Development Manager

Horizon New Energy (Horizon) is a Canadian renewable energy platform company focused on developing projects that will deliver clean, renewable, and cost-effective electricity to the grid across Canada.

We are looking for a Development Manager to help us grow Horizon New Energy. You will be responsible for managing wind, solar, and energy storage projects through all development phases from early stage to late stage (Notice-to-Proceed). You will be responsible for delivering high-quality and profitable projects that meet all project milestones. You will represent the projects both internally and externally. You will build relationships with landowners, community members, regulators, and local government officials to gain project support.

Horizon New Energy is a vibrant and fast-paced renewable energy company with a start-up culture. If you are a detail-oriented, well-organized, flexible, positive and adaptable person, this could be the right role for you!

Responsibilities will include:

• Contribute to greenfield efforts for new projects and conduct due diligence on acquisition opportunities for multiple projects in parallel
• Meet and negotiate with potential project landowners to acquire site control (option to lease agreements) and provide project information. Organize, manage and attend project open houses and landowner meetings.
• Manage the permitting process, community outreach, land acquisition, resource assessment, GIS mapping, project design and engineering, and interconnection process for renewable energy projects while supporting the PPA origination, equipment procurement, technical and legal aspects of project development. Provide support to projects as they transition into the construction stage.
• Manage the stakeholder relations process including consultation activities with Indigenous communities and local government councils.
• Oversee third party contractors (e.g. environmental baseline, permitting, resource assessment, engineering design, interconnection studies, etc.) for various workstreams to deliver a fully developed, construction ready project in accordance with the project budget and schedule
• Lead the process for submissions of Request for Qualifications, Request for Proposals, and other bids/auctions, while working closely with PPA origination, investment management, construction, and engineering teams
• Create and track project development plans and budgets for development projects and manage project progress towards deadlines while identifying critical path challenges, project resource constraints and requirements
• Develop and provide project development status and milestone, project schedule and project budget updates to Horizon Director of Development, as requested
• Identify and gather project risks and prepare proposed mitigation measures. Develop and maintain a project risk register for each project
• Develop and maintain project documentation databases, sharepoint sites, reports, and assist in the preparation of project and portfolio program risks and solutions for communication to Horizon and CIP senior management
• Monitor, manage, and report on key policy and regulatory developments that impact projects through trade associations like the Canadian Renewable Energy Association

Qualifications:

• 3-5 years experience working in power and/or renewable energy on complex projects across North America with specific experience in one of the following areas: land acquisition and landowner management, project design and engineering, project permitting and stakeholder relations management, geographical information systems, wind or solar resource assessment, interconnection/transmission studies and planning
• Excellent project management skills and experience providing project development support to multiple concurrent projects. The ability to proactively plan, track, monitor and communicate project development tasks and milestones
• Experience defining and managing scopes, timelines and deliverables with external consultants, technical and legal advisors
• Bachelor’s degree preferably with a discipline in Business, Energy, Engineering, Environmental Science, Project Management, or a related field
• Strong knowledge of provincial and federal legislation regarding renewable energy development considered an asset
• Experience working with landowners, local government officials and councils, and/or Indigenous communities
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, GIS/mapping systems and document management platforms like SharePoint, and other relevant office management tools
• Strong organizational and time-management skills. Action oriented self-starter
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and conflict/issue resolution skills
• Ability to manage a variety of priorities while meeting deadlines. Comfortable working in a small, lean entrepreneurial company where you wear many different hats and have broad exposure and responsibilities related to all facets of development
• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking abilities
• Excellent interpersonal skills for effective communication with employees, stakeholders, and vendors
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Willing to travel as project needs require – approximately 20% travel expected
• You must be legally eligible to work in Canada. Fluency in English is required. You should expect a very versatile job where most days will be different. The Development Manager will report to the Director of Development for Horizon New Energy. The position is based in Calgary. Candidates in other Canadian locations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.