The posting
SOLV Energy is a leading provider of infrastructure services to the power industry, designing, building and maintaining utility scale solar, battery storage and high voltage substation projects nationwide.
Job Description Summary:
As a leading utility-scale renewable energy Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) company, we are seeking a highly motivated and strategic Category Manager for Structural Components to lead sourcing, procurement, category strategy, and supplier relationship management across critical structural and construction equipment categories supporting solar PV, HV, Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), and Services projects.
This role is responsible for developing and executing procurement strategies for structural commodities including trackers, fixed-tilt systems, foundations, steel components, and related construction materials, as well as major construction equipment used to build utility-scale renewable energy projects. Equipment categories may include, but will not be limited to, pile drivers, truss drivers, GPS guidance systems, and robotic conveyance/assembly equipment.
The Category Manager will partner closely with Engineering, Construction Operations, Fleet, Project Management, and Finance teams to drive supplier selection, execute strategic sourcing initiatives, negotiate commercial agreements, improve total cost of ownership, mitigate supply chain risks, and ensure equipment availability to support project execution.
This position plays a critical role in delivering competitive project economics, ensuring schedule certainty, and building long-term supplier partnerships that support the company's continued growth and industry leadership.
This role can be fully remote or hybrid with regular in-office presence in San Diego, CA. Specific location details and expectations will be discussed during the interview process.
Job Description:
*This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned
Position Responsibilities and Duties:
Category Strategy & Strategic Sourcing
- Develop and execute category strategies for structural components and construction equipment aligned with business objectives, project pipelines, and market conditions.
- Lead supplier market analysis, benchmarking, and category intelligence efforts to identify opportunities for cost optimization, innovation, and risk mitigation.
- Partner with Engineering, Construction, Fleet, and Operations teams to define technical requirements, specifications, and sourcing strategies.
- Identify, qualify, and onboard new suppliers to support business growth, geographic expansion, and supply chain resiliency.
- Analyze total cost of ownership, supplier capabilities, manufacturing capacity, and commercial competitiveness when evaluating supplier options.
Competitive Procurement & Contract Negotiation
- Lead competitive RFP, RFQ, and bid processes for structural materials, construction equipment, and related services.
- Evaluate supplier proposals and develop recommendation packages utilizing commercial, technical, operational, and risk-based criteria.
- Negotiate pricing, payment terms, warranties, service agreements, performance guarantees, lead times, and other commercial terms.
- Develop and execute Master Supply Agreements, Strategic Partnership Agreements, Rental Agreements, Fleet Purchasing Agreements, and other procurement contracts.
- Support project-specific procurement activities to ensure timely delivery and alignment with project schedules.
Construction Equipment Procurement
- Lead sourcing and procurement of construction equipment supporting utility-scale renewable energy projects, including:
- Pile driving equipment
- Truss driving equipment
- GPS Guidance Systems
- Robotic Conveyance/Assembly equipment
- Evaluate buy versus lease versus rental strategies based on project duration, utilization, and financial objectives.
- Collaborate with Fleet and Operations teams to optimize equipment deployment, lifecycle costs, maintenance support, and asset utilization.
- Negotiate service, maintenance, warranty, and aftermarket support agreements with OEMs and equipment providers.
- Monitor equipment market trends, availability constraints, and technological advancements impacting project execution.
Supplier Relationship Management
- Serve as the primary commercial interface for strategic suppliers.
- Establish supplier performance metrics and scorecards covering cost, quality, delivery, responsiveness, safety, innovation, and sustainability.
- Lead Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) and executive supplier meetings.
- Manage supplier escalations and drive corrective action plans when performance issues arise.
- Build strong collaborative supplier relationships that support continuous improvement and long-term value creation.
Risk Management & Continuous Improvement
- Identify and mitigate supply chain risks related to capacity constraints, geopolitical factors, logistics disruptions, and commodity market fluctuations.
- Develop contingency sourcing plans for critical materials and equipment.
- Drive procurement process improvements, automation initiatives, and best practices.
- Support forecasting, budgeting, and long-range planning activities.
- Maintain compliance with company policies, safety requirements, contractual obligations, and industry regulations.
Minimum Skills or Experience Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, Construction Management, Finance, or a related discipline.
- 5+ years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management, procurement, supply chain management, or supplier relationship management.
- Experience sourcing structural commodities, construction materials, industrial equipment, or capital equipment.
- Demonstrated success leading complex commercial negotiations and supplier agreements.
- Strong analytical, financial, and decision-making skills.
- Experience managing cross-functional stakeholders and influencing executive-level decisions.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship management skills.
- Experience within utility-scale solar, renewable energy, EPC, construction, infrastructure, energy, or industrial sectors.
- Experience sourcing heavy construction equipment, fleet assets, or large capital equipment programs.
- Understanding of solar tracker systems, foundations, steel fabrication, and renewable construction methodologies.
- Knowledge of equipment ownership models, fleet lifecycle management, rental strategies, and equipment financing structures.
- Professional certifications such as CPSM, CPM, CSCP, PMP, or equivalent.
Key Success Factors
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Strategic procurement leadership.
- Strong commercial and contract negotiation expertise.
- Deep understanding of construction equipment and industrial supply markets.
- Ability to drive measurable cost savings and value creation.
- Expertise in supplier development and performance management.
- Strong cross-functional collaboration capabilities.
- A proactive, ownership-driven mindset focused on supporting successful project execution.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. without requiring employer sponsorship now or in the future.
SOLV Energy Is an Equal Opportunity Employer
At SOLV Energy we celebrate the power of our differences. We are committed to building diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces that improve our communities. SOLV Energy prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind against an employee or applicant based on race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, or ethnicity, mental or physical disability, veteran status, parental status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Benefits:
Employees (and their families) are eligible for medical, dental, vision, basic life and disability insurance. Employees can enroll in our company’s 401(k) plan and are provided vacation, sick and holiday pay.
Compensation Range:
$104,554 - $130,692
Pay Rate Type:
Salary
SOLV Energy does not accept unsolicited candidate introductions, referrals or resumes from third-party recruiters or staffing agencies. We require all third-party recruiters to communicate exclusively with our internal talent acquisition team. SOLV Energy will not pay a placement fee to any third-party recruiter or agency that has not coordinated their recruiting activity with the appropriate member of our internal talent acquisition team.
In addition, candidate introductions or resumes can only be submitted to our internal talent acquisition recruiting team if a signed vendor agreement is already on file and the third-party recruiter or agency has received formal instructions from our internal talent acquisition team to submit candidates for a particular job posting.
Any unsolicited candidate introductions, referrals or resumes sent by third-party recruiters to SOLV Energy or directly to any of our employees, or received through our website or career portal, will be considered property of SOLV Energy and will not be eligible for a placement fee. In the event a third-party recruiter submits a resume or refers a candidate without a previously signed vendor agreement, SOLV Energy explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire the candidate(s) without financial liability to such third-party recruiter.
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Job Number: J14084
If you’re interested in a meaningful career with a brighter future, join the SOLV Energy Team.
