Deputy Chief of Power Planning, Development, and Modernization

At the MBTA, we envision a thriving region enabled by a best-in-class transit system. Our mission is to serve the public by providing safe, reliable, and accessible transportation. MBTA’s core values are built around safety, service, equity, sustainability, culture, and accessibility, and each employee that works for the MBTA performs their roles based on our vision, mission, and values. This includes attendance, participation, and contribution in local safety committee meetings as needed.

The Deputy Chief of Power Planning, Development, and Modernization leads the transformation of the Authority’s power infrastructure in support of transit electrification, energy resilience, and long-term State of Good Repair (SOGR) objectives. This role is central to the MBTA’s efforts to modernize and expand its electric transmission and distribution systems, integrate distributed energy resources and battery storage, and renew legacy electric generation assets that support rail and bus operations across the system.

The Deputy Chief leads the development and execution of a system-wide strategy aligned with the Commonwealth’s decarbonization goals and the MBTA’s capital investment priorities.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive modernization strategy for MBTA power systems, ensuring alignment with transit electrification, resiliency, and climate action goals.
• Lead initiatives to transition the MBTA toward a cleaner and more distributed power model that supports fleet electrification (including battery-electric buses and electric commuter rail).
• Drive power system projects that support reliability, capacity expansion, and improved operational performance in line with SOGR needs.
• Oversee full life-cycle development, including scoping, engineering, permitting, commercialization, financing, and construction and energization of high-value power infrastructure projects, including generation assets, substation upgrades, medium- and high-voltage systems, and distributed generation and battery storage assets.
• Manage planning, interconnection and permitting processes with utilities and ISO New England.
• Coordinate closely with power system maintenance, rail modernization, bus transformation, facility modernization, infrastructure planning and engineering and capital delivery teams.
• Develop innovative commercial and financing strategies using a mix of public funds, grants, and public-private partnerships.
• Lead procurement and negotiation of energy services agreements, power purchase agreements (PPAs), wholesale power purchases and other alternative delivery models.
• Represent the MBTA in external forums related to transmission planning, energy markets, and regulatory compliance.
• Serve as the agency’s key liaison with ISO New England, Eversource/National Grid, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and other relevant state and federal energy policy and planning partners on matters related to power modernization.
• Advocate for policy and grid access solutions that support public transit electrification.
• Foster a culture of safety, accountability, innovation, and interdepartmental collaboration.
• Build internal capacity and develop tools and standards to ensure long-term asset performance and resiliency.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

• Directly supervise an internal team staffed by energy professionals at various levels.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Engineering, Energy Systems, or a closely related field.
• Twelve (12) years of progressive experience in energy infrastructure, utilities, or large-scale power system planning and/or development.
• Seven (7) years of managerial, supervisory, and/or leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing the full lifecycle of energy project development and delivery, including design, permitting, financing, construction, and operation and maintenance, across generation, distributed energy…