Illinois Director of Development


Director of Development


Position Description:

The TurningPoint Energy Director of Development is responsible for leading and managing the development of community solar and battery energy storage (BESS) facilities in existing and emerging markets across the U.S., with a particular focus on Illinois. The ideal candidate will be adept at cultivating relationships with project stakeholders and local permitting authorities while working closely with TPE’s internal team to execute the project plan.


Job Location:

This is a remote position with a preference for qualified candidates based in the Midwest U.S. The successful candidate will be willing to travel to their assigned market/project locations as needed.


Responsibilities:

  • Be accountable for all aspects of the project development process from site origination through Notice to Proceed for projects under management.
  • Manage all aspects of project-specific community engagement plans, including outreach and engagement of neighbors, stakeholders, and decision makers.
  • Develop project plans and lead internal team members and external subconsultants on delivery and implementation.
  • Create, track, and manage project development schedules and budgets.
  • Research and understand applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations that could affect the successful development of a project.
  • Coordinate and attend meetings with stakeholders, permitting staff, and approval agencies.
  • Identify and administer creative solutions when faced with project-specific issues.
  • Work closely with the Company’s management, business development, real estate, engineering, and project finance teams throughout the project development processes, taking the lead and/or assisting in an advisory or collaborative role where necessary.
  • Support the project finance and sale process by responding to diligence inquiries and interfacing with investors.
  • Maintain regular communication and accurate reporting with immediate supervisor(s) and the broader team through the Company’s adopted project management tools.
  • Complete as assigned development-related administrative, organizational, and communication tasks.


Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree.
  • 4 – 6 years’ experience in project development/project management in solar energy, BESS and/or commercial real estate.
  • Strong organizational, problem-solving, and project management skills.
  • Demonstrated flexibility to quickly pivot with shifting business needs and priorities.
  • Clear, effective, and professional verbal and written communicator.
  • Ability to define scope of work, and structure work plans to meet project schedules and needs.
  • Desire to work in a fast-paced, challenging, and entrepreneurial environment.
  • Results-oriented self-starter who excels in a remote work setting.
  • Willingness to travel as needed.


Preferred Qualifications:

  • 5 – 10 years of experience in project development/project management.
  • Experience developing projects in Illinois, especially the greater Chicago area.
  • Experience developing projects in urban infill settings.
  • At least one (1) year experience using Smartsheet, Teams, and SharePoint.


Best In Industry Compensation:

  • Competitive base compensation.
  • Uncapped variable bonus compensation structure.
  • Robust benefits package including healthcare reimbursement and life, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance.
  • Self-managed paid time off.
  • 401(k) with employer contribution.


Interested in joining our team? Please email your resume to ehiggins@topsearchrecruiting.com and include the position you’re applying for with TurningPoint Energy in the subject line.


Illinois Director of Development

 

Director of Engineering

 

Position Description:

As TurningPoint Energy Director of Engineering, you will lead all engineering efforts for development of a portfolio of community solar and / or energy storage facilities across the U.S. This position will coordinate with internal stake holders and is responsible for addressing all technical, engineering, design and construction related questions. The company works with external licensed professional engineers such as Civil, Geotechnical, and Electrical. This position is responsible for management of these external engineers and coordinating information between external and internal parties. Clear communication and the ability to make decisions are essential in this position. This position will manage multiple projects, progress projects in parallel, and must be capable of creating and achieving project budget and schedule for engineering related tasks.

 

Job Location:

This is a virtual position, however, there is a strong preference for candidates to be based in Illinois or Maryland. Travel is required to locations throughout the U.S. Approximate travel is one week per quarter or less.

