Onsite Commissioning Manager (Solar & BESS)

Department: Construction (Commissioning) Position Type: Contract FLSA Status: Exempt Work Location: Onsite at assigned Solar and/or BESS project (75% travel required) Reports To: Director Commissioning and Commercial Integration

What The Role Is

Reporting to the Director, the Onsite Commissioning Manager is responsible for leading onsite commissioning execution for utility-scale Solar and BESS projects, ensuring systems are installed, tested, and commissioned safely, compliantly, and in accordance with project quality standards.

This field-based role provides onsite leadership across contractors, vendors, site teams, and internal stakeholders to support safe execution, installation quality, testing readiness, and disciplined system turnover in alignment with project requirements.

The position plays a key role in Day One readiness by helping ensure systems satisfy design intent, contractual obligations, safety requirements, and operational expectations prior to turnover to Operations, while reinforcing QA/QC throughout construction and commissioning.

What Youll Be Doing

Onsite Commissioning Leadership

• Lead onsite commissioning activities and coordinate daily execution across contractors, vendors, site teams, and internal stakeholders.
• Establish alignment on commissioning priorities, sequencing, testing readiness, and ownership of critical path activities.
• Facilitate routine coordination meetings and actively manage commissioning scope, progress, risks, and issue resolution.

Field Inspections, QA/QC, and Readiness

• Conduct field walkdowns to verify installation quality, construction completeness, testing readiness, and compliance with design documents and specifications.
• Identify, document, and track installation deficiencies through punch list and non-conformance processes, and partner with field teams to drive timely resolution.
• Support first-build inspections and QA/QC verification of critical systems, including PV arrays, inverters, BESS equipment, MV systems, and SCADA/IT interfaces.

Planning, Testing, and Documentation

• Review commissioning plans, schedules, and test procedures for completeness, constructability, and alignment with project milestones.
• Maintain commissioning trackers and status reporting to ensure required testing is properly sequenced, documented, and executed.
• Manage commissioning documentation and review test reports for compliance with design, contract, OEM, and code requirements, including required supporting records such as calibration certificates.

Safety, Energization, and Turnover

• Champion a strong site safety culture and ensure commissioning activities are performed in accordance with site safety plans and applicable OSHA, NFPA, NETA, and related standards.
• Review LOTO, switching, energization plans, and test boundaries, and confirm systems, staffing, documentation, and access are in place before testing begins.
• Support readiness for major project milestones, including mechanical completion, energization, functional completion, COD, and turnover to Operations, including closure of documentation, as-builts, open items, and lessons learned.

Skills/Experience

What Youll Bring

Qualifications

• Current, legal, and unrestricted ability to work in the United States

Experience & Skills

• 35+ years of experience in renewable energy construction, commissioning, or related field execution roles, preferably on utility-scale Solar and/or BESS projects.
• Hands-on field experience with utility-scale PV and/or BESS systems, including electrical and mechanical installation, testing, and commissioning activities.
• Proven ability to inspect field work, identify quality issues, coordinate across EPCs, vendors, and site teams, and manage multiple commissioning activities simultaneously.
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, specifications, commissioning procedures, and contract exhibits.
• Electrical background prefered

Technical Competencies

• Working knowledge of PV systems, BESS systems, medium-voltage systems, substation interfaces, and SCADA, controls, or IT integration points.
• Familiarity with commissioning deliverables, status trackers, testing workflows, turnover documentation, and field execution controls.

Professional Skills

• Strong communication, coordination, and problem-solving skills with the ability to influence outcomes in field-based environments.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, sound judgment, and the ability to adapt to shifting site priorities and schedules.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook.

Required Skills

Desired Skills

What Would Be Nice

• Experience supporting utility testing, interconnection activities, test energy coordination, or SCADA/PPC/controls commissioning.
• OSHA 30, NFPA 70E, or similar safety certification.
• Experience on utility-scale renewable energy projects.