Director of Operations & Maintenance (Utility Scale Solar & BESS)

About the company

TotalEnergies is a major energy company producing and marketing fuels, natural gas, and low-carbon electricity. With over 100,000 employees in more than 120 countries, TotalEnergies is committed to safer, more affordable, cleaner, and accessible energy, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050 or sooner. This role supports the US Government’s goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Responsibilities

• Enforce TotalEnergies Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) policy across all activities, ensuring compliance with HSE standards for internal teams and external service providers.
• Develop, lead, and mentor a team responsible for the operational performance of utility-scale renewable assets, fostering a culture of urgency, continuous improvement, and accountability.
• Lead the development of project-level Operations & Maintenance (O&M) strategies, including financial and operational feasibility analysis for transitioning from outsourced to self-perform field operations.
• Champion the achievement of portfolio performance KPIs, such as plant availability, actual vs. modeled generation, operational budget (Opex) targets, and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee real-time performance monitoring of each project, identify corrective actions, and ensure timely communication and execution by appropriate teams.
• Collaborate with the Performance Management team to identify underperformance areas and align action plans to address them.
• Drive the implementation and adoption of digital tools (APM, CMMS) across field operations teams.
• Manage performance of third-party O&M providers, ensuring preventative and corrective maintenance activities are executed as planned and contractual deliverables are enforced.
• Negotiate service agreements with O&M subcontractors and specialized service providers engaged in asset-level support.
• Govern the transition of new assets from the EPC phase into full operations, ensuring timely transfer of documentation, testing, and punch-lists.
• Direct high-voltage substation maintenance programs, ensuring strict compliance with NERC, FERC, and regional grid reliability standards.
• Develop specialized operational protocols for each generation type (BESS, PV, wind), embedding technology-specific differences into training, KPIs, and procedures.
• Establish spare parts and inventory strategies to minimize Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) for critical components while maintaining disciplined inventory controls.
• Drive the development and implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) across the operating portfolio.
• Collaborate with engineering and construction teams to review and approve project design decisions impacting operational reliability, integrating field lessons learned into future projects.
• Establish and maintain relationships with leaders across internal departments to encourage information sharing, collaboration, and alignment of goals.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, project management, or a relevant technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in utility-scale power generation operations and maintenance.
• 5+ years of direct leadership experience managing both third-party contractors and field-based teams dispersed across multiple locations.
• Strong technical knowledge of utility-scale solar infrastructure, including central inverters, trackers, and DC health optimization.
• Strong understanding of high-voltage substation maintenance, SCADA infrastructure, and NERC/FERC reliability standards.
• Extreme level of ethics and personal responsibility while working autonomously.
• Assertive team player with diverse interests and a passion for working in dynamic environments.
• Attention to detail to solve time-sensitive issues with precision and urgency.
• Flexible mindset to adapt to changes associated with growing a high-impact, high-visibility business.

Preferred Qualifications

• 12–15+ years of industry experience, preferably in renewable energy operations and maintenance.
• Familiarity with utility-scale wind assets and O&M strategies.
• Demonstrated proficiency in leveraging CMMS and APM tools to improve technical performance.
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills in a cross-functional, global environment.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving organization with limited day-to-day direction.
• Working knowledge of power markets, renewable incentives (RECs, tax credits), and regulatory frameworks.
• Based in Austin, Texas (preferable) or Houston, Texas.