Sr. Associate, Development

About this position

About Elevate

At Elevate, we are deploying reliable energy solutions that power the communities we serve. We’re not just building infrastructure; we’re enabling the future of energy, supporting massive digital and data center expansions and supporting a more resilient, electrified grid.

Elevate is where top talent meets real impact. We're a lean, mission-driven team accelerating the clean energy transition through bold, meaningful projects. Here, you’ll work alongside some of the smartest people in the industry, have a seat at the table from day one, and help shape a company that’s building the future of power— fast. If you thrive in dynamic environments, value authenticity over fluff, and want your work to matter, Elevate is the place to be.

The Sr. Associate, Brownfield Development will own a portfolio of active BESS development projects on brownfield sites across New York and the broader Northeast — advancing them through environmental diligence, complex permitting, interconnection milestones, and preconstruction readiness. This is an execution-focused role designed for a rising developer who knows the New York regulatory environment, moves with urgency, and is ready to take on increasing responsibility on a high-growth platform.

This role sits within Elevate's brownfield development team and works in close collaboration with technical, interconnection, legal, and finance functions. NYC project experience is preferred — the role will interface directly with city and state agencies, environmental consultants, and community stakeholders and regularly navigate agencies such as NYSDEC, NYC DOB, FDNY, and the NYISO processes.

• Advance a portfolio of brownfield BESS projects simultaneously, maintaining development schedules, budgets, and stage-gate milestones to project finance standards.
• Coordinate across engineering, interconnection, finance, legal, and environmental teams to keep projects on track and technically viable.
• Track and report on project status, risks, and key milestones to the Director and broader leadership team.
• Identify and flag development risks early — environmental constraints, permitting delays, interconnection issues — and drive timely resolution.

• Support brownfield due diligence, including Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, remediation scoping, and coordination with environmental consultants.
• Support multi-agency permitting for brownfield BESS projects — including SEQR/CEQR, NYSDEC, Army Corps of Engineers, DOB, and FDNY fire code compliance.
• Manage permitting schedules, track agency correspondence, and coordinate with permitting consultants and outside counsel.
• Develop working knowledge of NYC-specific regulatory requirements including local land use approvals, zoning, and building permits.
• Attend and support agency meetings, community board hearings, and public proceedings as needed.

• Support NYISO interconnection queue progression, tracking study milestones, responding to information requests, and coordinating with the interconnection team.
• Coordinate with civil, structural, and electrical engineering consultants on site planning, grading, stormwater design, and utility coordination.
• Review technical deliverables — geotechnical reports, civil site plans, electrical one-lines — and elevate issues for resolution.

• Support the development-to-preconstruction transition, contributing to IFC package reviews, permit finalization, and executed agreement tracking.
• Assist in constructability reviews with engineering and construction teams; help identify and resolve design or permitting gaps prior to NTP.
• Build and maintain relationships with landowners, local officials, and community stakeholders to support project approvals and community acceptance.

• 3–5 years of energy infrastructure or real estate development experience; utility-scale BESS or power generation experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of New York State permitting, including SEQR/CEQR, NYSDEC,…