Head of Project Development

JOB DETAILS Head of Project Development SALARY A competitive remuneration package is available, based on quality and range of experience. ABOUT ZENOBE Our mission is to make clean power accessible. We are passionate about making a positive impact on communities and the environment where we work. We’re designing, financing, building and operating the world’s most sophisticated battery systems to enable the take up of more renewable power, electrifying fleets for cleaner air, and providing clean, portable power including repurposed electric vehicle batteries. Our proprietary software and data analysis optimises operational performance for our customers to reduce emissions and costs. Since we began in 2017, we’ve raised over £2.7 billion in debt and equity funding and transformed it into >1.2GW of grid-connected batteries live or under contract and c.3,400 electric vehicles supported, including transit buses, school buses and trucks. We have operations in the USA, the UK, Benelux, Australia and New Zealand, with a global headquarters in London. With offices in Chicago and New York, our rapidly growing company is looking for highly talented and motivated people to join us. THE OPPORTUNITY As we scale in the North American market, we are looking for an experienced technical leader to serve as Head of Project Development – North America. This is a hands-on leadership role: you will build, lead, and personally work alongside a team of technical sales engineers, managers, and associates responsible for the technical and value-engineered solution on Zenobē’s fleet electrification projects. The role requires significant collaboration across functional groups – Project Delivery, Product Management and Engineering, Operations, Commercial Analytics, Legal, and Business Development – and strong project management acumen to manage a growing team across multiple concurrent projects. The ideal candidate combines a strong electrical engineering foundation with development experience: permitting and AHJ navigation, utility interconnection, EPC tendering, and contract/risk exposure across the project lifecycle. Experience in P3 or broader infrastructure development is a strong plus. EV/fleet electrification experience is strongly desired. This is a commercial role as much as a technical one: you will be evaluated on successful deal outcomes and project delivery, and must understand how design and value-engineering decisions affect deal economics, and how contractual risk flows down from customer contracts into EPC and subcontractor terms. You will report directly to the EVP–Partnerships and Commercial Operations. This is a unique opportunity to work in an entrepreneurial environment, building a new business in a fast-growing and rapidly-evolving sector (“start-up within a scale-up”). At the same time, you will have the support from a company with over 400 team members that has a wide range of contracting, financing, procurement and operational experience gained to date from over 3,500 contracted e-buses worldwide. Self-starters and candidates able to thrive in a dynamic environment are desired as Zenobē intends to leverage its significant capabilities for growth in the North American markets, and you will have the mandate and autonomy to build the North American technical function largely from scratch. A BIT ABOUT THE DAY TO DAY Build, lead, and personally work alongside a team of technical sales engineers, managers, and associates delivering technical solutions for fleet electrification projectsOwn the technical project development function supporting Zenobē’s commercial group in North America, with significant cross-functional coordination across Project Delivery, Product Management & Engineering, Operations, Commercial Analytics, Legal, and Business DevelopmentSupport your team and conduct site surveys, develop initial project designs (HV/LV equipment, EV charging equipment, communications), and produce layouts using AutoCADNavigate permitting and AHJ requirements across jurisdictions to keep projects on scheduleDevelop and maintain costing models, Scopes of Work, RFQs, and SOPs to scale project development capability with business growthConduct feasibility reviews at volume to support Business Development and Commercial Development in assessing prospective customer sites, flagging technical risk, cost, and feasibility earlyAssess project design during bidding, identifying value engineering opportunities to reduce cost, mitigate risk, or shorten scheduleSupport EPC tendering and manage supplier-partner relationships across Tier 1–3 subcontractorsOwn the technical value proposition that wins the deal — driving Zenobē’s turnkey offering directly with customers and playing an active role in closing deals, not just supporting themUnderstand and manage how contractual risk flows down from customer contracts into EPC and subcontractor terms, ensuring scope, price, and risk allocation stay aligned through executionAffect high-level engagements and represent Zenobē in a technical capacity to and for customersLiaise with local utility companies on upcoming and current projects, including grid constraints, optimizing utility input to site, managing available funding sources, and guiding capacity increase requestsLiaise with OEMs to understand products coming to market, technical specifications, and customer valueCoordinate closely with Legal, Procurement, and Delivery to source supplier-partners, review subcontractor bids, and ensure effective handoff at contract executionApply significant project management discipline to manage a growing team and portfolio, including resourcing, reporting, and delivery cadenceOwn Stage Gate (Assurance