Solar Operations & Maintenance Supervisor

Solar Operations & Maintenance Supervisor

Position Title: Solar Operations & Maintenance Supervisor

Reports To: Solar O&M Manager

Direct Reports: Yes

Functional Unit: Asset Management & Operations

FLSA Status: Exempt

Position Type: Full-Time

Location: Bakersfield, California

THE COMPANY

Onward Energy is an independent power platform that owns and operates over 7 GW of utility-scale wind, solar and natural gas generation projects across the U.S. Our Vision is to reliably power a sustainable future. Our Mission is that as North America’s premier independent power generator, we will deliver renewable and reliable power to our customers, opportunities to our employees, sustainable returns to the families who invest in us, and a better world to the next generation.

Corporate offices are in Denver, New York and Charlotte, and we are where renewable meets reliable. See  for more information.

THE CHALLENGE

This position reports to the Solar O&M Manager. The Solar O&M Supervisor leads daily site execution for assigned PV plant sites, including safe work practices, technician coordination, maintenance execution, work order quality, contractor readiness, troubleshooting support, and compliance with company procedures. This role ensures that day-to-day operations and maintenance activities are completed safely, efficiently, and in alignment with plant performance, reliability, environmental, and compliance expectations.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure the highest level of health and safety performance through strict adherence to company policies, procedures, and safe work practices.
• Lead daily site operations and maintenance activities while promoting a strong safety-first culture.
• Conduct and participate in Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs), Pre-Job Briefs, Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO), and other required safety processes.
• Supervise and coordinate the daily activities of solar technicians to ensure work is completed safely, efficiently, and to company standards.
• Provide leadership, coaching, mentoring, and technical guidance to site personnel.
• Support employee development through training, qualification tracking, skills assessments, and performance feedback.
• Assist with recruiting, onboarding, and development of site personnel.
• Ensure compliance with all environmental, NERC, regulatory, and company requirements applicable to assigned facilities.
• Coordinate corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, and outage activities.
• Support site operational readiness by ensuring maintenance activities are properly planned, scheduled, and executed.
• Maintain accountability for work order quality, completion, and documentation within the CMMS.
• Ensure work orders, maintenance records, inspection reports, and operational documentation are accurate and completed in a timely manner.
• Monitor plant performance and investigate equipment issues to identify corrective actions and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead troubleshooting efforts on solar equipment including inverters, trackers, DC systems, MV systems, communication systems, relays, transformers, and balance-of-plant equipment.
• Coordinate contractor and vendor activities to ensure all work is performed safely, within scope, and in accordance with company expectations.
• Verify contractors have approved purchase orders, scopes of work, site access authorization, and required safety documentation prior to beginning work.
• Manage site inventories including spare parts, consumables, tools, and critical equipment.
• Support material planning and procurement efforts by identifying spare parts and maintenance needs.
• Coordinate with the Remote Operations Center (ROC), Asset Management, Engineering, Compliance, and other internal support teams to resolve operational issues and improve plant performance.
• Support budgeting efforts by providing accurate field input related to maintenance activities, staffing needs, and operational requirements.
• Lead and participate in root cause analyses, equipment failure investigations, and reliability improvement initiatives.
• Prepare and provide input for monthly, quarterly, and annual operational reports.
• Ensure compliance with applicable contracts, warranties, and…