Vice President Transmission Grid Strategy (Charlottesville)

Job Description

Apex Clean Energy is seeking an experienced and strategic Vice President, Transmission & Grid Strategy to lead the company's transmission planning, interconnection, grid integration, and transmission analytics functions across its growing portfolio of utility‑scale renewable energy, energy storage, and emerging data center development opportunities.

The Vice President will be responsible for developing and executing the company's long‑term transmission and grid strategy, managing a multi‑gigawatt interconnection portfolio, optimizing project value through transmission planning and analytics, and building executive‑level relationships with utilities, ISOs/RTOs, regulators, and key industry stakeholders.

This executive leader will oversee all transmission planning, interconnection management, grid integration, and transmission analytics activities across the development lifecycle, ensuring transmission considerations are fully integrated into portfolio strategy, investment decisions, and project execution. The role will partner closely with Development, Origination, Finance, Engineering, Construction, Asset Management, and Executive Leadership to maximize portfolio value and create sustainable competitive advantages through superior transmission and grid positioning.

The Vice President will build and lead a high‑performing team of transmission professionals, transmission analysts, and engineering consultants supporting Apex's development platform.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Transmission and Grid Strategy

• Develop and execute Apex's long‑term transmission and grid strategy to support renewable energy, energy storage, and data center development objectives.
• Establish transmission planning priorities that maximize project value, reduce development risk, and improve capital efficiency across the portfolio.
• Advise executive leadership on transmission market trends, grid constraints, emerging opportunities, transmission investments, and strategic market expansion.
• Identify opportunities to create competitive advantages through transmission positioning, utility relationships, and grid intelligence.
• Evaluate transmission infrastructure investments and strategic transmission opportunities that enhance long‑term portfolio value.

Interconnection Portfolio Leadership

• Direct all transmission interconnection activities across Apex's multi‑gigawatt development portfolio spanning PJM, MISO, SPP, ERCOT, NYISO, ISO‑NE, CAISO, and WECC markets.
• Establish portfolio‑level interconnection strategies that optimize queue positioning, deliverability, upgrade costs, and project economics.
• Oversee interconnection applications, studies, agreements, and negotiations with utilities, transmission owners, and system operators.
• Lead strategic decisions regarding queue management, project prioritization, withdrawals, modifications, and portfolio optimization.
• Ensure timely execution of Generator Interconnection Agreements (GIAs), transmission service agreements, and related contractual obligations.
• Provide executive oversight of utility performance, schedule management, and critical path activities affecting project development timelines.

Transmission Analytics and Portfolio Optimization

• Lead the development and implementation of Apex's transmission analytics strategy to support investment decisions across renewable energy, battery storage, and emerging data center opportunities.
• Oversee evaluation of congestion patterns, locational marginal pricing (LMP), curtailment risk, basis risk, deliverability constraints, and transmission upgrade costs across all target markets.
• Develop and maintain portfolio‑level transmission intelligence tools that identify high‑value development opportunities and optimize project siting decisions.
• Direct advanced power flow, production cost, and market analytics to assess long‑term transmission capacity, reliability, and economic viability of prospective projects.
• Partner with Development, Origination, Finance, and Strategy teams to quantify transmission‑related risks and opportunities that impact project valuation and investment returns.
• Establish a data‑driven framework for prioritizing interconnection queue positions, transmission investments, and project advancement decisions across the portfolio.
• Evaluate emerging transmission technologies, grid‑enhancing technologies (GETs), dynamic line ratings, advanced conductors, and other innovations that may improve project economics and grid access.
• Lead the integration of transmission analytics into corporate planning, capital allocation, M&A evaluations, and long‑term market strategy.
• Develop forecasting capabilities related to load growth, electrification trends, data center demand, generation retirements, and transmission expansion plans to identify future development opportunities.
• Create executive‑level reporting and dashboards that provide actionable insights on transmission constraints, portfolio exposure, interconnection status, and grid‑related risks.

Utility, Regulatory, and Industry Leadership

• Develop and maintain executive‑level relationships with utilities, transmission owners, RTOs/ISOs, regulators, and industry organizations.
• Serve as Apex's senior representative on transmission, interconnection, and grid planning matters.
• Lead negotiations involving transmission upgrades, interconnection costs, utility agreements, construction schedules, and operational requirements.
• Partner with Policy and Regulatory Affairs teams to influence transmission planning reforms, interconnection policies, and regulatory developments.
• Represent Apex before industry organizations, utilities, regulators, and key stakeholders on matters affecting the company's transmission strategy.

Development and Grid Planning

• Guide site selection and market expansion efforts through transmission analysis and grid assessment.
• Oversee identification of optimal points of interconnection and transmission access opportunities.
• Support project development teams by assessing transmission congestion, curtailment exposure, reliability considerations, and future grid expansion plans.
• Provide strategic direction regarding substation siting, transmission routing, and collection system design.
• Partner with data center and large‑load development teams to evaluate power delivery solutions and grid capacity opportunities.

Technical and Organizational Leadership

• Lead internal and external engineering resources responsible for transmission studies, power flow modeling, system impact assessments, and interconnection analysis.
• Oversee consulting engineers, transmission planners, and technical advisors supporting project development and transmission initiatives.
• Establish best practices, standards, and analytical tools that improve decision‑making across the development platform.
• Build, mentor, and develop a high‑performing transmission and grid strategy organization.
• Manage departmental budgets, consultant relationships, and resource allocation priorities.
• Foster collaboration across Development, Origination, Finance, Engineering, Construction, Asset Management, and Executive Leadership teams.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in transmission planning, interconnection, utility engineering, renewable energy development, power systems, or related energy infrastructure roles.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing transmission, interconnection, grid planning, or power systems teams.
• Deep understanding of transmission planning, generator interconnection processes, wholesale power markets, and utility operations.
• Extensive experience working within one or more major ISOs/RTOs, including PJM, MISO, SPP, ERCOT, NYISO, ISO‑NE, or CAISO.
• Proven experience negotiating with utilities, transmission owners, system operators, and regulatory stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of power system modeling, transmission analytics, congestion management, and grid reliability principles.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical, commercial, and regulatory initiatives in a fast‑paced development environment.

Preferred

• MBA, Master's degree, or other advanced technical degree.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Experience supporting utility‑scale solar, wind, battery storage, and large‑load or data center development projects.
• Experience engaging in FERC proceedings, transmission policy development, and industry working groups.
• Experience managing multi‑gigawatt development portfolios across multiple power markets.

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic and enterprise‑level thinking
• Executive presence and stakeholder influence
• Strong commercial and financial acumen
• Team building and organizational leadership
• Complex problem‑solving and decision‑making
• Negotiation and relationship management
• Ability to translate technical analysis into actionable business decisions

Additional Information

Work Environment

Works in both an indoor office environment and an outdoor environment, occasionally at night which may be subject to inclement weather. Extended hours may be required to complete scheduled repairs.

How You’ll Grow

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