Director of Operations & Maintenance (Utility Scale Solar & BESS)

Context & Environment

About TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies is a major energy company, which produces and markets fuels, natural gas and low-carbon electricity. Over 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, more affordable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 120 countries, TotalEnergies ambition is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 or sooner. The US Government is engineering a major transformation of the US economy with ambitious goals to cut GHG emissions in half by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Director, Operations & Maintenance position leads the TotalEnergies’ Utility Scale Renewable Operations team and is responsible for day-to-day operational performance of a portfolio of utility Scale solar, storage, and wind assets across the US and Canada. The role is accountable for enforcing a safety culture across all operating assets, achieving the prescribed technical and financial KPIs and ensuring compliance to regulatory standards.  

Activities

Key Responsibilities:

• Enforce TotalEnergies Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) policy across all activities and ensure that both internal teams and external service provers operate in a manner acceptable to TotalEnergies HSE standards
• Develop, lead and mentor a team responsible for the operational performance of TotalEnergies utility scale operating assets, establishing a culture of urgency, continuous improvement and accountability
• Lead the development of project-level O&M strategies, including the financial and operational feasibility analysis for transitioning from outsourced to self-perform field operations of select assets
• Champion the achievement of portfolio performance KPIs, including plant availability, actual vs modeled generation, operational budget (Opex) targets, and regulatory compliance
• Oversee real-time performance monitoring of each project, identifying needed corrective actions and ensuring timely communication to appropriate teams for execution
• Work closely with Performance Management team to identify areas of underperformance and align action plans to address
• Drive implementation and adoption of digital tools (APM, CMMS) across field operations teams
• Manage performance of third-party O&M providers, ensuring preventative and corrective maintenance activities are executed to plan and contractual deliverables are enforced
• Negotiate service agreements with O&M subcontractors and specialized service providers engaged in asset-level support
• Govern the transition of new assets from the EPC phase into full operations, ensuring relevant documentation, testing and punch-lists are transferred in a timely manner
• Direct high-voltage substation maintenance programs, ensuring strict compliance with NERC, FERC and regional grid reliability standards
• Develop specialized operational protocols for each generation type (BESS, PV, wind) ensuring technology specific differences are embedded into training, KPIs and procedures
• Establish spare parts and inventory strategies to minimize Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) for critical components while ensuring disciplined controls over inventory processes
• Drive development and implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) across the operating portfolio
• Collaborate closely with engineering and construction teams to review and approve project design decisions impacting operational reliability, ensuring field lessons learned are integrated into future project pipelines
• Establish and maintain relationships with leaders across other internal departments to encourage information sharing, collaboration and alignment of goals

Candidate Profile

Education/Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, project management, or relevant technical discipline
• 10+ years of experience in utility-scale power generation operations and maintenance
• 5+ years of direct leadership experience managing both 3rd party contractors and field based teams dispersed across multiple locations
• Strong technical knowledge of utility-scale solar infrastructure, including central inverters, trackers, and DC health optimization
• Strong understanding of high-voltage substation maintenance, SCADA infrastructure and NERC/FERC reliability standards
• Extreme level of ethics and personal responsibility while working autonomously
• Assertive team player with diverse interests and love for working withing dynamic environments
• Attention to details to solve time-sensitive issues with precision and urgency
• Flexible mindset welcoming changes associated with growing a new high-impact, high-visibility business

Preferred Requirements:

• 12–15+ years of industry experience, preferably in renewable energy operations and maintenance
• Familiarity with utility-scale wind assets and O&M strategies
• Demonstrated proficiency in leveraging CMMS and APM tools to improve technical performance
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills in a cross-functional, global environment
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving organization with limited day-to-day direction
• Working knowledge of power markets, renewable incentives (RECs, tax credits), and regulatory frameworks
• Based in Austin, Texas (preferable) or Houston, Texas

Additional Information

Domain: Operations

Type of contract: Regular position

Experience: Minimum 10 years

Employer company: TotalEnergies Renewables USA, LLC