Solar & Agricultural Project Manager (2+ year contract role)
$45-65/hr DOE

This is a remote role with travel across Upstate regions and occasional travel expected (~10% travel for meetings, site visits, and stakeholder engagement).

We are seeking a highly organized and mission-driven Project Manager to support initiatives at the intersection of solar energy and agricultural innovation. This role will manage a portfolio of agrivoltaics and related applied research and demonstration projects, coordinate with diverse stakeholders, support technical working groups, and contribute to the development of solutions for responsible solar deployment.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the contract manager for a suite of research and demonstration projects, including task tracking, deliverables review, invoice oversight, and coordination with research partners.
• Support management of technical working groups and specialist committees.
• Collaborate across teams to advance research needs, technology innovation, and market characterization activities.
• Engage with external partners to identify and advance solutions for solar energy development in agricultural contexts.
• Seek opportunities for collaboration with outside organizations to leverage funding, data, and dissemination of credible information.
• Track and report metrics and accomplishments.
• Maintain a network of stakeholders, market participants, policy experts, and other sources of insight to inform project design.
• Communicate outcomes and insights through written materials and presentations.
• Perform additional duties that contribute to core team goals.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in agricultural science, environmental science, biological or physical sciences, engineering, or related discipline.
• Project management experience, particularly with contracts, deliverables, and multi-party coordination.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously with strong organization, judgment, and attention to detail.
• Proven interpersonal skills and ability to facilitate group discussions and collaboration.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and professional presentations.
• Experience with stakeholder engagement and coordination, including public speaking and meeting facilitation.
• Working knowledge of relevant policies and practices related to agricultural systems and renewable energy deployment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in agricultural, environmental, or engineering field.
• Relevant experience with agricultural-environmental issues or energy-related environmental work.
• Experience working with non-governmental groups, research institutions, state agencies, or industry developers.
• Familiarity with New York State agricultural policies and clean energy initiatives.
• Experience with IT tools such as Outlook, Teams, Asana, Salesforce, or similar platforms.

Skills & Attributes

• Ability to solve problems resourcefully and adaptively with pragmatic solutions.
• Capacity to formulate strategy and design collaborative solutions.
• Excellent judgment and ability to prioritize work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to communicate accurately, persuasively, and unambiguously in speech and writing.
• Ability to support and motivate team members and project partners.

Work Environment & Logistics

• Remote work with preference for candidates located near areas where travel is feasible.
• Approximately 10% travel for project meetings, stakeholder engagement, and site visits (typically 1–2 days/month).
• Must have reliable high-speed internet, personal computer, and mobile phone.

Compensation: $45 – $65 per hour, depending on experience and qualifications.

Please submit a resume and brief cover letter to energyjobs@hiresapphire.com outlining relevant project experience, especially in energy, agriculture, contract management, or stakeholder engagement. Highlight specific examples of managing multi-stakeholder research initiatives and measurable project outcomes.

Sapphire Recruitment is an EOE

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