Solar Development Associate
The Solar Development Associate supports the development of solar and battery energy storage projects by coordinating multidisciplinary teams, managing project schedules, budgets, and documentation, and ensuring compliance with permitting and interconnection requirements. This entry-level role involves proactive communication with internal and external stakeholders, conducting due diligence and site analysis, and assisting with community engagement and financing processes to ensure project viability and quality standards.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Energy, Oil & Gas.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
About the role
Confidential Client is hiring an entry-level Solar Development Associate to support the development of solar and battery energy storage (BESS) projects. This role focuses on proactive communication, coordination with multidisciplinary teams, and administrative/technical support that ensures projects meet schedule, budget, and quality expectations. You will help collect and analyze project data, support permitting and interconnection activities, and assist with site due diligence and stakeholder outreach.
What You’ll Do
- Monitor and analyze project schedules, scopes of work, and budgets; recommend actions to maintain project viability.
- Schedule meetings, capture decisions and next steps, and distribute meeting notes.
- Prepare documentation for internal teams, consultants, and stakeholders.
- Research zoning, permitting, land records, policy, and market information relevant to project sites.
- Track project progress, identify risks, and escalate or resolve issues.
- Coordinate quality control for deliverables and support process improvements.
- Serve as a primary point of contact for project information.
- Participate in expense tracking and approvals.
- Conduct outreach to prospective landowners and permitting authorities.
- Support interconnection application preparation and utility coordination.
- Assist internal engineering reviews and communicate design or site constraints.
- Support financing document preparation and ongoing communication with finance and legal teams.
- Manage relationships with external consultants to ensure timely, correct deliverables.
Qualifications
- ~1 year of professional experience (including internships and part-time roles).
- Bachelor’s degree in energy, real estate, sustainability, policy, communications, or equivalent experience.
- Demonstrated interest in renewable energy or related fields.
- Strong organization, time management, and attention to detail.
- Comfortable with MS Office/Windows; Salesforce experience is a plus.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills; reliable stakeholder support.
- Self-motivated, able to take ownership, and accountable.
- High integrity and professional responsibility.
- Ability to manage competing priorities across teams.
- Willingness to contribute to a collaborative, trust-based culture.
- Ability to travel to sites across the Midwest (up to ~20% of time, may include overnight travel); valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record required.
Compensation & Benefits
- Base salary: $70,000–$80,000 per year.
- Benefits highlights: generous paid time off (six weeks/year), paid parental leave, volunteer time off, comprehensive medical coverage, 401(k) match, life insurance, and wellness incentives.
- Final compensation will depend on experience, skills, geographic location, and other factors.
Location & Travel
- Position is based in Madison, WI. Travel within the Midwest (including overnight travel) is required up to ~20% of working time.
Application timeline
- Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Candidate screening and interviews will proceed through the posted deadline of Friday, November 13th.
Why Careertakes is sharing this role
As a third-party recruiting partner, Careertakes presents this role to broaden candidate access and help match qualified applicants to Confidential Client. If selected via Careertakes, you will be employed by Confidential Client directly. Careertakes may also surface additional matched opportunities to applicants through our platform to increase your chances of finding the right role.
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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