Head of Interconnection & Transmission

Title: Interconnection & Transmission Manager
Hours: Full time; Salaried
Location: Salt Lake City, UT, possibly open to remote or hybrid
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Manager: Ryan McGraw

Geothermal energy is the most abundant renewable energy source on the planet, yet it remains under-deployed because it has historically been hard to find and expensive to build. Zanskar is changing that equation using advanced exploration technology to discover new geothermal resources at unprecedented scale and now moving a multi-gigawatt portfolio toward construction and operation.

Grid access is a gating factor for projects throughout our portfolio. Zanskar has filed (and plans to file many more) interconnection requests across multiple transmission owners in WECC spanning NV Energy, PacifiCorp, PNM, rural cooperatives, and CAISO. In some instances, we’ll also seek to secure firm point-to-point transmission service to deliver power to off-takers across the western United States.

We are hiring a Head of Interconnection & Transmission to own this function end-to-end. You will set the interconnection and transmission strategy for the company, lead a high-volume queue management operation, negotiate directly with utilities and ISOs, coordinate with our internal project delivery team throughout planning and construction, and build the team and systems needed to scale across a rapidly growing portfolio.

This is a senior leadership role with direct visibility to the executive team, significant cross-functional influence, and the autonomy to shape how Zanskar ultimately delivers firm, carbon-free energy.

Success in this role includes obtaining interconnection and transmission rights for Zanskar’s geothermal projects that align with our goals to place these projects in service. This will require cross-functional alignment with our teams, building a plan for when, where, and how to file new requests, and building key relationships with utilities and third-party developers to unlock creative solutions.

Near-term and long-term expectations will be measured against your ability to:

• Develop and socialize a comprehensive interconnection and transmission roadmap across WECC showing expected budgets, schedules, and critical decision points for each active and planned queue position;
• Establish and socialize an internal request process for interconnection and transmission filings, defining what information is required from cross-functional teams, when it is needed, and how requests are prioritized;
• Execute submission of new interconnection and transmission service requests with detailed oversight of a significant annual budget;
• Manage existing interconnection agreements and study requests to ensure alignment with near-term company goals;
• Develop creative solutions to accelerate additional interconnection capacity, including evaluation of potential acquisition targets and partnerships with third parties;
• Identify, procure, or build analytical tools and systems to evaluate injection capacity and transmission availability across the portfolio, replacing ad hoc analysis with repeatable, scalable processes; and
• Provide clear, data-driven recommendations at each project milestone on whether to proceed, hold, or withdraw interconnection requests with full visibility into cost, schedule, and risk trade-offs.

Define and execute Zanskar’s interconnection strategy across WECC and CAISO, with an eye toward expanding into additional U.S. markets. Develop queue management frameworks that optimize filing timing, queue position, and cost exposure across a diverse set of transmission owners and queue types (e.g., cluster processes, serial processes, distribution-level requests, non-FERC jurisdictional processes).

Conduct or oversee power flow studies, interconnection cost estimates, gen-tie routing analysis, and network upgrade assessments, whether performed in-house or by external consultants. Lead technical diligence on potential acquisitions of third-party projects. Build or procure analytical tools that enable desktop-level screening of interconnection viability across the portfolio.

Lead all queue submissions, study analyses (System Impact Studies, Facilities Studies), and interconnection agreement negotiations. Manage a high-volume pipeline of concurrent filings across multiple utilities, tracking milestones, deposits, and decision points for each.

Serve as Zanskar’s primary point of contact with transmission owners, utilities, ISOs, and regulatory stakeholders on all interconnection and transmission matters. Build the relationships necessary to navigate complex utility processes and negotiate favorable outcomes.

Own the interconnection and transmission budget, tracking committed and forecasted spend against each filing. Provide transparent risk assessments and clear proceed/hold/withdraw recommendations at appropriate milestones.

Work closely with Development, Subsurface, Land & Permitting, EPC, Finance, and Commercial teams to ensure interconnection and transmission timelines are aligned with project development schedules, contractual commitments, and capital plans. Surface conflicts early and drive resolution.

Ability to connect interconnection decisions to broader commercial and development outcomes. Thinks beyond the queue to understand how grid access shapes project value.

Proven ability to drive alignment across technical and commercial disciplines without relying on positional authority. Brings clarity to complex, multi-stakeholder decisions involving development, finance, permitting, and engineering teams.

Strong technical foundation in power systems, power flow analysis, and interconnection cost estimation. Ability to oversee and quality-check consultant work product and translate technical findings into clear business recommendations.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Able to present complex interconnection and transmission topics clearly to executive leadership, board members, and external counterparties. Strong technical writing for regulatory and utility-facing communications.

• BS in related field; Master’s in a relevant subject area a plus
• 5+ years of interconnection or transmission project leadership