Project Manager - Permit Design

The ideal candidate will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing projects within the Job Summary (Project Manager - Permit Design): We are seeking an experienced and proactive Project Manager - Permit Design to lead our Solar PV permitting design team. This role requires a strong foundation in residential and commercial PV system design, as well as permitting processes across various jurisdictions, and effective team leadership. The ideal candidate will be responsible for managing a team of design engineers, ensuring high-quality and timely delivery of permit-ready plan sets, and continuously improving design processes. This is a key leadership role within a fast-growing, mission-driven organization.

Key Responsibilities and Outcomes

1. Team Leadership & Management

· Manage, mentor, and support a team of junior and senior permit design engineers.

· Set performance expectations and conduct regular reviews to ensure team development and productivity.

· Facilitate technical training sessions and promote cross-functional knowledge sharing.

· Ensure effective resource allocation and workload balancing across team members.

2. Permit Design Oversight

· Oversee the end-to-end creation of permit plan sets, including layout design, SLDs, electrical calcs, conduit and wire schedules, and compliance with AHJ/utility codes.

· Review and approve complex design cases and edge scenarios.

· Stay current with national and local codes (NEC, IRC, IBC) and integrate updates into team practices.

· Ensure designs are compliant with jurisdictional permitting standards and customer requirements.

3. Process & Quality Management

· Implement and optimize standard operating procedures (SOPs) and quality control checklists.

· Lead design audits, identify root causes of errors, and drive corrective actions.

· Ensure KPIs such as turnaround time, first-pass yield, and design accuracy are consistently met or exceeded.

· Continuously improve design workflows to enhance efficiency and scalability.

4. Cross-functional Collaboration

· Coordinate closely with Management and Engineering teams to ensure smooth project hand-offs.

· Act as the point of contact for escalations related to permitting design and proactively resolve issues.

· Participate in client calls and meetings or internal planning discussions as needed to align design processes with overall business objectives.

5. Training & Development Responsibilities

· Design and execute onboarding programs for new design engineers to ensure quick ramp-up on tools, standards, and processes.

· Conduct regular technical training sessions on solar PV design principles, code compliance (NEC, local AHJ), and permitting workflows.

· Develop training materials, design templates, and SOP documentation to standardize knowledge across the team.

· Mentor junior and mid-level engineers to build technical depth and design accuracy. Identify skill gaps within the team and implement targeted upskilling programs.

· Lead periodic knowledge-sharing sessions to review updates in tools, permitting regulations, or internal process changes.

· Track training effectiveness and engineer performance improvements post-training.

Preferred Skills & Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in electrical/mechanical/civil engineering or related field. 5+ years of experience in solar PV system design, with 2+ years in a managerial or team lead role.

· Proficient in AutoCAD. Knowledge of Helioscope, Aurora, PVsyst, and design tools for rooftop and ground-mounted systems will be given priority.

· Strong knowledge of NEC, local permitting codes, and utility interconnection standards.

· Excellent communication, leadership, and project management skills.

• · Detail-oriented mindset with a commitment to quality and continuous improvement.