Senior Solar Project Manager

Vaco has partnered with a Commercial Solar & Electrical company in Indianapolis to hire a Sr. Project Manager to lead Solar construction projects.ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITYOur client is a rapidly growing commercial solar and electrical contractor based in Indianapolis, IN. They are scaling into larger, higher-complexity commercial and industrial solar projects in the $1M–$6M range and need a Senior Project Manager who can lead those projects with full ownership from handoff through closeout.The team is collaborative, fast-moving, and deeply values transparency, grit, and partnership. They're looking for someone who has been around enough projects to help them level up and serve as a subject matter expert in commercial solar projects. WHAT YOU'LL DOYou will own commercial, industrial, and distributed generation solar projects from the moment they hand off from pre-construction through final closeout. This is a real PM role — you're expected to lead, not just coordinate.Manage full project lifecycle: schedules, manpower plans, material plans, logistics, and site needsLead kickoff meetings, internal coordination, customer updates, subcontractor meetings, and project reviewsCoordinate with field leadership on daily production, schedule execution, quality, and site requirementsReview drawings, specs, submittals, utility requirements, and scope documents for constructability and alignmentIdentify project risks early — cost, schedule, labor, material, subcontractor — and build mitigation plansOwn the project budget: labor, subs, rentals, materials, change orders, and margin performanceIdentify, price, submit, and track change orders professionally and on timeManage procurement, material releases, deliveries, staging, and warehouse coordinationManage subcontractors — scope, schedule, safety, quality, documentation, and performanceServe as the primary client-facing contact for customers, GCs, engineers, utilities, vendors, and subsSupport safety compliance, JHAs, toolbox talks, inspections, and required site certificationsDrive quality control, commissioning coordination, punch list completion, and closeout documentationMaintain accurate documentation: meeting notes, schedules, cost records, change order logs, RFI logs, submittal logsCollaborate cross-functionally with estimating, pre-construction, warehouse, procurement, and field leadershipWHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR — REQUIRED7–10 years of project management experience in solar, electrical construction, commercial construction, renewable energy, or utility-scale constructionProven track record managing commercial, industrial, DG, or utility-scale solar projectsFluency in construction schedules (Gantt), budgets, contracts, scopes of work, change orders, procurement, sub management, and field productionAbility to read and interpret construction drawings, electrical plans, specs, submittals, and contractsStrong understanding of commercial solar construction: racking, modules, DC wiring, inverters, AC collection, grounding, trenching, equipment pads, terminations, testing, commissioning, and closeoutStrong communicator — able to lead field teams, subcontractors, vendors, and customer relationshipsWillingness to be based in Indianapolis, IN (relocation candidates considered on a case-by-case basis)PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONSNABCEP PV Installation Professional certificationMaster Electrician LicensePDIP certificationElectrical engineering, construction management, or related technical degreeExperience managing projects in the 1 MW to 10 MW rangeBackground in commercial electrical construction, medium voltage, utility interconnection, commissioning, and closeoutKnowledge of NEC, NFPA 70E, OSHA standards, utility requirements, and solar construction best practicesExperience with JobTread, Procore, Microsoft Project, Primavera P6, Bluebeam, AutoCAD, or similar PM softwareExperience managing prevailing wage projects and certified payroll coordinationWHO THRIVES HEREThe company evaluates every candidate against four core values: Partnership, Transparency, Impact, and Grit. They use a "Humble, Hungry, Smart" lens in their interview process:Humble — you don't claim to know everything, but you find the answer and get the job doneHungry — you push projects forward, drive teams toward deadlines, and make things happenSmart (EQ) — you can read a room, lead from that position, and communicate clearly at all levelsThis team moves fast. Projects change. They need someone who brings positive energy, isn't conflict-avoidant, and can have hard conversations with grace and professionalism when needed. If you've been on enough projects that you can walk in and immediately add value — and you want to be part of a company that's growing quickly — this is worth a conversation.BENEFITSPTOCompany-provided healthcareOptional vision and dentalOptional 401(k)Continuing education opportunitiesGain-share performance bonus tied to project budget resultsRelocation Note: The company prefers local Indianapolis candidates. If you are located outside of Indy but open to relocating, please still apply — there is potential for a relocation conversation for the right candidate. Indianapolis, IN, US On-Site Construction Vaco $ 100000.00 - 150000.00 yearly direct hire