Project Development Manager

Project Development Manager

Start Date: November 2025

FLSA status: Regular full time, exempt

Salary Range: $72,500-$82,500 annual salary based on experience

Reports to: Project Development Director

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota (hybrid)

Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF) is a member-owned cooperative that works to make clean energy accessible to all. We envision a future where community members own, manage, and use clean energy systems together for the collective benefit of all of us. While one person can only influence their own energy bills and use, many people acting together can change the entire energy system.

CEF is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer and sees unique and diverse perspectives as essential to be able to achieve our mission and live our values. We have developed and operate 13 community solar gardens across the state of Minnesota, offsetting the electricity needs of and saving money for 1,400 member households and counting. CEF has a particular focus on economic and racial justice, working to ensure that all projects are developed using an economic model that is deeply accessible to members regardless of income or ability to pay, as well as prioritizing workforce equity in the solar industry. CEF uses member participation in these projects to build community wealth and unite and activate members from many different communities around a vision for our energy future that is rooted in community-controlled clean energy.

Primary Purpose:

We are looking for a highly organized and adaptable Construction Project Manager to work with CEF's project development team on local projects, and also build capacity of community partners around the country to use the skills and insights gained from CEF's work to help them develop projects in their communities.

This role will work in tandem with our established project development team, with training and guidance provided as responsibilities are gradually transitioned.

You will  be responsible for developing and managing national relationships with community-based groups looking to learn from CEF’s model

, offering technical assistance on partner community solar projects, and generally supporting the growth of development capacity for community-led solar.

The position requires strong administrative skills, deep insights into solar project development, problem-solving ability, strong relationship management skills, and the ability to manage projects with very different timelines simultaneously.

Job Responsibilities:

Project Development & Design

- Work with Site Acquisition team to evaluate potential sites.

- Work with engineering partners to develop Interconnection designs.

- Prepare/submit interconnection applications (e.g., Xcel Energy).

- Coordinate with utilities, engineers, and other stakeholders to resolve design or permitting challenges.

Procurement & Contract Management

- Support EPC partner selection process.

- Track and manage EPC contracts, budgets, and deliverables.

- Review change orders and help address project adjustments.

- Coordinate with accounting to manage pay applications

Construction Oversight & Commissioning

- Monitor construction progress and quality standards.

- Assist in coordinating testing and commissioning activities.

- Escalate/resolve issues quickly with EPCs and utilities.

- Manage permitting with various government authorities.

Project Closeout & Transition

- Support administrative closeout (compliance reporting, documentation, etc.).

- Facilitate handoff of projects to O&M team.

- Capture lessons learned and help refine internal processes.

Manage National Capacity-Building and Co-Development Relationships

- Maintain existing and develop new relationships supporting emergent and aspiring community-based solar developers across the U.S.

- Participate and represent CEF at national conferences and convenings.

- Regularly check in with community-based solar developers around the country to stay up to speed on project progress, policy developments, and CEF opportunities.

Provide Education About Community-Led Community Solar Projects

- Walk alongside long-term national partners as they are developing their first community solar projects, offering guidance, coaching, and insights along the way.

- Provide technical assistance to a portfolio of partner projects

- Offer project management, governance, finance, community engagement, and technical support

- Provide webinar-style training to networks of partners on topics throughout the project development cycle, such as customer acquisition or project financing

Coordinate with the CEF Team

- Work directly with the General Manager to guide our national partnership strategy

- Share learnings with (and learn from) teammates across CEF, including the Project Development Director, Chief Operations Officer,  Community Outreach Director, and Policy Director

Minimum Qualifications:

- 3-5 years’ experience in relevant field

- Strong relationship management skills, with demonstrated ability to coach peers, navigate hard conversations, and set boundaries

- Demonstrated project management success

- Strong organizational and administrative skills; comfort juggling multiple timelines

- Reliable, self-motivated, able to take direction and be trusted to work independently with minimal supervision

- Ability to think quickly and solve problems in dynamic environments.

- Team player with strong ability to work in a collaborative environment

- Ability to rapidly incorporate new learnings from the CEF team and other program partners into technical assistance and training for other partners

- Commitment to the energy transition, working with community-based organizations, and empowering culturally diverse communities

- Willingness to be available on occasional evenings and weekends to provide requested technical assistance to project partners

Desired Qualifications:

- 5-10 years’ experience

- Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Renewable Energy, or related field (or equivalent work experience).

- Understanding of the solar project development cycle

- Familiarity with utility interconnection processes, engineering workflows, and stakeholder management.

- Understanding of project-level financing, including spreadsheet financial modeling, investment tax credit monetization, and debt acquisition

- Strong communication and documentation skills.

- Knowledge about community solar policy and its implementation across the U.S.

- Experience reading and understanding state policy and regulations

- Existing relationships in the community solar and solar policy space

- Experience or familiarity with construction contracts and public incentive programs

- Experience with meeting facilitation and developing action plans as a group

- PMP, NABCEP, or similar certification

- Experience working with federal programs or grant management

- Existing relationships within the U.S. Department of Energy and/or its subprograms

- Existing relationships with community-based organizations working on clean energy

Working Conditions:

Working conditions include a mix of remote and in-office work with substantial remote meetings and occasional off-site meetings with partners in other communities nationwide.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY POLICY STATEMENT

CEF will not discriminate against or harass any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, familial status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, or status with regard to public assistance. While not yet mandated by federal or state law, CEF is committed to providing the same protection against discrimination for any employee or applicant because of gender identity. We will take affirmative steps to ensure that all of our company’s employment practices are free of discrimination. Such employment practices include, but are not limited to, the following: hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising, selection, layoff, disciplinary action, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training, including apprenticeship. We will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees with disabilities whenever possible.

To Apply:

- Submit a Resume and a Written Statement explaining why you are interested in this position to

hiring@cooperativeenergyfutures.com

. We will send additional follow up questions and interview scheduling to candidates we wish to interview. This position will remain open until filled with a target start by or before October 2025.