Senior Solar Project Engineer

Overview

Senior Solar Project Engineer at Nexamp
• Chicago, IL, United States. Do you want to be a part of the clean energy movement? Are you passionate about improving our environment for this generation and those to follow? Are you ready to take on new challenges and collaborate with a future‑focused team leading the way into new markets? Join Nexamp! You will learn from industry leaders, work in a fast‑paced, mission‑based environment, and help change the world.

• Manage engineering and design to support development, permitting, interconnection, construction, and closeout phases for solar power plants and energy storage systems. Create drawings as needed to maintain project timelines. Support construction of engineering designs.
• Lead the activities of the project team to deliver optimized design and engineering packages to meet the requirements of the project schedule. Make decisions on project‑ and portfolio‑level tradeoffs to minimize LCOE and achieve project objectives.
• Provide technical support to Nexamp development from lead generation to NTP. Communicate with code‑enforcement personnel, provide technical context for development conversations with AHJs, complete auxiliary engineering analyses as needed to advance projects (subsurface engineering investigations, glare studies, FAA reports, noise studies, etc.).
• Independently develop and defend engineering opinions on any aspect of the PV design process (Energy modelling, Civil/Electrical/Structural design, PV+BESS, etc.).
• Lead technical due diligence on grid‑tied generation asset designs.
• Provide technical support to Nexamp construction from NTP to Substantial Completion. Drive resolutions for RFIs and technical challenges, review submittals, attend weekly construction calls as needed, and support project closeout tasks.
• Coordinate project‑level engineering activities between teams (Electrical, Civil, SCADA, & Design Engineering). Provide guidance and support to external engineering teams, resolving technical issues and reducing ambiguity while weighing the impact to project risks, performance, and cost.
• Identify, track, and mitigate project risks by maintaining a project risk register and communicating risks to stakeholders.
• Own energy production modelling for Nexamp assets utilizing a range of modelling software (PVSYST, Helioscope, SIFT, PVCase Yield, etc.).
• Review and approve equipment drawings and specifications for procurement. Review project drawings for constructability and code‑compliance.
• Develop and maintain design/construction code expertise. Track anticipated code updates and analyze their impact on Nexamp's Engineering standards and Procurement strategies.
• Develop subject matter expertise in a technical focus area to support objectives of the engineering department.
• Lead new product and technology research initiatives; present findings and conclusions to senior leaders.
• Lead process improvement initiatives and own change management.
• Develop and manage relationships with a network of vendors and engineering consultants for the entire project life cycle.
• Support training of engineering department personnel and development of design drawing libraries.
• Perform site visits during construction for project assessment.

• Degree in Engineering or equivalent education/certification background. NABCEP certification and/or Engineer‑in‑Training (EIT) credential required.
• 5+ years of experience in solar project engineering and/or design, including at least 2 years supporting the design, optimization, and construction of grid‑tied energy projects‑preferably solar, battery energy storage systems (BESS), or wind.
• Experience working with third‑party engineering firms to deliver construction‑ready engineering drawings, calculations, and specifications.
• Familiarity with the Distributed Generation (DG) or Community Solar landscape, with an understanding of how it differs from C&I and Utility Scale PV. Knowledge of utility, state, or regional differences that affect PV project execution.
• Demonstrated leadership or decision‑making responsibilities across the permitting, interconnection, construction, and/or closeout phases of PV or…