Review) compliance for the Development & Design phase — AR3a and AR3b — ensuring design, permitting, subcontracts, and budget are complete and audit-ready ahead of gate submissionIdentify and drive opportunities to refine project development processes, tooling, and best practices as the team and pipeline scaleTravel to current and prospective job sites — including on short notice — to conduct surveys, engage directly with customers, and build the relationships and confidence needed to progress a deal Health and Safety Actively contribute to Zenobe's commitment to health and safety, wellbeing and sustainability by; integrating these principles into daily responsibilities, ensuring a safe and supportive work environment, promoting both the physical and mental health of self and colleagues, and adopting sustainable and energy-efficient practices to minimize environmental impact. By doing so, each employee at Zenobe plays a vital role in fostering a culture that prioritises overall safety, holistic wellbeing, environmental sustainability in our business operations. YOUR EXPERIENCE Above all, Zenobē is looking for collaborative, flexible, enthusiastic, and empathetic people who are interested in creating and promoting paths to a zero-carbon world. You are part of a ‘team’ and will be supported by a group of experienced professionals that care deeply about the work we do! You should anticipate heavy growth potential within the role as you develop professionally (and personally) as part of the Zenobē team. We are looking for humble, hungry, smart builders who love being part of a fast-moving team. Essential competencies: Bachelor’s degree or higher – requiredDemonstrated project development background in EV, energy, or broader infrastructure (P3, renewables, utility-scale) with electrical biasProven experience building and leading technical/engineering teams, including technical sales engineers, managers, and associatesProficient working knowledge and interpretation of electrical schematics/drawings/SLDs/general arrangements/etcExperience with land-use planning and public/private property entitlements to support early-stage site feasibility assessmentDetailed experience with permitting, AHJs, and construction management processesSolid understanding of electrical contracting, construction process, and cost estimation/scopingExperience with utility interconnection process (service/line extension, load letters, capacity requests)Experience with EPC tendering and managing supplier-partners (Tier 1–3)Strong project management acumen – able to run a multi-project portfolio and a growing team concurrentlyDemonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and stakeholders (internal and external) under deadline pressureStrong commercial acumen – understanding of how design, scope, and value-engineering decisions affect deal economics, pricing, and win probability; evaluated on successful deal outcomes and project delivery, not technical output aloneLegal and contracting experience – able to review, negotiate, or structure contract terms and understand how risk allocation flows down from customer contracts into EPC and subcontractor agreementsFlexibility in work location — combination of remote, office, and on-site work, with travel required and sometimes on short notice given growing project review and site visit volume Highly desired: EV/fleet electrification experience strongly desired (charge management, EVSE providers, OEMs, grant programs)Bachelor’s degree or higher in Engineering or adjacent discipline (Electrical strongly preferred)P3 or infrastructure development/finance backgroundProject Management Professional (PMP) Desirable but non-essential: Experience with energy management, load modeling, and optimizationFamiliarity with Salesforce, SiteTracker, P6/Primavera, Bluebeam, AutoCAD, and MS ProjectExperience with EV charging infrastructure commissioningLean / TPMS and/or Continuous Improvement For Ilinois / NYC Compensation Description (annually): Please note that the base salary range is a guideline, and individual total compensation will vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies, and work location. Base pay is one part of the total package that is provided to compensate and recognise employees for their work and any role at Zenobē, regardless of the location, is eligible for additional discretionary bonuses. Base salary per annum: USD$180,000 - USD$200,000 OUR BENEFITS We have an open, honest and trusting culture here at Zenobe. Apart from the unparallel opportunity to be at the forefront of the Net Zero revolution we are proud of the culture we have built. Here is what we can offer when you join the Zenobe community; At Zenobe we all work hard and go the extra mile so it’s important to rest and regenerate with 20 days holiday which increases after 5 years’ service401k Scheme – Up to 4% matchingExcellent opportunities for personal growth and responsibility plus a training budgetUp to 33% performance related bonusHealth, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance (We offer 3 Robust medical plans including one that’s 100% employer-paid coverage for employees and 75% paid for the dependents/spouse)Refer a friend bonus schemeEnhanced maternity and paternity benefitsFlex commuter programmeFertility leave OUR APPROACH TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Zenobe is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment which is as representative as possible of our society. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership pregnancy /maternity, race, nationality, religion or belief, gender, political beliefs and sexual orientation. Our culture values meritocracy, openness, fairness, and transparency.