Director of Engineering

Joe Amara Executive is leading a confidential search on behalf of a leading independent power producer. We are seeking a Director of Engineering to support the execution of utility-scale solar and battery storage projects across a growing North American portfolio.

The immediate priority for this role is technical project leadership across two Texas solar projects, including a 150 MW project approaching final investment decision and a 420 MW project expected to follow. The broader opportunity includes supporting additional utility-scale solar and storage acquisitions, project diligence, cost optimization, and execution from FID through commercial operations.

This is a hands-on leadership role for an engineering professional who can move comfortably between technical details, EPC and owner's engineer coordination, contract and procurement support, schedule discipline, and cross-functional communication. The right candidate will be energized by a lean, fast-moving environment and will have the judgment to identify risks early, communicate clearly, and keep complex projects moving.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical project engineering activities for utility-scale solar and potential BESS projects from FID through COD, with an emphasis on schedule, scope, quality, cost, and risk management.
• Serve as a day-to-day technical point of contact for EPC contractors, engineers of record, owner's engineers, construction managers, internal development teams, and asset management stakeholders.
• Support the transition of projects from development into execution, ensuring that technical assumptions, schedules, contracts, and project requirements are clearly understood before handoff.
• Drive strong communication across engineering, development, construction, procurement, commercial, asset management, and external partner teams.
• Review project schedules, milestones, technical deliverables, and contractor inputs to identify gaps, inconsistencies, or execution risks before they become larger issues.
• Support EPC pricing review, cost optimization, scope alignment, and value engineering efforts on projects where economics or execution assumptions require refinement.
• Contribute to technical due diligence for potential acquisitions of utility-scale solar and storage projects, including review of engineering, interconnection, equipment, schedule, and execution risks.
• Partner with internal leaders to evaluate project designs, major equipment decisions, electrical or civil considerations, and interconnection-related issues.
• Provide contract and procurement support by helping evaluate engineering, EPC, owner's engineer, equipment, and construction-management scopes and obligations.
• Coordinate with asset management and operations teams as projects move through commissioning and toward commercial operations.
• Operate effectively in a lean organization where engineering leaders are expected to be hands-on, commercially aware, and comfortable owning a broad scope.

Qualifications

• 10 to 15 years of relevant experience in utility-scale solar, battery energy storage, project engineering, project management, engineering management, or closely related power-generation infrastructure.
• Demonstrated experience working with EPC firms, engineers of record, owner's engineers, construction managers, vendors, and internal project stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of utility-scale solar project execution, including the engineering, contracting, construction, commissioning, and commercial-operations lifecycle.
• Experience supporting projects from FID through COD, including management of technical deliverables, schedule risk, cost inputs, scope changes, and project handoffs.
• Working knowledge of BESS, interconnection, major electrical equipment, civil considerations, and project-level technical risk is strongly valued.
• Experience with contract review, procurement support, EPC pricing, value engineering, or cost optimization is highly preferred.
• Electrical engineering or civil engineering background is preferred; candidates from other engineering disciplines will be considered when they bring strong utility-scale solar and storage execution experience.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to create alignment among development, engineering, commercial, construction, and asset-management teams.
• Low-ego, steady, and proactive operating style, with the ability to work through ambiguity, keep stakeholders informed, and escalate issues constructively.
• Comfort working in a lean, entrepreneurial environment where leaders are expected to identify problems, solve them, and move quickly.

About Joe Amara Executive Search

Joe Amara Executive Search is a boutique executive search firm specializing in transmission, power generation and digital infrastructure, with deep networks across IPPs, the capital markets and energy advisory services globally.

Backed by a

100% completion rate

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The Wall Street Journal

, we are trusted to build the next generation of power and digital infrastructure leadership teams.

We lead confidential retained searches for C-suite, senior commercial, and niche technical roles across the globe. For more information, please visit joeamara.com.