Solar Operations & Maintenance Supervisor at Onward Energy in Bakersfield, CA

Job description

• 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.

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 service agreements affecting plant operations.
• Maintain emergency response readiness and lead site response efforts during operational events and equipment failures.
• Promote continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, reliability, availability, productivity, and cost control.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, Power Generation, or related field preferred. Applicable years of experience may substitute for degree.
• Five (5) years of work experience in operations and/or maintenance in power generation, transmission, and/or distribution, including at least two (2) years in the solar industry and at least one (1) year in a lead or supervisory position.
• Ability to plan, organize, schedule, and direct safe operation and maintenance activities at assigned project sites.
• Demonstrated understanding of power plant operations, EH&S compliance, budgeting support, personnel management, maintenance execution, and performance management.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills with the ability to support business initiatives and communicate effectively with site and cross-functional teams.
• Proficient use of Microsoft Office Suite programs and enterprise work management systems.
• Technical knowledge of PV inverters, tracking systems, DC systems, medium voltage equipment, communication systems, and plant controls preferred.
• Ability to anticipate and adapt to changes in the organization and operating environment.
• Self-starter with ability to make decisions and take necessary actions with appropriate direction and escalation.
• Effective time management, organizational skills, multi-tasking capability, and attention to detail.
• Ability to work well independently and as part of a cross-functional team.
• Valid U.S. driver license with acceptable MVR history.

Skills

Required

• Leadership
• Coaching
• Mentoring
• Communication
• Time management
• Organizational skills
• Multi-tasking
• Attention to detail
• Adaptability
• Self-starter
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Enterprise work management systems

Benefits

• Onward Energy’s total rewards philosophy is motivated by a key tenet of People First and offers associates a comprehensive total rewards package, including market competitive compensation, health, life insurance, and retirement savings benefits.
• If you require an accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact recruiting@onwardenergy.com.