Associate / Sr. Associate, Project Finance
The Role:
Cultivate Power is seeking a driven and intellectually curious candidate as a Project
Finance Associate/Sr. Associate. This person will support solar & battery storage
project sales/financings and project valuation analysis.
This role will accelerate an Associate/Sr. Associate forward in an entrepreneurial
career in renewables investing, financing, and development.
The Associate/Sr. Associate’s core project sales activities will involve supporting
community solar project portfolio sales auctions, conducting pricing analysis on bids,
and supporting the sales process from diligence through closing. For project
financings, the Associate/Sr. Associate will manage complex project financing
models, as well as build relationships with lenders, tax equity investors, attorneys
and consultants through management of due diligence.
The Associate/Sr. Associate will also play a leading role modeling project valuations.
The Associate/Sr. Associate will work closely with other Project Finance team
members and Cultivate’s Development Market Leads to analyze valuation scenarios
for projects in Cultivate’s markets, informing development investment decisions.
Join us if you are excited by the opportunity to turn land into renewable power plants,
if you want to make the world a better place with more renewable energy, and if you
want to learn by doing and working hard.
About us:
Cultivate Power is a distributed solar and storage platform. We develop distributed
energy resources that advance the productive use of the land and integrate with the
community and grid. We believe community generation improves grid resiliency,
furthers energy independence, and brings economic benefits to local communities.
Our top focus is cultivating land into distributed renewable energy projects.
At Cultivate Power, we have completed the development of more than 35 projects
over the past four years. Our ~30 person team has significant experience developing
and financing solar, wind, battery storage, and transmission projects, as well as
policy and market development across the US. The Cultivate Power team's skillset
spans project development, project financing, policy, and power marketing from the
beginning stages of land development all the way to project construction and
operations.
We are a talent-centric company that believes deeply in empowering our team
members with significant responsibility and creating a culture of inclusivity and
diversity. We cultivate our team's talent, providing each team member with the
training, support, and incentives they need to grow and thrive at Cultivate Power.
Essential duties and responsibilities:
• Project Sales and Financings: assist in the sale and financing of solar and
storage projects, building financial pro formas, running bid pricing analysis,
managing financial models, collaborating with developers on major project
due diligence deliverables, coordinating project consultants related to third
party reports (Independent Engineer, Insurance Consultant, Market
Consultant) and supporting all commercial aspects of sales/debt/tax equity
financing processes.
• Project Valuation: evaluate project returns across markets and multiple
scenarios to inform individual project development decision-making, as well
as support and advise the development team in evaluating market entry
decisions. Form investment recommendations based on analysis of valuation
models, strategic considerations, and risk/return frameworks.
Requirements:
• BA/BS degree (MBA or other relevant graduate degrees welcome).
• 3-5 years of finance experience required, with at least 2 years of project finance
experience in the renewable energy industry
• Strong credit, financial analysis, and quantitative skills
• Experience with building, managing, and enhancing financial models for
renewable energy projects
• Deep understanding of the major value drivers for solar and storage valuations
• Self-motivated with a high level of initiative and accountability
• High intellectual curiosity
• Ability to work well within collaborative and individual contribution roles
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (verbal & written) and ability to
think on feet to defend positions and decisions
• Attention to detail & organizational skills (including the ability to handle multiple
projects simultaneously and deliver results under tight deadlines).
• Unimpeachable ethics & integrity.
• Desire to contribute professionally and personally to a small, dynamic and
motivated team environment dedicated to making solar and storage more
- competitive by optimizing the capital stack, and having fun doing it
Location: San Francisco (in office 3 days/week)