 

Responsibilities:

  • Overall responsibility to manage all engineering related items for community solar and or energy storage development.
  • Major focus on project origination including interconnection feasibility, site evaluation, cost estimating, energy estimating, and permitting support.
  • Interconnection Feasibility:
    • Evaluate sites on a case-by-case basis for interconnection feasibility to the distribution system. Make go or no-go decisions with limited information or data.
    • Coordinate and submit interconnection applications.
    • Ability to QA/QC single-line diagrams and technical support document typically requested by utilities for interconnection applications.
    • Manage the interconnection process from application submittal to interconnection agreement and ultimately permission to operate.
  • Site Evaluation:
    • Desktop site evaluation from engineering design and construction perspective.
    • Travel to sites to perform site walk and site evaluation from engineering design and construction perspective.
    • Strong preference for candidates who can independently evaluate interconnection viability, civil storm water issues, civil grading issues, geotechnical issues, and energy production.
    • Manage creation of site plans for conceptual layouts, interconnection applications, and permits.
    • Optimize site plans for most efficient combination of design parameters.
    • Manage drafting team, preference will be given to candidates with AutoCAD knowledge so they can help the drafting team fix issues.
    • Note this position will not be required to draft site plans.
  • Cost Estimating:
    • Provide high-level conceptual cost estimates for full turnkey EPC.
  • Energy Estimating:
    • Provide site specific energy estimates with PVsyst/Solar Farmer or Fractal, ETB, or Ascend for energy storage projects.
    • This position will not be required to run PVsyst estimates, however, candidates will need the ability to provide site specific inputs for loss variables and quality check PVsyst results.
    • Strong preference is given to candidates with ability to run Fractal, ETB, Ascend or other solar plus storage energy estimating software.
  • Permitting Support:
    • Engineering plays a support role in permitting.
    • Major focus on land use / discretionary permitting which is typically site plan and civil storm water based.
    • Requirements vary by AHJ but may include civil, geotechnical, fire safety, glare, acoustics, line of sight analysis, landscaping, general construction practices, etc.
    • Strong preference given to candidates with exposure to permitting ground-mount and/or energy storage projects nationwide.

 

Required Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree.
  • 5+ years experience with energy storage.
  • 10+ years experience with solar projects.
  • Demonstrated agility and flexibility as business needs and priorities shift.
  • Excellent communication and critical thinking skills with the ability to identify and solve problems.
  • A desire to work in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment.
  • A self-starter with ability to focus and excel in a remote working environment.
  • Travel as needed.

 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • 10+ years’ experience in solar and energy storage.
  • Ability to run PVsyst and ETB or other software platform capable of energy storage estimating.
  • Experience running EPC RFP and creating EPC cost estimates.
  • Distribution system interconnection experience.

 

Best In Industry Compensation:

  • Competitive base compensation.
  • Uncapped variable bonus compensation structure.
  • Robust benefits package including healthcare reimbursement and life, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance.
  • Self-managed paid time off.
  • 401(k) with employer contribution.

 

Interested in joining our team? Please email your resume to ehiggins@topsearchrecruiting.com and include the position you’re applying for with TurningPoint Energy in the subject line.

 

Illinois Director of Development

 

Real Estate Manager

 

Position Description:

This position is responsible for identification of properties suitable for community solar and/or battery storage development, warm lead generation via door knocking and cold calling to find new community solar and/or battery storage development opportunities. Additionally, this position would be involved in preliminary real property negotiations and supporting advanced negotiations.

 

Job Location:

This position is remote with travel required to various locations throughout to pursue market development activities the U.S. and to collaborate with the team in their respective markets.

 

Responsibilities:

  • Generate new development opportunities through warm lead generation calls and door knocking in target markets.

  • Perform real estate transaction activity within the real estate team, including identification of real estate opportunities and recognition of risks and corresponding mitigation strategies associated with transaction structures.

  • Work with the VP of Real Estate to create budgets related to warm lead generation efforts, including mailing campaign materials and distribution, and travel budgets.

  • Interact with real estate acquisition leads and other team members, such as project development, real estate title, and engineering, to ensure that key project criteria are accomplished in a timely and cost-efficient manner.

  • Identify process improvements and implement enhanced business practices that increase efficiency, reliability, or timeliness of the warm lead generation functions.

 

Required Qualifications:

  • 5+ years of experience in real estate and site acquisition, including purchasing and leasing for major development projects.
  • Ample experience knocking doors to obtain warm leads.
    Expert communicator (verbal and written), coordinator and facilitator.
  • Ability to develop and maintain relationships with internal and external clients.
  • A willingness to embrace personal development and the ability to lead by example.
  • Strong problem-solving skills.
  • Demonstrated agility and flexibility as business needs and priorities shift.
  • A desire to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
  • A self-starter with strong knowledge of business fundamentals.
  • Ability to focus and excel in a remote working environment.
  • Travel would be required 3-5 days (50-75%) per week.

