Director of Community Solar

Impact: Clean energy access, community solar deployment, and the democratisation of renewable energy

Lead the development, sales, and operations of community solar programmes that enable residential and commercial customers without rooftop solar access to subscribe to shared solar installations. Manage project pipelines, subscriber acquisition, utility relationships, and regulatory compliance to grow a community solar portfolio.

What the day looks like

People interaction
Extensive
Team vs solo
70% Team / 30% Solo
Client facing
Frequent
Impact visibility
High
Travel
15-25% for utility and stakeholder meetings
Schedule flexibility
Moderate
Remote work
Hybrid
Typical work hours
45-55 hours/week
Stress level
Moderate

At a glance

Median salary
$145,000
Entry-level
$100,000 - $130,000
Senior
$195,000+
Growth by 2033
25% (much faster than average)
Demand
Growing Fast
Freelance potential
Low
Salary growth potential
High to 50-65% growth from entry to senior
Typical student debt
$20,000 - $50,000

Skills you'll use

Hard skills

  • Community Solar Programme Design & Management
  • Subscriber Acquisition & Retention
  • Utility & Regulatory Affairs
  • PPA & Subscription Agreement Structuring
  • Solar Project Finance
  • State-Level Community Solar Policy

Soft skills

  • Strategic Leadership
  • Relationship Building
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Communication
  • Problem Solving

Technical complexity: Moderate

How to get there

Minimum education
Bachelor's Degree
Licensing
No
Years to mid-career
5-8 years
Years to senior
10-15 years
Career switching
Moderate

Where this career leads

How people arrive here

    Where you can go from here

      Typical progression

      1. Community Solar Developer
      2. Manager
      3. Director of Community Solar
      4. VP of Distributed Energy
      5. Chief Commercial Officer

      Future outlook

      Automation probability
      15% to programme management and stakeholder relationships are resistant to automation
      AI disruption risk
      Low
      Demand trend
      Growing Fast

      How people feel about it

      Overall satisfaction
      3.8/10
      Meaning
      4/10
      Work-life balance
      3.5/10
      Prestige
      7/10
      Social perception
      High

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