Director of Project Development and Strategy, High Voltage

Director Of Project Development And Strategy

SOLV Energy is a leading provider of infrastructure services to the power industry, designing, building and maintaining utility scale solar, battery storage and high voltage substation projects nationwide.

The Director of Project Development and Strategy leads all preconstruction activities for SOLV Energy's High Voltage Infrastructure business unit, from early-stage opportunity identification through estimate finalization, proposal submission, and handoff to project execution. This role owns the accuracy, consistency, and competitiveness of HV bids and budgets including transmission, substation, and switchyard scope and works closely with Business Development, Engineering, Procurement, and Operations leadership to convert pipeline opportunities into well-scoped, biddable, and constructible projects. The Director builds and standardizes preconstruction process across a growing HV portfolio, including the integration of recently acquired self-perform capability, and is a key contributor to win-strategy and pricing decisions presented to executive leadership. This role is based full-time in our office in San Diego, CA. Specific location details and expectations will be discussed during the interview process.

Position Responsibilities and Duties:

• Lead the HV preconstruction team through all phases of estimating and proposal development conceptual/budgetary pricing, competitive hard-bid estimates, negotiated pricing, and change order/scope development for existing projects.
• Own the preconstruction stage-gate process for the HV business unit, ensuring consistent scope definition, take-off methodology, risk review, and estimate quality across all opportunities and estimators.
• Partner with Business Development to evaluate incoming opportunities, support go/no-go decisions, and shape win strategy, pricing philosophy, and differentiation for client proposals and RFP responses.
• Direct quantity take-offs, unit pricing, and labor productivity assumptions for HV scope, including substations, switchyards, transmission lines, and BOP tie-in work, using both self-perform and subcontracted delivery models.
• Lead constructability reviews with Engineering and Operations to identify schedule, sequencing, and cost risk during design development, and to ensure estimates reflect buildable, field-validated approaches.
• Manage subcontractor and major equipment vendor bid solicitation, leveling, and qualification (transformers, switchgear, structures, conductor, and specialty subcontract scopes), working closely with Procurement and Supply Chain.
• Develop and present cost estimates, risk registers, and pricing recommendations to executive leadership and ownership (American Securities) as part of proposal and award approval processes.
• Ensure a clean, well-documented handoff of awarded projects from preconstruction to project execution teams, including budget basis of estimate, key assumptions, and identified risk/contingency items.
• Track win rates, estimate-to-actual performance, and productivity/pricing benchmarks across the HV portfolio; use this data to refine future estimating assumptions and unit costs.
• Standardize estimating tools, templates, and historical cost databases across HV, incorporating lessons learned from ongoing process improvement work and integration of Spartan Infrastructure and Roberson Waite Electric.
• Build and develop the preconstruction team's bench strength, including hiring, mentoring, and succession planning for estimators and preconstruction managers as the HV pipeline grows.
• Support long-lead item identification and early procurement (LNTP) coordination with Operations and Supply Chain to reduce transformer, switchgear, and structure lead-time schedule risk.

Minimum Skills or Experience Requirements:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in preconstruction, estimating, or engineering roles within high voltage transmission, substation, or heavy electrical/industrial construction; 3+ years in a preconstruction leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience leading competitive and negotiated pricing efforts for HV/substation EPC or self-perform projects, including hard-bid, design-build, and progressive design-build delivery models.
• Strong command of substation and transmission scope, major equipment (power transformers, GIS/AIS switchgear, structures, protection & control), and associated cost drivers.
• Experience building and leading an estimating team, including process standardization across multiple concurrent pursuits.
• Working knowledge of construction project controls, scheduling, and constructability principles, and how they inform estimate accuracy and risk.
• Strong executive communication and presentation skills, with experience presenting pricing and risk recommendations to senior leadership.
• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, or related field, or equivalent industry experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience estimating for both utility-scale solar/BESS interconnection substations and standalone transmission/substation projects.
• Familiarity with estimating and take-off platforms (e.g., Accubid or comparable tools) and evaluation of estimating technology upgrades.
• Experience integrating preconstruction processes following an M&A transaction or multi-entity combination.
• Existing relationships with major HV equipment manufacturers and specialty subcontractors.
• PE license or PMP certification a plus, though not required.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without requiring employer sponsorship now or in the future.

SOLV Energy Is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At SOLV Energy we celebrate the power of our differences. We are committed to building diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces that improve our communities. SOLV Energy prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind against an employee or applicant based on race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, or ethnicity, mental or physical disability, veteran status, parental status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Compensation Range: $164,122 - $205,153