Director, Operations

Urban Grid

Director of Operations at Urban Grid driving performance and safety across solar and battery assets. Leading operational strategies and ensuring excellence in large-scale energy projects.

Posted 6/18/2026full-timeHouston • Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesLeadWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Serve as the operational face of the portfolio to senior leadership, investors, and external partners
Provide clear, data-driven insights on performance, risks, and optimization opportunities
Build credibility through consistent delivery, transparency, and disciplined execution
Accountable for communicating operational performance, risks, and mitigation strategies to internal and external stakeholders
Champion and embed a proactive, zero-compromise safety culture across all operations
Ensure safety is integrated into all operational decision-making and vendor expectations
Partner with HSE to continuously improve safety performance and compliance
Accountable for enforcing safety standards across all teams and providers, with authority to halt operations where unsafe conditions exist
Accountable for delivering portfolio performance against budget, contractual obligations, and operational targets, including:
Availability and reliability
Production / generation performance
Forced outage reduction
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to maximize uptime and asset value
Accountable for execution and closure of all corrective actions required to address performance gaps
Ensure all underperformance is investigated and resolved in a timely and structured manner
Accountable for translating root cause findings into executable actions and ensuring full resolution across the portfolio
Partner with Reliability Engineering to implement technical recommendations and performance improvements
Provide full oversight of third-party O&M providers with clear KPIs, SLAs, and performance expectations
Accountable for identification, prioritization, and execution of all site repairs and corrective work that fall outside the scope of O&M contracts and OEM warranties
Conduct structured performance reviews and enforce corrective actions
Accountable for ensuring O&M providers execute in accordance with defined standards, maintenance programs, and reliability strategies
Drive standardization and disciplined execution across all operating assets
Lead onboarding of all new assets into the operating portfolio
Partner with Construction and EPC teams to support:
Commissioning and punch list closure
Documentation readiness
Warranty tracking and enforcement
Lead transition through care, custody, and control (CCC)
Own operational readiness decisions and provide final approval for transition from construction to operations, including acceptance of operational risk
Partner with Asset Management to align operational execution with commercial and financial objectives
Collaborate with Reliability Engineering, SCADA/OT, and HSE teams to deliver integrated solutions
Serve as the primary execution bridge across construction, engineering, and operations

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or related field preferred
10+ years of experience in renewable energy, power generation, or infrastructure operations
Direct experience managing utility-scale solar and/or battery storage assets
Strong experience in O&M oversight and vendor performance management
Proven track record of delivering operational performance across multi-site portfolios
Experience engaging with senior leadership, investors, and external stakeholders
Experience managing large-scale solar and BESS portfolios preferred
Knowledge of ISO/RTO markets (e.g., ERCOT, PJM, MISO)
Familiarity with SCADA systems, performance analytics, and reliability engineering practices
Experience supporting construction-to-operations transitions and portfolio onboarding
Location: Hybrid in Houston, Texas (4 days in office, Fridays remote).
**Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Visa sponsorship or transfer visas, including H-1B or L-2, are not available for this position.**

Benefits

Comp & perks

Urban Grid offers an exciting benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, health savings account, flexible spending account, company-paid life insurance and short-term disability, voluntary life, and long-term disability, paid paternal leave, and a retirement plan with matching contributions. Full-time position with competitive compensation package, including bonus.

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

performance analyticsO&M oversightvendor performance managementroot cause analysiscontinuous improvementutility-scale solar managementbattery storage managementcontractual obligations managementsafety standards enforcementportfolio performance delivery

Soft Skills

communicationleadershipcollaborationcredibility buildingtransparencyaccountabilityproblem-solvingstakeholder engagementdecision-makingexecution discipline