Head of Project Execution

Job Description:

Position Summary

The Head of Project Execution is responsible for leading the successful delivery of a portfolio of engineering and construction projects across utility-scale renewable energy assets (wind, solar, and energy storage). This role provides strategic oversight, governance, and leadership to a team of Project Directors, Project Managers, and Project Controls professionals to ensure projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and aligned with business objectives.

This leader operates at the intersection of execution and strategy—driving performance discipline, standardization, and continuous improvement across the project delivery lifecycle while partnering closely with Engineering, Procurement, Finance, Development, and Operations.

We are open to hiring at the Project Director or Senior Project Director level depending on the candidate’s demonstrated experience leading complex projects or multi-project portfolios. Level will be determined based on scope of leadership, portfolio responsibility, and strategic impact.

Key Responsibilities

Portfolio Leadership & Execution

• Lead a portfolio of large-scale capital projects from pre-construction through commissioning and handoff to operations

• Establish clear execution priorities aligned with company strategy and capital allocation plans

• Ensure consistent delivery against key performance metrics: schedule, cost, quality, and safety

• Identify and mitigate portfolio-level risks and dependencies across projects

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Project Directors, Project Managers, and Project Controls professionals

• Establish clear accountability, performance expectations, and development pathways across the project organization

• Build bench strength and succession plans for critical project leadership roles

• Drive a high-performance culture grounded in accountability, ownership, and collaboration

Project Governance & Controls

• Implement and enforce standardized project management methodologies, tools, and reporting frameworks

• Oversee project controls functions including cost management, scheduling, forecasting, and risk management

• Ensure robust change management processes and capital discipline across all projects

• Provide executive-level reporting on portfolio performance, risks, and mitigation strategies

Cross-Functional Alignment

• Partner with Engineering, Procurement, Development, Finance, Legal, and Operations teams to ensure seamless project execution

• Align project delivery plans with development timelines, interconnection schedules, and commercial milestones

• Support contracting strategy, vendor selection, and major negotiations as needed

Financial & Capital Management

• Oversee project budgets, forecasts, and capital deployment across the portfolio

• Ensure financial discipline and alignment with approved investment cases and return expectations

• Identify opportunities for cost optimization, value engineering, and efficiency improvements

Safety, Risk & Compliance

• Champion a strong safety culture across all project sites and teams

• Ensure compliance with regulatory, environmental, and internal governance requirements

• Proactively manage project risks, including contractor performance, supply chain constraints, and execution challenges

Continuous Improvement & Scaling

• Drive standardization and scalability of project delivery processes across the organization

• Implement lessons learned and best practices across projects

• Support digital enablement of project controls, reporting, and performance tracking

Required Qualifications

Project Director

• Bachelor's degree AND Eight (8) years or more of related work experience

• In lieu of bachelor's degree, high school diploma/GED AND 13 years or more years of related work experience

Senior Project Director

• Bachelor's degree AND 10 years or more of related work experience

• In lieu of bachelor's degree, high school diploma/GED AND 15 years or more years of related work experience

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Construction Management, or related field (Master’s preferred)

• 12 or more years of progressive experience in engineering, construction, or capital project delivery

• Five (5) or more years leading large, multi-disciplinary project teams and/or portfolios

• Experience delivering large-scale infrastructure or energy projects (renewables strongly preferred)

• Deep expertise in project controls, contract management, and capital project governance

Additional Information:

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Deriva welcomes veterans of the United States Armed Forces to apply for this position. Deriva includes veterans of all branches and a diverse set of occupational specialties. We value the independent thinking, problem solving, leadership, and teamwork that our veterans have developed through their service. We welcome applications from any service and any military occupational specialty.

Deriva Energy is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, family responsibilities, pregnancy, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, transgender, sex stereotyping, protected veteran or military status, and other categories protected by federal, state or local law.