Strategic Procurement Manager (Solar and Battery Energy Storage) - Scout Clean Energy

As Scout’s Strategic Procurement Manager, you will play a key role in the procurement of the fastest-growing technologies in the power sector: solar, and energy storage. Your ability to draw on your knowledge of a combination of the commercial, technical, legal and financial aspects of renewables will enable our team to make better informed decisions. You will develop and execute negotiating strategies, lead deals, and serve as Scout’s representative to our vendors and partners.  

This dynamic position will allow you to directly impact Scout’s long-term ability to power the energy transition. You will gain exposure to a broad spectrum of work – across technologies, at every stage of procurement, and interacting with every team within Scout. You will be in the mix, creating solutions to complex challenges by leading deals and negotiating with counterparties while working collaboratively across organizational boundaries.   

You will join Scout’s Strategic Procurement team, which is responsible for optimizing for the lowest cost of energy to Scout while maintaining safety, quality and performance. You will report to the Associate Director of Strategic Procurement, a lifetime procurement professional with a passion for teamwork, achievement and learning with 20 years in the field.   

This is a new role developed to support the explosive growth in Scout’s portfolio of projects in development and construction.   

Key duties in your role will include the following: 

• Collaborate closely with Engineering, Construction, Development, Legal, and other Scout functions to ensure focus on the right technologies, vendors, and design.  

• Actively build, maintain, and prioritize key vendor and contractor relationships, including regular meetings to be a subject matter expert for Scout on each of these supply segments and vendor status.  

• As acategory manager, execute and manage all the sourcing cycle activities for the acquisition of solar equipment and battery storage systems, and other categories.  

• Build and maintain solar and energy storage market intelligence dashboard including upstream, midstream, and downstream supply chain.  

• Develop options for Scout’s negotiating position for supply and services and drive the execution of the selected approaches.  

• Offer intelligent recommendations to management on the best choices for Scout with respect to price, performance, risk, quality, and ESG criteria.  

• Support and actively propose Procurement continuous improvement initiatives. 

• Complete other duties as assigned. 

We will rely on you to develop systems and tools to drive efficiency in our work. To do so, we expect that you will integrate the expertise you have developed in previous roles while continuing to advance your knowledge of our industry and innovation in procurement. 

Requirements

You are a deal-oriented, analytically minded professional who likes to work with a wide range of people and is passionate about the ways that renewable energy will make the world a better place. You have a good understanding of risk in contractual terms and are creative in the way you manage that risk in the context of competing priorities. 

Subject Matter Expertise  

• Bachelor’s Degree (Degree in technical, business, or finance fields and supply chain certification are a plus). 

• 5+ years of procurement experience, preferably in the utility-scale renewable energy field. 

• Category management experience that involves both technical and commercial complexity.   

• Strong technical aptitude: quantitative and qualitative orientation with the ability to understand technical issues and propose creative solutions. 

• Previous experience on executing successful complex contract negotiations, including contractual commercial, legal, and technical analysis.  

• Ability to concisely frame issues by providing context, analysis, recommendations, and risk/benefit tradeoffs, both in written, verbal, and presentation format.  

• Understand the full cycle of utility-scale solar power generation and battery energy storage development and marketing, U.S. power markets, various transmission systems, and the economic drivers for renewable energy projects. 

• Highly proficient in Microsoft Application suite. 

Working Style  

• Independent learner who can quickly apply lessons learned in one area to all other work areas.  

• Strong organizational skills with process orientation and attention to detail.  

• Ability to prioritize and deliver top-quality work product in multiple areas without direct supervision.  

• Strong interpersonal skills with the desire to work in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and to meet deadlines and complete time-sensitive duties.  

• Self-motivator with exceptional leadership and communication skills.  

• Encourage teamwork and collaboration. 

• Communicate with a balance of detail, clarity, and efficiency. 

• Experience using influence rather than authority to achieve desired outcomes.   

• Authorized to work in the United States.

Timeline and Location  

We would like the new Procurement Manager to start in early 2025.   

Our ideal candidate will work from our Boulder, CO office on a hybrid schedule. We also welcome remote candidates and candidates open to relocation to apply.

Invitation to Women and U.S. Underrepresented Groups  

We encourage applications from all demographics and especially those that are traditionally underrepresented in the energy industry. Consistent with our core values, Scout celebrates the diversity of thought and experience that comes from a range of backgrounds including, but not limited to, gender, race, and ethnicity.   

Invitation to Veterans  

Scout welcomes veterans of the United States Armed Forces to apply for this position. Scout includes veterans of all branches and a diverse set of occupational specialties. We value the independent thinking, problem solving, leadership, and teamwork that our veterans have developed through their service. We welcome applications from any service and any military occupational specialty.  

Scout’s Values  

• Mission-Orientation. High achievers who want to make a difference in this world and contribute to Scout’s stated mission.   

• Teamwork. Respectful and appreciative colleagues with strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to fostering positive relationships across organizational boundaries to deliver on shared team goals.  

• Safety. Uncompromising advocates for the health and safety of fellow employees, contractors, customers, and community members.  

• Integrity. Ethical professionals who do the right thing even when it is difficult.  

• Initiative. Resourceful self-motivators who thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment because of their exceptional leadership, work ethic, and organizational skills. 

• Intelligence. Problem-solving learners who can make informed decisions quickly and create innovative and pragmatic solutions to challenging problems.  

Benefits

Target base salary: $110,000-$130,000 Attractive bonus potential.   

Scout offers a full range of benefits, including medical/dental/vision insurance with attractive premiums, 401(k) match, STD, LTD, an Employee Assistance Program, and a range of optional supplemental insurance coverage.