Consultant – Renewable Development | 1898 & Co. - Chicago

At 1898 & Co., a part of Burns & McDonnell, our Renewable Development team helps clients plan, evaluate, and advance renewable energy projects with confidence and clarity. We work alongside utilities, independent power producers, developers, and investors to support the development and lifecycle management of renewable generation assets including solar, wind, energy storage, and hybrid systems.

We are seeking a consultant to join our Renewables & Markets Advisory team who brings a strong understanding of renewable energy technologies and project development processes, along with a passion for solving complex technical and commercial challenges. This role supports client decision-making through technical due diligence, development-focused advisory services, and rigorous financial and economic analysis, contributing to informed and future-ready renewable investment and development strategies.

Perform a wide range of consulting and advisory services across the renewable project lifecycle, including:

• →Development feasibility and site suitability assessments.
• →Independent engineering and technical due diligence for renewable projects.
• →Technology evaluations for solar, wind, energy storage, and hybrid systems.
• →Grid interconnection and transmission constraint reviews.
• →Energy production and performance assessments (resource, losses, degradation).
• →Owner’s engineering support during project development and execution.
• →Asset management planning and operational strategy development.
• →Repowering, life-extension, and decommissioning studies.
• →Analyze engineering, financial, and commercial data to inform development, investment, and asset strategies.
• →Conduct life-cycle cost and economic analyses, incorporating capital costs, operating expenses, performance assumptions, incentives, and market participation considerations.
• →Assess regulatory, interconnection, permitting, and market risks associated with renewable project development and execution.
• →Utilize analytical and financial modeling tools to evaluate project scenarios, sensitivities, and investment outcomes.
• →Develop technical memoranda, formal reports, and client-facing presentations that clearly communicate findings, risks, and recommendations.
• →Support engineering reviews, contract evaluations, and transaction advisory activities for renewable generation projects.
• →Assist project managers with proposal development, client engagement, and business development activities related to renewable advisory services.
• →Collaborate across disciplines and business lines to support integrated renewable and energy transition solutions.
• →Mentor junior team members on technical, analytical, and industry best practices.
• →Provide internal consulting support across the firm as needed.
• →Comply with all company policies and quality standards.
• →Perform other duties as assigned.

• →Bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET accredited program or related degree and 3 years of related experience required.
• →Or master's degree in engineering or business and 2 years of experience required.
• →Prior experience associated with electric utility operations, planning, or consulting.
• →Experience with power supply planning analyses using industry-standard capacity expansion and production cost models (e.g., PROMOD, PLEXOS, EnCompass, GridView, or comparable platforms.
• →Experience and knowledge of general business and financial calculations including discounted cash flow analysis, net present value analysis, and internal rate of return evaluations.
• →Experience and knowledge of electric power options including generation facility types, capital costs, operating costs, typical dispatch profiles, and general power system operations. 
• →Knowledge of power supply purchase agreements regarding costs and terms.
• →Ability to execute various power markets / power supply planning studies.
• →Knowledge of electric utility systems, power generation types, power delivery with understanding of power generation portfolio planning.
• →Knowledge of numerous power market regions of the country and independent system operators such as: PJM, MISO, NEISO, SPP, CAISO, WECC, SERC, ERCOT, NYISO.
• →Strong attention to detail, facilitation, team building, collaboration, organization and problem-solving skills.
• →Ability to work methodically and analytically in a quantitative problem-solving environment.
• →Demonstrated leadership skills.
• →Proven ability to lead, educate, and train a team of consultants and analysts in regards to power market studies.
• →Ability to independently solve difficult problems that require adaptation and modification of standard techniques, procedures, and criteria.
• →Excellent written and oral communications skills.
• →Demonstrated critical thinking skills.
• →Ability to perform under pressure and tight deadlines and to be effective in on-site work environments.
• →Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently, including identification of critical path items to ensure deliverable deadlines are met.
• →Ability to focus on the big picture to effectively and efficiently provide services that meet client needs, while also having the ability to identify and analyze details that are critical to project outcomes.
• →Willingness to learn new service offerings as client needs and the market requires changes to the service offerings provided by our group.
• →Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PPT).
• →Ability to travel.
• →Professional Engineer (PE) license preferred.