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Solar Development Associate Jobs in Washington, DC

Since humans first explored our solar system, we have been supporting space missions with our tools ... Associate degree or bachelor's degree in computer science or closely related field. * Active Secret ...

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Welcome customers, guests, shoppers, victims, customers, associates, tenants in a warm, gracious ... Opportunities for additional training to aid in your professional development Strategic Security ...

Senior Civil Designer

Reston, VA · On-site

$123K - $178K/yr

The diverse portfolio also includes renewable energy projects encompassing Solar, Wind and Pumped ... Requires associate's degree (or international equivalent) and 8-10 years of relevant experience or ...

Senior Scientist, Oceans Science

Washington, DC · On-site +1

$103K - $141K/yr

Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Ocean Science, the successful candidate will collaborate ... development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization. We take into account ...

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Solar Development Associate information

See Washington, DC salary details

$32.8K

$60.5K

$91.7K

How much do solar development associate jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for solar development associate in Washington, DC is $60,501.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $48,100.00 and $68,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are Solar Development Associates?

Solar Development Associates are professionals who support the planning, permitting, and development of solar energy projects. They assist with site selection, environmental assessments, regulatory compliance, and project coordination. Their work involves collaborating with engineers, landowners, government agencies, and other stakeholders to move solar projects from inception through construction. Solar Development Associates play a key role in ensuring that projects are feasible, compliant, and completed on schedule.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Solar Development Associate, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Solar Development Associate, you need a solid understanding of renewable energy markets, project management, and site assessment, often backed by a degree in engineering, environmental science, or a related field. Familiarity with GIS mapping tools, permitting software, and knowledge of regulatory frameworks are typically required. Strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills help you navigate stakeholder relationships and address project challenges. These skills and qualifications are crucial to successfully initiating, evaluating, and advancing solar projects in a competitive and evolving industry.

What are some typical challenges faced by Solar Development Associates during the permitting and site selection process?

Solar Development Associates often encounter challenges such as navigating complex permitting regulations, securing land agreements, and addressing community concerns. Each project may involve coordinating with local authorities, utility companies, and stakeholders to ensure compliance and smooth progress. Successful associates need strong problem-solving and communication skills to manage these hurdles and keep projects on track. Being proactive and detail-oriented is crucial when dealing with evolving policies or unexpected site constraints.

What is the difference between Solar Development Associate vs Solar Project Coordinator?

AspectSolar Development AssociateSolar Project Coordinator
Required CredentialsBachelor's degree in engineering, environmental science, or related field; knowledge of solar industryBachelor's degree; project management experience; familiarity with solar projects
Work EnvironmentOffice-based with site visits; collaboration with development teamsOffice and field work; coordinating project activities
Employer & Industry UsageSolar developers, renewable energy firmsSolar project management teams, EPC contractors
Common Search & ComparisonYesYes

The Solar Development Associate focuses on early-stage project development, including site assessment and permitting, while the Solar Project Coordinator manages project execution, scheduling, and coordination during construction. Both roles require related skills and work within the solar industry, but they differ in their primary responsibilities and project phases.

What are popular job titles related to Solar Development Associate jobs in Washington, DC? For Solar Development Associate jobs in Washington, DC, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Senior Manager, DevOps Engineering

Senior Manager, DevOps Engineering

Rocket Lab Corporation

Chantilly, VA

$133K - $171K/yr

Other

Re-posted 7 days ago


Rocket Lab rating

8.8

Company rating: 8.8 out of 10

Based on 6 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7th of 61 rated aerospace companies


Job description

SPACE SYSTEMS

At Rocket Lab, we're not just launching rockets - we're building the future of space. Our Space Systems team builds everything from complete spacecraft, precision payloads to the components and subsystems that allow them to thrive in space, like solar panels, flight software, star trackers, optical systems, separation systems, radios, and more.

Our Space Systems team has enabled more than 1,700 missions, ranging from interplanetary exploration, in-space manufacturing to national security and defense initiatives. The team has built spacecraft, payloads, and components for missions to the Moon and Mars, working with partners including NASA, the Space Development Agency, and the U.S. Space Force. Whether it's a single high-performance spacecraft, constellation, or the vertically integrated components that help them get to space - our world class Space Systems team is empowering some of the boldest and most ambitious space missions.

SENIOR MANAGER, DEVOPS ENGINEERING

Rocket Lab's Optical Systems division solves mission-critical space domain and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) challenges for Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) customers. Our vision is to revolutionize the space-based payload market with innovative and novel designs for space, terrestrial, and airborne environments. Building on more than 20 years of electro-optical and infrared systems innovation from Geost, Optical Systems delivers solutions to the warfighter for responsive, scalable sensing solutions across all orbital domains.

As a Senior Manager, DevOps Engineering based at our Optical Systems site in Chantilly, VA, you will have the privilege of supporting of Tranche 3 of the U.S. Space Development Agency's (SDA) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) by managing a team of software development operations engineers that deploys applications for advanced space payloads.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:

  • Lead a team of engineers across business level functions - enterprise tools, finance tools, engineering development process, software development integration and deployment.
  • Drive best practices for AWS Cloud based architecture and development and production environments.
  • Collaborate with project leaders and team members to meet mission objectives.
  • Work directly with Security and IT for policy assurance.
  • Develop and support pipelines that include automation and configurations for containers, data management, and release/deployment solutions for programs.
  • Automate software deployments into varied and complex environments using virtual machines, container technologies, Kubernetes, Cloud environments, and bare metal servers.
  • Support engagements related to assessing, refactoring and identifying opportunities for existing applications to leverage modern application architectures (e.g. containers).
  • Lead Agile sprints and associated activities.
  • Support onsite work, as well as travel or off-site work, as needed.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, or an equivalent technical discipline.
  • 1-3 years of software engineering or devops management experience.
  • Active TS/SCI security clearance and Counterintelligence Polygraph.
  • 10+ years of experience in architecting AWS cloud solutions with EC2, ELB, RDS, Route53, CloudWatch, or S3.
  • Experience with DevOps tools and pipelines such as Bitbucket, Jenkins, SonarQube, or Artifactory.
  • Ability to design, enable, deliver scalable and automated IaC tools such as Ansible and Terraform.
  • Experience working with containerization technologies Kubernetes or Docker.
  • Experience with cloud network resources such as VPC, URL, DNS, ACLs, security, and routing tables.
  • Background in scripting or coding with Java, Python, Terraform, or Bash.
  • Experience with cross-compilation for embedded systems.
  • Proficiency in Linux system administration.
  • CompTIA Security+ certification (or in pursuit of).
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate.

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

  • Master's degree in computer science, engineering, or an equivalent discipline.
  • Experience with on-premises to cloud migrations or IT transformations.
  • Experience in database administration with MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL.
  • Experience in AWS ElastiCache for Redis.
  • Expertise in the Git version control system command line.
  • Familiarity with Information Security frameworks including CIS, NIST, or RFC2196.
  • Familiarity with Software Systems Security including ATO, CtF, or RMF.
  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional.
  • Excellent oral, written, and verbal communication skills.

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.


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