Development Strategy Associate

About the Position Conduit Power is on a path to supplement the nation’s power generation system with reliable, dispatchable assets that reduce carbon footprint and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy. The **Lead** **Development Strategy Associate** is an experienced individual contributor responsible for managing land development workstreams that support the siting and delivery of distributed power generation and battery energy storage projects. This role combines land acquisition expertise with project execution leadership, ensuring land, permitting, engineering, and stakeholder activities remain aligned with development schedules and commercial milestones. The position is ideal for a land development professional who can independently drive site control and diligence while coordinating cross-functional activities required to advance projects from site identification through construction readiness. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Site Identification and Acquisition Execution - Identify and evaluate sites suitable for distributed generation and energy storage projects based on zoning, access, utility availability, environmental constraints, and interconnection viability. - Lead negotiations and execution of land agreements including leases, options, easements, amendments, and purchase agreements. - Conduct site-level diligence including zoning compliance, land use restrictions, access rights, encumbrances, environmental considerations, and development constraints. - Align site control strategies with interconnection opportunities, customer requirements, and development timelines. Development Workstream Management & Schedule Coordination - Manage land-related development workstreams to support project advancement from site control through construction readiness. - Coordinate surveys, environmental studies, geotechnical work, and engineering site assessments to maintain development schedules. - Track development milestones, critical path items, and permitting dependencies affecting land and site readiness. - Ensure land deliverables support interconnection submissions, permitting packages, and engineering design timelines. - Maintain organized documentation and status tracking to support project gating decisions and investment approvals. Land Control, Entitlements and Risk Management - Secure and maintain land rights necessary for development, construction, access, utilities, and long-term operations. - Coordinate title review, ALTA surveys, and legal documentation with internal and external counsel. - Identify land-related risks such as title defects, restrictive covenants, access limitations, zoning conflicts, or stakeholder opposition. - Develop mitigation strategies and structure agreements to align with development risk profiles and commercial milestones. - Support entitlement and zoning processes, including variances, conditional use permits, and local approvals when required. Cross-Functional Project Coordination - Partner with Development, Engineering, Origination, Permitting, and Legal teams to ensure land activities align with technical feasibility and project execution requirements. - Support interconnection and engineering efforts by providing accurate site data and facilitating technical site access. - Coordinate site access for consultants, contractors, and technical teams. - Assist in resolving land-related issues during detailed design, construction mobilization, and project execution phases. Stakeholder & Community Interface - Maintain productive relationships with landowners, brokers, municipalities, and local stakeholders. - Serve as primary point of contact for landowners throughout development and execution. - Support community engagement efforts related to project siting and local approvals. - Coordinate with local jurisdictions to facilitate approvals and maintain development momentum. Development Execution Support & Continuous Improvement - Provide land inputs for project viability assess…