VP, Design & Cost Engineering

ABOUT AVANTUS

Avantus develops, owns, and operates utility-scale clean energy projects across California and the Desert Southwest. Our development pipeline represents one of the nation's largest portfolios of solar with integrated storage, capable of providing dispatchable power to 17 million Americans, day and night. With over a decade of industry leadership and strategic investment from KKR and EIG, Avantus delivers affordable, reliable clean energy solutions that meet America’s growing energy demand.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The VP of Design and Cost Engineering is responsible for leading the HV Engineering, Development Engineering and Estimating teams, focused on derisking development pipeline and maximizing project value through technical and costing expertise. This role reports to our EVP, Engineering and Construction.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

This role manages and is responsible for team associated with all technical design and costing needs prior to equipment selection and EPC contracting.  Expertise is required across HV gen-tie and substation, PV and BESS design and costing. This role is highly cross-functional, and requires management of direct internal team, external engineering consultants and project team activities and peers. It combines depth of technical and commercial knowledge with the ability to drive design and estimating strategy in line with project and business needs.

• Oversees design and cost engineering work across entire pipeline, spanning full development lifecycle.
• Support project and site diligence, managing internal resourcing and external consultant strategy for engineering studies and drawing packages pre-EPC contracting in support of internal assessments, or LGIA or permitting processes.
• Ability to manage and assess projects with different layers of uncertainty, with ability to drive process and tools to accurately assess land, layout and costing considerations with limited information.
• Create engineering related project budgets and 3^rd party scopes for Engineering studies (hydro, Geotech, etc), and for design work to support LGIA and permitting processes.
• Identify issues and gaps in processes and analysis, work with key stakeholders to algin towards next steps and solutions
• Effectively communicate deeply technical subject matter considerations, opportunities and risks to project teams, functional leads, and executives in a manner appropriate for audiences.
• Develop and maintain in-house estimating tools across all technologies that are dynamic for automation and design and pricing iteration and automation
• Understand cash flow considerations related to equipment and EPC contracting.
• Ability to work and coordinate in highly cross-functional manner across key stakeholders (Development, Optimization Engineering, Storage Engineering, Procurement, EPC, and CM)
• Ability to identify Value Engineering and project design derisking strategies across full development lifecycle.
• Manage and maintain relationships and strategy for use of 3^rd party consultants and EPC negotiations and contracting.
• Ability to understand and maintain historical data to inform future pricing work
• Understanding of key design codes and requirements
• Delegate and oversee large team of diverse expertise, training and coaching them to drive value into portfolio of projects.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or direct experience at an engineering consultant or solar or BESS contractor
• Knowledge of engineering studies, codes and requirements, and best practices for solar design and EPC construction
• Highly cross-functional individual, with ability to manage project level details and align team to project and company goals.
• Ability to assess and giving pricing and design guidance at varying levels of site diligence, with understanding of uncertainty.
• Have working knowledge of commodity pricing, labor rates, and union rates
• Ability to interact and communicate well with individuals in all areas of the company and outside stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to consistently take the initiative to lead discussions around unresolved issues, ensuring clear direction and correct resolution.
• Competency with process improvement, relationship building, written and verbal communication, and critical thinking.
• Demonstrated ability to be self-motivated and perform job tasks independently in an unstructured remote environment with limited direction.
• Maintain the highest standards of conduct and integrity in all dealings inside and outside the organization.
• Ability to professionally manage highly confidential and sensitive information.
• Excellent organizational skills with attention to detail, accuracy, and timeliness.
• Ability to work well under pressure with multiple competing deadlines.
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge of Excel, Word, Power Point, and various other business applications.

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