aligned with ISO planning cycles.
• Lead site selection and land control strategy.
• Assess transmission constraints and nodal pricing dynamics.

Development Execution

• Oversee environmental and permitting strategy in coordination with environmental leadership.
• Lead interconnection application strategy and coordinate directly with ISOs, utilities, and transmission owners.
• Manage consultant teams, including engineering, environmental, and transmission advisors.
• Develop and maintain integrated development schedules and budgets
• Identify and mitigate fatal flaw risks.
• Drive projects toward financial close and construction readiness.

Strategic Oversight

• Provide executive-level reporting on development pipeline status.
• Present risk matrices and exposure analysis to leadership.
• Advise on portfolio strategy and expansion regions.
• Support the evaluation of joint ventures and M&A opportunities

Work Environment

• Office-based role with travel to projects as required.
• Fast-paced development environment with shifting regulatory and market dynamics.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Finance, Economics, Energy Systems, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in power project development within organized wholesale markets.
• Experience developing natural gas generation or utility-scale energy assets.
• Proven ability to independently drive projects from early-stage to advanced development.
• Strong commercial negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Preferred

• Experience with gas-fired generation paired with large data center loads.
• Advanced financial modeling capabilities.
• Experience in structuring tax equity or infrastructure capital partnerships.
• MBA or advanced degree.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong market intuition.
• High ownership mindset.
• Comfortable operating with limited direction.
• Strong risk evaluator.
• Skilled at balancing technical, regulatory, and commercial variables.
• Executive presence with the ability to influence without authority.