Sr. Project Manager
Top Hat Engineering
PMP
Job Level
Mid-LevelSenior
Tech Stack
PMP
About the role
- Lead End-to-End Development Planning: Coordinate with department heads to plan and execute energy and data center development, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, budgets, and timelines.
- Manage Land & Asset Acquisition: Oversee acquisition of land and generation assets and support data center site development, leveraging input from origination and legal teams.
- Drive FEL 1 Execution & Project Management: Lead feasibility-phase (FEL 1) development for co-located power and data center assets, managing consultants, milestones, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Facilitate Cross-Functional Collaboration: Organize interdepartmental coordination (investment, regulatory, engineering, operations, legal, etc.) to align objectives, resolve bottlenecks, and ensure timely decision-making.
- Oversee Technology & Cost Evaluations: Support analysis of generation and computer technologies, assessing trade-offs in performance, reliability, and cost, and contribute to lifecycle and ROI modeling.
- Evaluate Site & Infrastructure Readiness: Lead site selection and evaluate fuel access, grid connectivity, logistics, and regional construction feasibility for proposed locations.
- Support Project Finance requirements: Coordinate with Investment lead and lenders for technical, commercial and financing requirements from inception to construction completion.
- Guide Budgeting & Financial Controls: Work closely with finance to allocate resources, monitor expenditures, and ensure adherence to project budgets across acquisition, procurement, and construction phases.
- Coordinate Permitting & Regulatory Strategy: Manage early-stage permitting roadmaps, including environmental, air, and zoning requirements, and represent the company in regulatory and permitting hearings as required.
- Support Grid Integration & Commercial Viability: Assist with interconnection planning, dispatch strategy, and dual-use configurations to ensure grid compliance and optimize merchant market opportunities.
- Lead contractual close out and resolutions: Coordinate with legal regarding commercial arbitration and legal issues linked to the respective projects.
- Reporting & Recommendations: Support preparation of investment decision packages, and strategic updates that communicate key findings, risks, and progress.
- Potential travel up to 40% of the time.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, Energy Systems, Engineering, or a related field; advanced degree is a plus.
- Minimum 6-8 years of relevant development experience in the power generation or data center industry, with a proven track record of leading early-stage development efforts.
- Demonstrated expertise in site development, including land acquisition, navigating regulatory frameworks, managing interconnection processes across multiple ISOs, negotiating Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), understanding taxation implications, and overseeing environmental permitting.
- Direct experience in engaging with regulatory bodies and permitting authorities, including local, state, and federal agencies.
- Proficiency in project management tools (e.g., Jira, Smartsheet, MS Project), with a strong command of Gantt charts, resource planning, and schedule tracking.
- Solid foundational knowledge of power generation technologies (e.g., gas turbines, reciprocating engines) and/or data center infrastructure, including operational requirements.
- Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with the ability to support tasks such as energy forecasting, trading strategy input, and operational planning.
- Demonstrated commitment to ethical practices in emerging technologies and collaborative, transparent leadership.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to engage and align diverse internal and external stakeholders.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities; able to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity in fast-paced, complex environments.
- Proven leadership experience with the ability to motivate, coordinate, and guide cross-functional teams toward shared development milestones.
- Energy Infrastructure Project Finance credit and lender expertise is highly valued.
- Experience with Contract Management for EPC, O&M, equipment supply, LTSA, and consultants on large power projects.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, or equivalent formal project management training, is strongly preferred.
