Solar Development Project Manager

Background

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

National Housing Trust (NHT) has been dedicated to creating and preserving affordable housing for over 30 years. Our mission is to create and preserve affordable homes to provide opportunity, advance racial equity, reduce economic disparities, and strengthen community resilience through our integrated policy-plus-practice approach. We build, preserve, finance, and/or manage more than 4000 affordable housing units across the mid-Atlantic region, and use that expertise to inform and advance resident-focused solutions to strengthen the broader affordable housing industry.

NHT has a staff of 50+ across five program areas: Policy, Lending, Real Estate Development, Community Outreach and Impact, and Sustainability. Our hallmark is our cross-functional, integrated approach to innovating, demonstrating, and amplifying solutions to the affordable housing crisis in the U.S.

The Solar Development Project Manager will join NHT’s Energy Solutions team under the Managing Director of Sustainability. The Energy Solution team collaborates with affordable housing owners across the country, including NHT’s own Real Estate Development team, to develop and operate rooftop and community solar benefiting residents and owners of affordable housing.   Since 2014, NHT’s Energy Solutions team has partnered with multi-family affordable housing providers to co-develop, finance, and install 15MW of renewable energy projects. Our expertise in affordable housing and track record developing portfolio-level solar installations have generated $26.3M in property and resident savings, impacted over 11,800 low-income households, and reduced emissions by 330,946 metric tons.

This position is DC-based and qualifies for a hybrid work schedule, working a minimum of two days per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) at NHT’s corporate office.

Summary

The Solar Development Project Manager will integrate sustainability and renewable energy into affordable multifamily housing projects. More specifically, this position will lead the financial modeling, technical feasibility analysis, and project management of portfolio-scale solar developments on top of affordable housing. This position will also support NHT’s business development activities with affordable multifamily building owners, conducting portfolio screening of their properties to identify opportunities for rooftop and community solar. Finally, the solar development project manager will identify and secure grant funds that maximize benefits for affordable housing providers and residents.

Responsibilities

Solar Business Development and Originations (30%)

• Assist Managing Director of Sustainability in securing solar development deals by meeting and signing up potential partners
• Coordinate with affordable housing owners and collect property-level information necessary to conduct portfolio screening to identify solar opportunities
• With support of NHT’s Managing Director, source new solar development projects and maintain a pipeline of potential new projects
• Assist in the development of project concepts, financial modeling, and ownership entity structure for NHT’s solar pipeline
• Support finance plan development for project team and NHT’s solar projects. Source all debt, equity, and grants necessary to finance projects
• Negotiate business partnership terms for Solar development projects
• Serve as a point of contact for Energy Solutions business partnerships

Project Feasibility Analysis and Financial Modeling (30%)

• Conduct portfolio screening for affordable housing owner/clients, analyzing the potential for each multi-site portfolio to implement renewable energy project solutions. For each affordable housing owner, portfolio screening will involve the following activities:
  • Data gathering technical assistance
  • Technical feasibility for solar, community solar, or solar+battery storage project solutions
  • Federal, state/municipality grant opportunities
  • Financial analysis of options and business models
  • Project implementation recommendations
• Project feasibility analysis for NHT’s solar pipeline, including solar system sizing, design & site selection
• Build and maintain financial models for each multi-site project portfolio

Solar Project Management (40%)

• Provide comprehensive project management from development through construction completion for NHT’s solar projects to secure on-time delivery
• Track, report, and approve predevelopment expenses for NHT solar projects
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all project partners and vendors
• Manage the subscription acquisition process for community solar projects
• Determine and troubleshoot issues preventing project progress
• Work with Solar Asset Manager to transition projects over to asset management
• Provide grant administration and tracking services for all solar and energy grants
• In consultation with legal counsel, draft and negotiate legal agreements with partners, contractors, and funders
• Maintain organized project records and share with asset management and financing/accounting team as needed
• Identify, apply, and administer grant fundraising opportunities for NHT’s renewable energy projects
• Establish and/or maintain professional networking relationships with industry trade groups and others to advance NHT brand and mission
• Maintain accurate records projecting developer fees and cash flows

Requirements

This is an extraordinary opportunity for a committed leader with at least 7 years of experience on renewable energy and/or green building development projects. Candidates will ideally have experience in affordable housing and providing technical assistance in a client-facing work environment. Other qualifications include:

• Commitment to NHT’s mission, including a deep dedication to assisting low-income families
• Experience with green building certifications (e.g. LEED, Enterprise Green Communities, Passive House)
• Prior experience multi-tasking simultaneous tasks and client objectives
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated work experience developing solar and renewable energy projects t
• Demonstrated project management background in the sustainability/environmental field
• Familiarity with software analyzing feasibility and technical potential of energy and sustainability projects (e.g. Helioscope, ReOpt Light, PVWatts, Nearmap).
• Strong computer aptitude skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite Programs
• Detail-oriented, entrepreneurial self-starter who relishes multitasking
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational and communications skills, verbal and written
• Excellent planning and organization skills
• Ability to integrate thoroughness and attention to details with a big picture, strategic vision
• Resourcefulness, with the ability to deliver results in an entrepreneurial, client-facing environment
• Collaborative spirit and positive attitude (a good sense of humor is a plus)
• Master’s degree in relevant field

Compensation and Benefits

Salary and benefits are competitive and commensurate with experience. The minimum, median, and maximum salary range for this position is $80,000, $106,600, and $133,300 respectively.

How to Apply

Apply for This Job. No phone calls.

NHT is committed to providing equal employment opportunity in all our employment programs and decisions, including, but not limited to recruitment and hiring. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, disability, matriculation, genetic information, covered veteran’s status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. BIPOC applicants, women, and persons with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply.