Prevailing Wage Specialist

The Prevailing Wage Specialist owns end-to-end compliance with the Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship (PWA) requirements applicable to ESS's solar operations and maintenance contracts under Sections 45(b)(7), 48(a)(10), 45Y(g)(9), and 48E(d)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, IRS Notice 2022-61, and related Treasury/IRS guidance. The Specialist is the single point of accountability for prevailing wage compliance across all covered projects: identifying covered work, ensuring correct worker classifications and wage rates, validating that covered hours are coded and paid correctly in each payroll cycle, and preparing and delivering complete documentation packages to project owners, including submissions through client portals, on contractual deadlines.

Because prevailing wage compliance is executed through payroll, this role requires solid payroll experience: the Specialist works hand-in-hand with payroll processing to ensure every covered hour is identified, coded to the correct project and classification, and paid at or above contractually required rates, with documentation flowing automatically from each payroll run. The Specialist serves as the main person responsible for corresponding with subcontractors regarding all prevailing wage deliverables, acts as the primary contact for project owner documentation requests and audits, and is expected to operate independently, without sustained support from other team members.

• Determine which work constitutes covered “construction, alteration, or repair” services under PWA Requirements, in coordination with project owners who define the covered scope of work, and maintain a current matrix of covered projects, activities, and personnel.
• Apply correct contractual prevailing wage rates (inclusive of fringe benefits) from each agreement's rate exhibit to all Laborers and Mechanics performing covered services, including proper worker classification by trade and jurisdiction.
• Ensure every hour worked on a prevailing wage project is coded to the correct project, work classification, and wage rate at the time of payroll entry, so that prevailing wage pay and documentation flow automatically from each payroll run.
• Reconcile actual wages paid against required rates each pay period and before certification, coordinating with payroll to correct discrepancies before they become deficiencies.

• Prepare and deliver complete payroll documentation packages to each project owner monthly, in the contractually specified format, by the contractual deadline — without reminders or escalation.
• Submit certified payroll and compliance documentation through client and project owner portals (e.g., LCPtracker or similar systems); maintain current portal access, project setup, and submission records for every active project.
• Maintain and produce, upon owner request (up to quarterly), the full Prevailing Wage Documentation record: payroll documentation, work logs, invoices, and any additional documentation reasonably requested.
• Maintain organized, audit‑ready records supporting the company's and project owners' tax credit compliance positions, with retention consistent with contract and IRS requirements.

• Serve as the primary, front‑line communicator and main point of contact for all subcontractor correspondence regarding prevailing wage deliverables and requirements.
• Flow down prevailing wage obligations to subcontractors; collect, review, and validate subcontractor payroll documentation, work logs, and invoices each month.
• Manage subcontractor relationships with an approach that is firmly assertive yet collaborative, ensuring all required paperwork…