The Senior Project Manager will be a key member of the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) leadership team, responsible for managing one or more DER programs from design through execution. This role is intended for a senior, technically grounded clean energy professional with deep expertise in solar plus storage, particularly battery energy storage systems (BESS) integrated with solar PV. The Senior Project Manager will play a critical role in leading the Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing (SOMAH) program through a period of transition, and new approaches needed to accelerate project deployment. Responsibilities include program planning and design, coordination with internal teams and external partners, client management, and oversight of budgets, timelines, and deliverables. The role works closely with DER staff and cross-functional CSE teams, while managing subcontractors and engaging stakeholders. The ideal candidate combines strong program leadership skills with technical credibility in battery storage and solar, comfortable operating in ambiguous, fast-evolving environments, and the ability to partner closely with senior leadership to design, test, and refine new programmatic and project financial approaches.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
Program Design and Planning:
- Develop program goals, identify program strategies, determine program objectives and KPIs, in collaboration with clients, stakeholders and fellow CSE employees.
- Develop comprehensive program plans, including timelines, budgets, and resource allocation, and design program activities and interventions.
- Lead program design efforts that integrate technical, financial, and policy considerations, particularly for storage plus solar systems serving multifamily affordable housing.
Budgeting & Financial Management:
- Develop and manage program budgets, track expenditures, and ensure that programs are financially sustainable.
- Create and deliver program invoices to clients and ensure timely payment of invoices.
- Report on program financial progress monthly to senior leadership.
- Collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders to support the development of integrated strategies that blend funding sources.
Schedule Management
- Develop and manage program schedule and timelines, track progress against key milestones, and proactively address variances.
Client and Executive Collaboration:
- Provide exemplary client service, acting as a primary point of contact to ensure transparency and trust. Maintain clear expectations around dependent deliverables, timelines, and responsibilities, and consistently communicate program progress, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
- Work closely and collaboratively with CSE senior leadership, including executives and Directors, to advance strategic initiatives related to SOMAH.
Implementation & Coordination:
- Oversee the implementation of program activities, coordinate with internal and external stakeholders, and ensure that programs are delivered effectively and efficiently.
- Coordinate with technical advisors, financial stakeholders, platform development teams, and subcontractors to support pilot projects and proof-of-concept efforts.
Evaluation & Documentation:
- Evaluate program effectiveness, collect data, and document program activities and outcomes, and make recommendations for program improvement.
- Create and maintain program documentation, including manuals, reports, and presentations.
Collaboration:
- Work with other professionals, including program managers, staff, and stakeholders, to ensure that programs are successful.
Knowledge Management:
- Support knowledge management efforts to gather evidence on best practices and lessons learned.
- Serve as a technical and strategic resource within the DER team on storage plus solar technologies, battery system design considerations, and evolving market trends.
Staff Management:
- Supervise direct reports, if applicable, providing clear direction and offering to act as a sounding board. Supervision includes merit increase review and implementation of performance improvement plans, if needed.
- Provide leadership and mentorship to project managers, with the expectation that steady-state program execution responsibilities may transition over time, allowing this role to focus on higher-complexity technical and strategic initiatives.
Role Specific Responsibilities:
- Develops and maintains deep working knowledge of battery energy storage systems and PV solar, including AC/DC architectures, system performance considerations, and implications for incentive design, project economics, and deployment strategies.
- Manages all aspects relating to successful implementation of assigned programs. Develops, implements and oversees detailed program policies and guidelines, team roles and responsibilities, budgets, and schedules.
- Tracks and manages program activities and expenditures to ensure project deliverables are completed on time and within budget. Ensures accurate, timely billing of project activities. Continuously monitors project effectiveness and implements new approaches, as required.
- Collaborates with internal and external teams in matters related to programmatic functions.
- Develops and applies expertise in assigned program requirements, policies, and technologies to support effective program execution and informed decision-making.
