Sr. Associate, Development

About the role

Elevate is deploying reliable energy solutions that power the communities we serve. We’re not just building infrastructure; we’re enabling the future of energy, supporting massive digital and data center expansions and supporting a more resilient, electrified grid. Elevate is where top talent meets real impact. We're a lean, mission-driven team accelerating the clean energy transition through bold, meaningful projects.

The Sr. Associate, Brownfield Development will own a portfolio of active BESS development projects on brownfield sites across New York and the broader Northeast — advancing them through environmental diligence, complex permitting, interconnection milestones, and preconstruction readiness.

Responsibilities

• Advance a portfolio of brownfield BESS projects simultaneously, maintaining development schedules, budgets, and stage-gate milestones to project finance standards.
• Coordinate across engineering, interconnection, finance, legal, and environmental teams to keep projects on track and technically viable.
• Track and report on project status, risks, and key milestones to the Director and broader leadership team.
• Identify and flag development risks early — environmental constraints, permitting delays, interconnection issues — and drive timely resolution.
• Support brownfield due diligence, including Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, remediation scoping, and coordination with environmental consultants.
• Support multi-agency permitting for brownfield BESS projects — including SEQR/CEQR, NYSDEC, Army Corps of Engineers, DOB, and FDNY fire code compliance.
• Manage permitting schedules, track agency correspondence, and coordinate with permitting consultants and outside counsel.
• Develop working knowledge of NYC-specific regulatory requirements including local land use approvals, zoning, and building permits.
• Attend and support agency meetings, community board hearings, and public proceedings as needed.
• Support NYISO interconnection queue progression, tracking study milestones, responding to information requests, and coordinating with the interconnection team.
• Coordinate with civil, structural, and electrical engineering consultants on site planning, grading, stormwater design, and utility coordination.
• Review technical deliverables — geotechnical reports, civil site plans, electrical one-lines — and escalate issues for resolution.
• Support the development-to-preconstruction transition, contributing to IFC package reviews, permit finalization, and executed agreement tracking.
• Assist in constructability reviews with engineering and construction teams; help identify and resolve design or permitting gaps prior to NTP.
• Build and maintain relationships with landowners, local officials, and community stakeholders to support project approvals and community acceptance.

Requirements

• 3–5 years of energy infrastructure or real estate development experience; utility-scale BESS or power generation experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of New York State permitting, including SEQR/CEQR, NYSDEC, and NYC regulatory processes (DOB, FDNY, local land use).
• Familiarity with brownfield development, environmental due diligence, or remediation coordination — NYSDEC BCP experience a strong plus.
• Understanding of the NYISO interconnection process and experience advancing projects through queue milestones.
• Strong project management skills — able to advance multiple workstreams simultaneously with a high degree of organization and follow-through.
• Ability to review and synthesize technical documents including environmental reports, civil plans, and interconnection studies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable representing Elevate in agency meetings and community forums.
• Based in or willing to relocate to New York City; willingness to travel to project sites and regulatory meetings as needed.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with BESS or renewable energy project development specifically.
• Familiarity with the NYSDEC Brownfield Cleanup Program and certificate-of-completion processes.
• Exposure to geotechnical assessments, civil engineering coordination, or gen-tie development.
• Experience with Smartsheet, Procore, or similar project management tools.

Why Join Us?

Make a Meaningful Impact: Play a direct role in accelerating the energy transition by contributing to transformative, utility-scale energy storage projects—especially on complex brownfield and urban-constrained sites where innovation drives real-world results.

Thrive in a Mission-Driven Culture: Be part of a lean, agile team that values integrity, innovation, and decisive execution. We foster a collaborative environment where every team member has a voice and is empowered to make a difference.

Grow with a Company on the Rise: Join at a pivotal moment as we scale from startup to growth stage. You'll have the opportunity to shape strategy, influence outcomes, and grow professionally alongside a company backed by top-tier private equity and poised for significant expansion.

Pay

The pay range for this role is $95,000 - $125,000 USD per year.