 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree.
  • 3+ years of experience in real estate and site acquisition specific to the solar development industry.
  • Direct experience in renewable energy real estate site acquisition, title and development functions.
  • Experience using Smartsheet for project management and collaboration.
  • Experience obtaining recorded documents from county courthouses and recorder’s offices.
  • Living in or near current target market areas, Illinois or Maryland/Delaware.

 

Best In Industry Compensation:

  • Competitive base compensation.
  • Uncapped variable bonus compensation structure.
  • Robust benefits package including healthcare reimbursement and life, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance.
  • Self-managed paid time off.
  • 401(k) with employer contribution.

 

Interested in joining our team? Please email your resume to ehiggins@topsearchrecruiting.com and include the position you’re applying for with TurningPoint Energy in the subject line.

 

Illinois Director of Development

 

Senior Analyst, Project Finance

 

Position Description:

The Senior Analyst / Associate will support the execution of project finance, corporate finance, and M&A transactions across the company’s solar, solar-storage, and storage-only portfolio. This role will play a key part in financial modeling, transaction execution, project diligence, and cross-functional coordination across development, engineering, legal, and finance teams. The position requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple stakeholders through complex financial transactions. The role will have significant exposure to project investors with a strong emphasis on supporting sell-side M&A.

 

Job Location:

This position is remote with travel required to various locations throughout to pursue market development activities the U.S. and to collaborate with the team in their respective markets.

 

Responsibilities:

  • Project Finance & Transactions
    • Build and maintain detailed financial models to evaluate project economics, financing structures, and portfolio transactions.
    • Review and audit financial models, assumptions, and analytical outputs.
    • Organize and oversee inbound project diligence and manage transaction data rooms.
    • Coordinate with project investors and external consultants throughout transaction execution
    • Support negotiation of transaction documents and commercial agreements.
    • Assist in structuring and executing asset sale transactions.
    • Support sell-side M&A processes including investor outreach, diligence coordination, and closing activities.
    • Work closely with internal teams to ensure efficient transaction execution and closing processes.
  • Corporate Finance Support
    • Support corporate FP&A activities including consolidated financial rollups and internal reporting.
    • Provide visibility into key financial metrics and assist with financial analysis for senior leadership.
    • Assist corporate finance functions including coordination with accounting, cash management, and accounts payable processes.
    • Support budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis across project and corporate activities.
  • Cross Functional Collaboration
    • Support corporate FP&A activities including consolidated financial rollups and internal reporting.
    • Provide visibility into key financial metrics and assist with financial analysis for senior leadership.
    • Assist corporate finance functions including coordination with accounting, cash management, and accounts payable processes.
    • Support budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis across project and corporate activities.

 

Required Qualifications:

  • B.A. or B.S.
  • 4+ years of experience in financial modeling and analysis (Analyst level)
    OR
    2+ years of experience at the Associate level.
  • Advanced Excel skills and strong financial modeling experience, VBA and SQL skills a plus.
  • Experience with project finance, renewable energy, or M&A.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Excellent communication and organizational abilities
  • A self-starter with ability to focus and excel in a remote working environment.
  • Highly resourceful, organized, and comfortable working in an unstructured, entrepreneurial environment; this is a transaction-based environment where requirements and deadlines are dictated by deal flow and an ability to manage competing priorities is essential.
  • Capability to read and interpret legal contracts.
  • Travel as needed

 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience in solar or renewable energy project finance.
  • Experience working in:
    • Renewable energy developers
    • IPPs
    • Investment banking
    • M&A advisory
  • Familiarity with Smartsheet or workflow tools.
  • Interest in applying AI tools or automation to finance processes.

 

Best In Industry Compensation:

  • Competitive base compensation.
  • Uncapped variable bonus compensation structure.
  • Robust benefits package including healthcare reimbursement and life, dental, vision, short- and long-term disability insurance.
  • Self-managed paid time off.
  • 401(k) with employer contribution.

 

Interested in joining our team? Please email your resume to ehiggins@topsearchrecruiting.com and include the position you’re applying for with TurningPoint Energy in the subject line.