Business Development Senior Project Manager

Location

Rome, Italy; Palermo, Italy

About Us

Zelestra (formerly Solarpack) is a multinational platform fully focused on multi-technology renewables with a vertically integrated business model focused large-scale renewable projects in rapidly growing markets across Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia, and Africa.

Headquartered in Spain, Zelestra has more than 1.000 employees worldwide and is backed by EQT, one of three largest funds in the world with $200B in assets.

At Zelestra we aim to be a solid and solvent company, capable of executing quality and valuable projects for the society and the environment.

Therefore, we maintain a firm commitment to contribute directly to the social development of the communities and markets in which we operate, not only through the creation of economic value, but also through the generation of quality employment and through the social projects we promote.

Our purpose is to change the world by making decarbonization a reality for our partners.

Mission

As a Business Development Senior Project Manager at Zelestra, your mission is to lead the end-to-end development of renewable energy and BESS projects up to Ready-to-Build, ensuring value creation and regulatory compliance. You will own the development plan and budget for your project portfolio, manage key risks and stakeholders, and support investment decisions. 

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage relationships with Public Administrations, regulatory bodies, and key stakeholders to secure all permits required to achieve Ready-to-Build status.
• Own the project development plan including scheduling, budgeting, cash flow management, and the preparation of detailed reports for stakeholders.
• Provide and validate development-related inputs to the financial model (including timeline, cost assumptions, and permitting milestones) to support investment decisions.
• Coordinate closely with internal teams, including Engineering, Construction, Legal, Administrative, Commercial and Public Affairs departments, to ensure cohesive integration of project objectives and overall business strategy.
• Identify, assess, and proactively manage development risks, defining and implementing mitigation plans to safeguard project timeline and budget.
• Manage co-development agreements and ensure proper execution and alignment with project milestones and strategic objectives.
• Coordinate and oversee internal and external development engineering and environmental activities, in collaboration with the Engineering function, ensuring alignment with the approved development plan, budget, timeline, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure alignment of land activities and commercial conditions with project requirements and budget, coordinating with the Real Estate Manager.
• Support and coordinate the grid connection process led by the Interconnection Manager, ensuring proper integration with the overall development plan and project timeline.
• Map key territorial stakeholders and align social and community engagement initiatives, in collaboration with Public Affairs and cross-functional teams, to foster long-term institutional relationships and support project acceptance from early development stages.
• Manage the handover of Ready-to-Build projects to the Execution team, ensuring completeness, consistency, and quality of technical, permitting, environmental, and contractual documentation.
• Support due diligence activities in acquisition or financing transactions, providing permitting, environmental, and development inputs as required.

Job Requirements

• Degree in Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Business Administration, or a related field. Advanced qualifications in renewable energy or project management are considered a plus.
• Senior professional with more than 5 years of experience in the development and permitting of utility-scale PV, BESS, or Wind projects in Italy. Proven experience managing projects through the full development cycle up to Ready-to-Build.
• Extensive industry knowledge of the Italian renewable energy sector, including regulatory frameworks, permitting procedures, and market dynamics. Familiarity with grid connection processes and coordination with TSO/DSO is required.
• Proven experience in greenfield project development and in managing multidisciplinary teams, including engineering, environmental, and technical consultants. Experience in co-development agreements and acquisition processes is considered an advantage.
• Solid technical understanding of renewable energy technologies (solar, BESS, wind) and environmental assessment processes to ensure regulatory compliance and technical robustness of projects.
• Experience in managing development budgets (DEVEX), cash flow tracking, and cost control. Ability to provide and validate development-related inputs to financial models (timeline, cost assumptions, permitting milestones) and support investment decisions.
• Experience supporting due diligence activities in acquisition or financing transactions is a plus.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and MS Office. Knowledge of AutoCAD, SAP and Project is considered an advantage.
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills, with the ability to manage complex projects involving multiple internal and external interfaces.
• Structured, risk-oriented mindset with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Fluent in Italian and English (B2–C1 level).

What we offer

Career opportunities and professional development in a growing multinational company with a highly qualified team.

Permanent contract.

Flexible compensation.

Full working day.

Remote work 2 days a week.

Let's co-build a carbon-free tomorrow!

Visit us at Zelestra

JR2774

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