Project Financial Manager

at  FUSE

The City of Phoenix is working to achieve carbon neutrality for municipal properties by optimizing existing solar assets and expanding renewable energy capacity. The FUSE Executive Fellow will develop a comprehensive business case and strategic plan to transition solar assets to City ownership and identify new development opportunities on underutilized properties. Ultimately, this will help Phoenix reduce greenhouse gas emissions, maximize its solar potential, and build a more sustainable and resilient energy future for all residents.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Beginning in May 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will conduct a comprehensive listening tour to build a deep understanding of the current landscape of Phoenix’s municipal owned solar energy infrastructure and related contractual agreements. This will include conducting a detailed evaluation of the City’s existing solar contracts as well as reviewing existing financial modeling and cost-benefit analyses that assess the value of transitioning existing potential assets to city-owned solar assets that allow the City to claim Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) for these sites. This will include identifying opportunities for new solar development on underutilized city properties and properties with current barriers to development, such as the 19th Avenue Landfill. The Fellow will also research best practices in solar contract optimization and municipal solar asset management from other cities. This research will include evaluating successful models of municipal solar ownership and identifying innovative financing structures that align with Phoenix’s climate and energy goals. Based on these insights, the Fellow will develop specific project goals and deliverables that the City will review and approve to guide the work throughout the fellowship.
The Fellow will then build financial models related to new solar developments and buyout of existing projects to demonstrate their various positive net present value (NPV) to the City. The Fellow will use these models alongside collected insights from the listening tour to develop a comprehensive business case that outlines buyout and new development options for various properties. The Fellow will work with the City’s Finance Department and other key stakeholders to align strategic recommendations in this business case with the City’s broader fiscal goals and long-term sustainability plans in the CAP.
The Fellow will then outline a phased approach to expanding municipal solar capacity and, as time allows, begin implementing the strategy to negotiate favorable, ‘win-win’ agreements with current solar developers and financiers. This will include building strategic partnerships with community-based organizations, private developers, financers, utilities, and city/state agencies to ensure that new projects are equitable, financially sustainable, and aligned with Phoenix’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) goals. The Fellow will engage with key stakeholders across city agencies, such as the City’s Office of Sustainability, Finance, Water, and Public Works departments, as well as external partners such as Arizona Public Service (APS), financers, and solar developers such as MN8 and SunPower to implement the strategies.
By the end of the fellowship, the FUSE Executive Fellow will have produced a comprehensive set of strategic recommendations and implementation plans for optimizing the City’s existing solar assets and expanding solar energy projects. These deliverables will include a detailed financial roadmap for transitioning solar contracts to city ownership, a feasibility analysis for new solar development opportunities, and a multi-year strategic plan for scaling up solar energy projects across Phoenix’s municipal portfolio. The Executive Fellow will also work to identify long term program implementation goals, milestones, and activities to ensure sustainable operationalization in the future. This will include identifying ongoing monitoring and evaluation efforts to ensure that implementation efforts are responsive to city agency and community needs, as well as aligned with the overarching objectives of the CAP.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
• Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
• Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
• Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
• Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
• Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
• Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
• Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
• Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.
  FUSE is an equal-opportunity employer with core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.
  Job Type: Full-time
  Pay: $80,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In perso

Please refer the Job description for details