The Director, Operations is a highly visible leadership role responsible for driving operational performance, safety, and value optimization across a portfolio of utility-scale solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) assets. This role serves as the primary operational leader internally and externally, interfacing with executive leadership, investors, partners, and third-party service providers. The Director, Operations will build trust through disciplined execution, transparent reporting, and consistent delivery of results aligned with the company’s mission.
The Director, Operations is critical to delivering Sustainable Operational Excellence through safe, compliant, and performance-driven operations, reinforced by a strong culture of accountability and continuous improvement. This position owns end-to-end operational execution across the asset lifecycle, including onboarding new projects and leading transition from construction through care, custody, and control to long-term operations.
Responsibilities
Operational Leadership & Visibility
- Serve as the operational face of the portfolio to senior leadership, investors, and external partners
- Provide clear, data-driven insights on performance, risks, and optimization opportunities
- Build credibility through consistent delivery, transparency, and disciplined execution
- Accountable for communicating operational performance, risks, and mitigation strategies to internal and external stakeholders
Safety Leadership & Culture
- Champion and embed a proactive, zero-compromise safety culture across all operations
- Ensure safety is integrated into all operational decision-making and vendor expectations
- Partner with HSE to continuously improve safety performance and compliance
- Accountable for enforcing safety standards across all teams and providers, with authority to halt operations where unsafe conditions exist
Portfolio Performance & Accountability
- Accountable for delivering portfolio performance against budget, contractual obligations, and operational targets, including:
- Availability and reliability
- Production / generation performance
- Forced outage reduction
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives to maximize uptime and asset value
- Accountable for execution and closure of all corrective actions required to address performance gaps
Root Cause Resolution & Performance Improvement
- Ensure all underperformance is investigated and resolved in a timely and structured manner
- Accountable for translating root cause findings into executable actions and ensuring full resolution across the portfolio
- Partner with Reliability Engineering to implement technical recommendations and performance improvements
O&M Oversight & Vendor Accountability
- Provide full oversight of third-party O&M providers with clear KPIs, SLAs, and performance expectations
- Accountable for identification, prioritization, and execution of all site repairs and corrective work that fall outside the scope of O&M contracts and OEM warranties
- Conduct structured performance reviews and enforce corrective actions
- Accountable for ensuring O&M providers execute in accordance with defined standards, maintenance programs, and reliability strategies
- Drive standardization and disciplined execution across all operating assets
Asset Lifecycle & Project Onboarding
- Lead onboarding of all new assets into the operating portfolio
- Partner with Construction and EPC teams to support:
- Commissioning and punch list closure
- Documentation readiness
- Warranty tracking and enforcement
- Lead transition through care, custody, and control (CCC)
- Own operational readiness decisions and provide final approval for transition from construction to operations, including acceptance of operational risk
Cross-Functional Execution
- Partner with Asset Management to align operational execution with commercial and financial objectives
- Collaborate with Reliability Engineering, SCADA/OT, and HSE teams to deliver integrated solutions
- Serve as the primary execution bridge across construction, engineering, and operations
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or related field preferred
- 10+ years of experience in renewable energy, power generation, or infrastructure operations
- Direct experience managing utility-scale solar and/or battery storage assets
- Strong experience in O&M oversight and vendor performance management
- Proven track record of delivering operational performance across multi-site portfolios
- Experience engaging with senior leadership, investors, and external stakeholders
- Experience managing large-scale solar and BESS portfolios preferred
- Knowledge of ISO/RTO markets (e.g., ERCOT, PJM, MISO)
- Familiarity with SCADA systems, performance analytics, and reliability engineering practices
- Experience supporting construction-to-operations transitions and portfolio onboarding
- Location: Hybrid in Houston, Texas (4 days in office, Fridays remote).
- Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Visa sponsorship or transfer visas, including H-1B or L-2, are not available for this position.
Key Competencies
- Visible, accountable operational leadership
- Strong safety leadership and cultural influence
- Strategic and data-driven decision-making
- Executive communication and stakeholder management
- Ability to drive disciplined execution across complex portfolios
Benefits
Panthera Grid Partners offers an exciting benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, health savings account, flexible spending account, company-paid life insurance and short-term disability, voluntary life, and long-term disability, paid paternal leave, and a retirement plan with matching contributions. Full-time position with competitive compensation package, including bonus.