Associate Director / Director, M&A

Job Description

Job Description

About UGE 

UGE is a leading developer, owner, and operator of distributed generation (DG) solar and energy storage projects across the United States. Since 2008 we have brought online 700+ commercial, industrial, and community solar projects representing more than 500 MW of capacity, and today we develop, finance, build, own, and operate a growing portfolio that helps building owners, landowners, institutions, and everyday subscribers access affordable, clean, and reliable energy. Backed by NOVA Infrastructure, UGE is scaling its pipeline and its owned-asset base across the country’s leading community solar and C&I storage markets.

As UGE grows, acquisitions and portfolio origination are central to our strategy. This role sits at the heart of that effort — sourcing, underwriting, and closing the projects and portfolios that expand our footprint.

The Opportunity 

We are hiring a senior M&A professional — at the Associate Director or Director level depending on experience — to lead the acquisition of distributed generation solar and energy storage assets and to bring new deals into UGE. This is a deal-originating, revenue-driving role: you will leverage an existing network of developers, brokers, IPPs, and capital partners to build a proprietary pipeline of acquisition opportunities, and you will own those opportunities from first contact through underwriting, diligence, and close.

The ideal candidate combines deep sector fluency in DG solar and storage — markets, policy, and investment thesis — with hands-on underwriting and project/portfolio modeling capability and a demonstrated ability to convert relationships into closed transactions. You are equally comfortable in a first meeting with a developer, in the guts of a project finance model, and in a diligence room stress-testing a portfolio of development-stage assets.

This role requires 20-30% of travel to site visits, conferences and counterparty meetings. 

The role is hybrid for candidates located in NYC or Denver. 

Key Responsibilities 

Deal Origination & Network

• Originate acquisition opportunities: Proactively source a proprietary pipeline of DG solar and storage acquisition targets — individual projects, development-stage assets, operating assets, and portfolios — primarily through your existing relationships with developers, EPCs, brokers, IPPs, landowners, and capital providers.
• Own and grow the network: Serve as a senior face of UGE in the market; cultivate and expand relationships that consistently generate new, often off-market, deal flow.
• Bring in new deals: Carry direct responsibility for feeding UGE’s acquisition pipeline and hitting origination and closed-MW / closed-capacity targets.
• Represent UGE externally: Attend industry conferences and market events; monitor competitive activity and emerging sellers to stay ahead of opportunities.

Underwriting, Modeling & Valuation

• Underwrite projects and portfolios: Lead the financial underwriting of acquisition targets, building and reviewing detailed project- and portfolio-level models covering revenue (community solar subscriptions, PPAs, net metering, VDER/value-stack, capacity, and storage value streams), costs, incentives, and returns.
• Build and pressure-test models: Develop and audit project finance and valuation models; run sensitivities and scenario analysis on key drivers (production, degradation, escalators, subscriber churn, merchant exposure, interest rates, tax credit assumptions).
• Structure to maximize value: Recommend acquisition structures, purchase price, earn-outs, and milestone/holdback mechanics that appropriately allocate development and execution risk.
• Frame the investment thesis: Translate market and policy insight into a clear, defensible investment thesis and present it to the investment committee and executive leadership.

Due Diligence & Execution

• Lead transactions end to end: Drive deals from LOI/term sheet through diligence, negotiation, and closing, coordinating internal development, engineering, finance, legal, and asset management teams and external advisors.
• Manage diligence: Oversee commercial, technical, and financial diligence — interconnection status, site control, permitting, offtake/subscriber contracts, incentive eligibility, and title — with particular rigor on development-stage assets.
• Negotiate agreements: Lead negotiation of MIPAs/PSAs, membership interest purchase agreements, and related documents in partnership with legal counsel.

Market, Policy & Strategy

• Apply deep market knowledge: Bring current, detailed command of DG solar and storage markets — e.g., community solar and C&I programs in NY (VDER, NY-Sun), NJ, MA (SMART), IL, MD, ME, and other active state markets — and their tariff and interconnection dynamics.
• Track policy and incentives: Monitor federal and state policy — the Investment Tax Credit and transferability, prevailing wage/apprenticeship, domestic content and energy-community adders, storage incentives, and evolving state program rules — and translate changes into acquisition strategy.
• Shape corporate development strategy: Partner with executive leadership to refine acquisition criteria, target markets, and the buy-vs-build calculus that guides UGE’s growth.

What We're Looking For 

• 8+ years of relevant experience in the distributed generation solar and/or energy storage industry, across M&A, corporate development, project finance, development, or investing.
• Deep DG solar and storage expertise: demonstrated, hands-on knowledge of distributed generation solar and battery storage — not utility-scale-only experience.
• Market and policy fluency: deep knowledge of the key U.S. DG markets and the policies, incentives, and tariff structures that drive project economics.
• Investment thesis understanding: ability to independently form and articulate a rigorous investment thesis for projects and portfolios.
• An existing, relevant network: established relationships with developers, brokers, and other market participants that will generate acquisition opportunities from day one.
• Demonstrated origination ability: a track record of sourcing and bringing in new deals — this role is expected to originate, not just execute.
• Underwriting experience: proven ability to underwrite DG solar and storage acquisitions independently.
• Project and portfolio modeling: strong command of project-level and portfolio-level financial modeling and valuation; advanced Excel; comfort building and auditing complex cash-flow models.
• Development-stage asset understanding: a strong grasp of the development lifecycle and the risks specific to early- and mid-stage assets (interconnection, site control, permitting, offtake, incentive qualification).
• Transaction execution: experience leading or playing a lead role in closing acquisitions, including diligence coordination and negotiation support.
• Communication and presence: excellent written and verbal communication; able to represent UGE credibly with senior counterparties and to present to an investment committee.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, engineering, business, or a related field.

This position will be titled and leveled based on the successful candidate’s experience:

• Associate Director — ~8–12 years of experience. Leads underwriting and execution on transactions and actively originates from an established network, with deal leadership shared with or supported by senior leadership.
• Director — ~12+ years of experience. Independently owns a book of origination, sets acquisition strategy in a market or asset class, leads transactions autonomously, and may mentor junior corporate development staff.

Why You’ll Love Working With Us 

• A high-visibility, high-impact seat on a growing corporate development team where your origination directly drives company growth.
• The backing of NOVA Infrastructure and the capital to close the deals you bring in.
• Competitive base salary plus performance-based bonus tied to origination and closed transactions.
• Comprehensive benefits: medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k); paid time off; and a mission-driven, collaborative culture.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

Compensation will be based on experience, education, and other relevant factors. We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. UGE is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.