- Establishes goals for direct reports and monitors their progress. Ensures direct reports’ goals are achieved or exceeded. Meets weekly with direct reports to provide regular feedback and consistent communications. Conducts performance appraisals. Creates professional development opportunities.
- Supports the DER management team in managing the workflow of the assigned staff through the development of tools, reports, and metrics. Works with staff to ensure individual work of each team member is being completed on time and on budget.
- Manages subcontractor and vendor relationships and contracts to ensure satisfactory completion of program activities.
- Supports proposal development and identification of new or evolving program opportunities, including initiatives that integrate technical, financial, and policy considerations.
- Creates project reports and presentations.
- Contributes data analysis and project reporting and prepares regular metric reports.
- Provides oversight and support for escalated, complex, or ad hoc cases that require judgment in interpreting and applying program rules, particularly where technical, financial, or policy considerations intersect.
- Develops and oversees execution of process improvement initiatives to improve program efficiency, clarity, and participant experience, including during periods of program transition or market change.
- Contributes to CSE’s thought leadership and research efforts related to distributed energy resources, drawing on program experience and market insight.
- Supports the development and execution of processes and procedures related to quality assurance protocols and data confidentiality requirements.
- Communicates regularly with the Distributed Energy Resources leadership team to provide status updates, report concerns, and recommend solutions and improvements.
- Takes strategic direction from the DER Director and Senior Director and proactively directs the team’s efforts based on that direction.
- Completes miscellaneous administrative duties, including time and leave management system for direct reports.
- Provides progressive discipline, coaching, and accountability when direct reports are not meeting goals or performance expectations in collaboration with DER Director and Senior Director.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Required
- Proven ability to deliver complex projects on time and within budget
- Strong client management and stakeholder engagement skills
- Confidence navigating competing priorities while upholding delivery excellence
- Demonstrated ability to operate effectively in dynamic, evolving environments with incomplete information, balancing near-term execution with longer-term problem-solving.
- Demonstrated proficiency in project management through all five phases (initiating, planning, execution, monitoring, closing).
- Successful project management of all six project constraints (scope, quality, scheduling, budget, resources, risk).
- Familiarity with concepts and frameworks for operations management and process improvements.
- Deep experience with the DER industry, familiarity with project finance concepts and incentive-driven clean energy programs, particularly those supporting distributed storage and solar deployment.
- Familiarity with environmental justice and energy equity issues and best practices in making programs accessible to disadvantaged communities.
- Demonstrated high-level of abilities of various computer software programs (e.g. project/budget management tools such as PM.com PowerBI) and fluency in using standard office software packages such as MS Office: Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Extremely detail-oriented with exceptional problem-solving skills and the ability to perform within required deadlines.
- Strong organizational, time management and planning skills. Ability to step back from day-to-day tasks to assess overarching project needs and timeframe to ensure tasks are approached in order of dependencies.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to synthesize technical, financial, and policy considerations into actionable program strategies and implementation plans.
- Ability to operationalize concepts by translating them into concrete tasks, budgets and timelines.
- Ability to effectively handle multiple tasks, changing priorities, stressful situations and complex assignments.
- Ability to oversee other staff.
- Ability to take initiative, be proactive and work with minimal supervision.
- Curious, motivated, pro-active and a self-starter keen to solve problems.
Ability to interact at the highest level of management, both internally and externally, in a constructive and collaborative manner and in way that appropriately represents CSE. Demonstrated experience with battery storage projects and solar PV, including technical, financial, or programmatic aspects of deployment.
Preferred
- Experience with storage and solar systems, battery energy storage (BESS), or related distributed energy technologies.
- PMP certification or equivalent
- Experience in clean energy industry
- Familiarity with distributed energy resource policies and landscape
Education:
- Bachelor's or equivalent required, master’s preferred.
Experience:
- Minimum 6 years relevant experience.
Licenses, Certificates or Registrations:
- PMP or equivalent preferred
