DER Procurement Leader at McKinstry in Seattle, WA

Description

Position at McKinstry Essention, LLC

Build the future, spark innovation and align your career with purpose.

McKinstry is innovating the waste and climate harm out of the built environment and creating lasting impact. Together, we’re building a thriving planet.

Buildings are a leading contributor to the climate crisis, generating nearly 40% of total global energy-related carbon emissions. We’re making a lasting impact on our industry and within our communities by addressing the climate, affordability and equity crises through:

• renewables and energy services
• engineering and design
• construction and facility services

To get where we’re going, we need big thinkers, problem solvers and collaborative mindsets. Does that sound like you?

The Opportunity with McKinstry

We are currently seeking a DER Procurement Leader to join our EcoDistrict Services - DER National team. This role is responsible for directing and executing the overall DER procurement strategy. It serves as a leader in the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) organization—leading strategy for material risk mitigation, supply chain competitiveness, and policy navigation for the DER offering. This role leverages comprehensive expertise in DER, as well as experience in the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) industry. It is responsible for cultivating supplier relationships, formulating long-term sourcing strategies, developing master agreements, and proactively managing a robust, compliant, and scalable supplier ecosystem. Additional responsibilities may include:

• DER strategic partnership & guidance: Act as the strategic advisor to DER leadership and project teams, translating business goals into executed supply chain strategies; providing knowledge and options on commodity volatility, lead-time fluctuations, and technology obsolescence; and navigating policy and regulatory requirements (e.g., IRA, domestic content, trade tariffs) to maintain competitiveness and compliance.
• Identify, build and manage key partnerships with suppliers: Negotiate with external vendors to develop a supply chain that provides the best quality, price and availability of goods, raw materials, equipment, supplies, and services immediately and into the future.
• Lead sourcing and procurement activities, including supplier evaluations, contract negotiations, logistics, delivery planning, and oversight/approval of ordering of necessary goods and services. Control spend and build a culture of long-term saving on procurement costs.
• Ecosystem & master agreement development: Design and execute Master Supply Agreements (MSAs) that enable scalability; structure agreements to address long-term asset performance, warranties, and liquidated damages; and curate preferred-partner networks across key DER/EPC suppliers.
• Enterprise Procurement integration (the “bridge”): Ensure DER sourcing aligns with Enterprise Procurement governance and policy; serve as the conduit between DER and Enterprise Procurement— leverage enterprise scale and supplier frameworks to maximize commercial advantage.
• Active ecosystem management: Implement supplier governance to monitor safety, ESG, and performance compliance; and proactively manage supplier health and capacity to identify bottlenecks before they impact project delivery.
• May directly manage one or more direct reports

What You Need To Succeed at McKinstry:

Required Knowledge

• Strategic procurement leadership: Command of strategic sourcing, category strategy, supplier segmentation, and end-to-end supplier lifecycle management in a governed enterprise procurement environment.
• DER & EPC ecosystem: Knowledge of DER technologies and delivery models (e.g., BESS and controls, inverters/PCS, transformers/switchgear, civil/installation, commissioning/O&M) and how EPC partners and OEMs structure scope, risk, and pricing.
• Policy, regulatory, and trade compliance: Working knowledge of requirements impacting DER sourcing (e.g., IRA/ITC/PTC, domestic content, tariffs/trade restrictions) and the ability to translate policy into supplier/contracting requirements and bid competitiveness implications.
• Commercial structuring & contract governance (MPAs/MSAs): Experience developing and negotiating master agreements and project forms addressing warranties, performance guarantees, liquidated damages, change control, and long-term asset performance obligations.
• Supply risk & resiliency: Expertise mitigating commodity volatility, lead-time constraints, capacity bottlenecks, and technology obsolescence through dual sourcing, qualification plans, inventory/lead-time strategies, and supplier health monitoring.
• Supplier governance, safety, and ESG: Knowledge of supplier governance practices (scorecards/QBRs), supplier risk/compliance frameworks, and integration of safety and ESG expectations into qualification, contracting, and performance management.
• Market intelligence, benchmarking & analytics: Ability to benchmark suppliers and delivery models against peers and market indices; build should-cost/TCO views; and use performance data to drive actions and provide insights.

Required Abilities

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop and execute long-term category strategies aligned with business and sustainability goals.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Skilled in working with engineering, legal, finance, and project teams to align procurement with broader organizational needs.
• Complex negotiation: Demonstrated skill in negotiating complex commercial and risk terms (e.g., performance guarantees, LDs, warranties) with OEMs and EPC partners while protecting long-term asset outcomes.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present complex information clearly to diverse audiences.
• Project Management: Ability to manage multiple sourcing initiatives simultaneously, in a fast paced and often nuanced environment while ensuring timely execution and alignment with project milestones.
• Ambiguity tolerance & agility: Comfortable operating in fast-moving environments with incomplete data, adjusting strategy based on shifting market signals, policy updates, and DER priorities.

PeopleFirst Benefits

When it comes to the basics, we have you covered:

• Competitive pay
• 401(k) with employer match and profit-sharing plan
• Paid time off and holidays
• Comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision with low or zero deductible options and low out of pocket maximums

People come first at McKinstry, and we go beyond the basic benefits with:

• Family formation benefits, including adoption and IVF assistance
• Up to 16 weeks paid parental leave
• Transgender inclusive benefits
• Commuter benefits
• Pet insurance
• “Building Good” paid community service time
• Learning and advancement opportunities via McKinstry University
• McKinstry Moves onsite gyms or reimbursement for remote workers

See benefit plan documents for complete details.

If you’re driven by our vision to build a thriving planet together, McKinstry is the place to build your career.

The pay range for this position is $114,210 - $192,200 per year; however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A bonus may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Base pay information is based on market location.

The McKinstry group of companies are equal opportunity employers. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, race, color, creed, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information or any other basis protected by law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to employment, advancement, assignment, and training. This commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity is made equally as a social responsibility and as an economic and business necessity.

McKinstry is a drug-free workplace. Employment is contingent upon successfully passing a pre-employment drug and alcohol test, complying with the requirements of the Immigration Reform and Control Act and a Confidentiality Agreement, in addition to successful outcomes of background and reference checks.

Applicants for this role will only be considered if they possess current US Work Authorization, and do not require employer-sponsored VISA support to begin or remain in this role.

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