Senior Director of Development

POSITION SPECIFICATION

Senior Director of Development

The Organization

Grid United is a mission driven company aiming to solve the largest barrier to a more reliable, resilient and affordable grid by developing new long haul electric transmission lines in the United States. Established in 2021 by proven industry leaders, Grid United is developing utility-scale electric multi-state transmission projects that will provide long-term economic benefits to communities across the country, provide Americans with improved grid resiliency for our homes and businesses, and cost savings for electricity consumers.

More information about the company can be found at www.gridunited.com

The Position

Grid United is seeking an experienced Senior Director of Development to lead a late-stage, multi-billion-dollar transmission project through final development, financial close, and the transition into construction.

The Senior Director will lead the project's development team, closing out remaining permits, approvals, land rights, and agreements with the precision and accuracy required to raise construction financing. This person will own the project's development budget, schedule, and risk register, coordinate shared workstreams across land, environmental, regulatory, engineering, legal, and finance teams, and manage the handover of development workstreams to construction and partner organizations. Throughout, the Senior Director will uphold Grid United's landowner- and community-first development ethos.

This position will report to the NPC Project Leader and is based in Houston, TX.

Key Responsibilities & Outcomes

Project leadership and execution

- Lead the project's development team, including project managers, functional team members, and consultants, to drive the project from late-stage development through financial close and construction readiness
- Own the development components of the project budget, schedule, and risk register, and execute all remaining development tasks accordingly
- Anticipate and mitigate development, land, regulatory, and environmental challenges before they affect the project budget and schedule and provide clear recommendations to senior leadership
- Ensure all development deliverables meet the standard of precision and documentation required by lenders, investors, and partners to secure construction financing

Permits, approvals, and agreements

- Acquire all required county and township discretionary permits and approvals
- Secure local tax incentives, as available and desirable
- Road use and maintenance agreement negotiation and execution

Stakeholder engagement

- Continue to build project inevitability and grow community support through consistent, respectful engagement with landowners, local and state officials, and other key stakeholders
- Ensure stakeholder engagement is consistent with broader project messaging and needs

Cross-functional coordination

- Collaborate with and provide development resources to functional leads to support:
- Acquisition of outstanding land rights, including state land licenses, transmission easements, ancillary land rights, and crossing agreements
- Completion of title search and curative work, and execution of easement and fee purchase options
- Required federal, state, and public utility commission approvals and certificates
- Grant compliance, where applicable

- Monitor and coordinate the work of the development, land, environmental, and regulatory teams; identify shared workstreams, clarify roles and responsibilities, and ensure efficient execution
- Alert the project leader to development, environmental, and land risks, and work with functional leads to identify and implement mitigants

Handover and partner management

- Identify optimal handover points for development, land, and environmental workstreams to construction and partner organizations, in coordination with functional leads and the project leader, and successfully effectuate the handoff
- Build a unified "One Team" culture across Grid United and its project partners, grounded in mutual respect, recognition, and professional disagreement.

People leadership

- Manage the developers and project managers who support the project team. Assign work in alignment with project needs and individual competencies, and provide structured feedback and growth opportunities
- Select and manage consultants, and contribute to the continued improvement of Grid United's development and execution processes

Behaviors – which are essential to success of this team

- Be exemplars of the Grid United values of humility, tenacity, ingenuity and grace
- Build, maintain and value broad, and deep stakeholder relationships, plus have a personal commitment to making a difference in the community
- Proactively work with stakeholders to solve problems in a calm and no blame way

Desired Experience and Skills

- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. An advanced degree is helpful but not required
- 10+ years of relevant professional experience, with substantial experience in electric transmission, renewable energy, or other linear infrastructure development
- Demonstrated experience advancing complex infrastructure projects through multiple stages of development and project financing
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and coordinating work across multiple internal functions and external partners
- Working knowledge of land acquisition, routing, permitting, environmental review, engineering, regulatory, commercial, and community engagement activities
- Experience developing and managing project budgets, schedules, risk registers, consultants, and executive reporting
- Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with landowners, utilities, public officials, regulators, community leaders, customers, and other external stakeholders
- Experience with state and federal permitting processes. Familiarity with NEPA and public utility commission proceedings is strongly preferred
- Strong judgment and the ability to recognize, assess, communicate, and mitigate project risks
- Excellent written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and facilitation skills
- Ability to absorb complex information quickly and communicate the most important issues clearly and concisely
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving environment with ambiguity, changing priorities, and multiple competing deadlines
- Strong proficiency with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
- Familiarity with GIS tools, mapping platforms, project controls, and stakeholder or land-management systems is preferred
- Willingness and ability to travel regularly to project regions and stakeholder meetings

What the Right Candidate Will Love about this Opportunity

- An organization dedicated to solving the ever-changing Rubik’s cube of high voltage transmission development in a fast paced, dynamic and innovative culture
- Working with a core group of dedicated and thoughtful colleagues
- Working on a day-to-day basis with highly experienced and proven industry leaders
- Being empowered to play a leading role in delivering large-scale projects that will materially change the energy future of America
- Working in an organization committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and having a positive social impact
- Excellent financial backing from a leading energy investor with long term commitment, passion for energy, and an understanding and appetite to tackle the challenges of transmission development

Grid United is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, military/veteran status, or any basis prohibited by applicable law.

Grid United offers a comprehensive benefits package, which includes a competitive base salary and bonus incentive plan, long term incentive plan, health benefits, 401(k), and more.