The Associate (Regional), Growth Strategy advances AES US Renewables & Power growth West Regional markets (CAISO, non-CA WECC) by identifying high-value opportunities, leading project diligence, and translating market signals into actionable recommendations. This role owns complex projects and assigned strategic initiatives that support regional Market Strategy and Action Plans to strengthen the development pipeline.
The Associate supports the development and execution of project origination approaches aligned with regional priorities across solar, storage, and powered land, including complex and infrastructure-constrained opportunities. Working with regional Development teams and Interconnection, Transmission Strategy, Land Acquisition, Policy/Regulatory, and Commercial partners, the Associate defines diligence plans, coordinates stakeholders, resolves key uncertainties, and develops go/no-go recommendations. The role also leads analyses supporting regional market intelligence, M&A targeting, and evaluation of inbound opportunities.
The ideal candidate combines strong analytical judgment with initiative and project ownership. They anticipate challenges, navigate ambiguity, and build expertise in assigned markets to connect policy, infrastructure, and commercial insights to practical development decisions.
Key Responsibilities
Support development and execution of project origination strategies that create competitive advantage and identify new growth opportunities.
Own site-level evaluation of greenfield opportunities across land, transmission access, interconnection, permitting, offtake potential, and market fit; lead cross-functional diligence and develop go/no-go recommendations.
Analyze U.S. power markets, policy developments, and interconnection trends to prioritize opportunities and assess implications for project siting, economics, and development timelines.
Develop market growth plans that translate research into clear priorities, origination approaches, and execution plans.
Prepare regulatory briefs, impact assessments, and position recommendations to support engagement with market operators, regulators, and industry working groups.
Apply GIS tools to evaluate and communicate project opportunities, transmission infrastructure, interconnection queues, pipelines, and market trends.
Present strategic insights and recommendations to leadership, clearly communicating assumptions, tradeoffs, risks, and proposed actions.
Lead initiatives that improve pipeline quality, M&A targeting, and forward origination; develop repeatable tools and processes that strengthen decision-making.
Build subject matter expertise in assigned markets or strategic topics and serve as a resource for cross-functional partners.
Identify and frame emerging strategic questions, conducting targeted analyses to support leadership decisions.
Qualifications
Strong market intuition and ability to turn complex inputs (queue, policy, IX data) into clear strategic insights.
Track record of owning high-impact deliverables with minimal supervision.
Excellent cross-functional communication skills, including experience working with M&A, Policy, or Interconnection teams.
Ability to lead initiatives that span tools, analysis, and stakeholder coordination.
Education
Bachelor's degree in business, Economics, Engineering, Public Policy, Environmental Science, or a related field required.
Advanced degree (MBA, MPA, MS) preferred
Work Experience
4-8 years of experience in development, commercial, strategy, consulting, market research, investment banking, or a related analytical role.
Experience in clean energy, infrastructure, or regulated industries required.
Skills
Advanced Excel and PowerPoint proficiency; strong modeling and storytelling skills.
Proficient in GIS tools (e.g., QGIS, ArcGIS, Google Earth).
Experience with queue data, interconnection mapping, or policy overlays a strong plus.
Familiarity with visualization tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) and cloud-based datasets preferred.
Licenses and Certifications
None required; certifications in GIS, data analytics, energy policy, strategy, or financial modeling are a plus.
Training
Role-specific onboarding provided. Strategic exposure and development opportunities aligned with career goals.
Physical Demands
Primarily desk-based work with standard computer use; Occasional travel for offsite meetings or conferences.
Read the full posting.AES Corporation
4300 Wilson Blvd
Arlington
Virginia United States
www.aes.com
