Senior Manager, Operational Compliance

Silicon Ranch is a fully integrated provider of customized renewable energy, carbon, and battery storage solutions for a diverse set of partners across North America.

• We are known for putting community partnerships first, and are the only renewable energy company in the U.S. that owns and operates all of its solar ranches and has a 100% track record for successful delivery.

• We have the largest utility scale agrivoltaics portfolio in the country under Regenerative Energy®, our nationally recognized holistic approach to project design, construction, and land management. Our model incorporates regenerative ranching and other regenerative land management practices to restore livelihoods and soil health, biodiversity, and water quality.

• Through our subsidiary, Clearloop, we are able to help businesses of all sizes reclaim their carbon footprint with a direct investment in building new solar projects while also helping bring renewable energy and economic development to distressed communities.

By joining Silicon Ranch, you will be joining a team of experienced and dedicated individuals who have proven time and again that it is indeed possible to not only “make solar do more”, but to make the promise of carbon-free, renewable energy that benefits people right where it comes from a tangible, measurable, and replicable reality. 

Silicon Ranch is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace that is reflective of the communities in which we work and serve. We are an equal opportunity employer and will consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.

Job Description

Position: Senior Manager, Operational Compliance

Location: Remote

Overview: The Senior Manager, Operational Compliance leads the execution and ongoing management of Silicon Ranch's NERC reliability and CIP compliance program. This role connects technical compliance requirements with operational execution across all NERC-registered sites. This position serves as a key escalation point for CIP cyber security controls, GADS reporting, and internal training, while coordinating closely with internal teams, vendors, and regulatory bodies. This role directly manages the NERC Technical Compliance Manager and partners closely with the VP of Asset Operations on program strategy, resource planning, and compliance performance. 

Main Responsibilities: 

People Management 

• Directly manage the NERC Technical Compliance Manager, providing day-to-day direction, performance feedback, and professional development support 

• Set priorities and workload for direct report(s), ensuring CIP technical tasks, GADS submissions, and evidence management are executed on time and to standard 

• Foster a culture of compliance ownership, continuous improvement, and cross-functional collaboration within the NERC team 

• Coordinate with the VP, Asset Operations on team structure, resource needs, and hiring as the NERC compliance scope expands 

NERC CIP Compliance 

• Lead day-to-day execution of the NERC CIP compliance program across all registered sites, including requirements related to firewalls, managed switches, SCADA servers and workstations, RTACs, cell modems, access administration, transient cyber assets, and identification of BES Cyber Assets 

• Serve as deputy CIP Senior Manager; providing overall accountability for CIP compliance and directing related activities across all NERC-registered sites 

• Create, review, and maintain compliance evidence in a manner that clearly demonstrates adherence to applicable NERC CIP standards 

• Manage cyber security incident responses in coordination with the VP, Asset Operations 

• Oversee GOP vendors and external consultants performing work at NERC facilities to ensure physical and electronic security practices are followed 

• Conduct and document self-assessments, attestations, and internal audits to proactively identify and remediate compliance gaps 

• Support and help direct NERC CIP audits, coordinating responses from internal teams and third-party entities 

• Monitor and manage the NERC registration threshold change, including assessment of both existing and development assets for new or evolving registration requirements 

NERC GO & Operational Reliability 

• Oversee execution of the NERC GO Internal Compliance Plan (ICP), ensuring ongoing compliance timelines are met 

• Oversee GADS data collection and reporting, ensuring accurate and timely quarterly submissions for all applicable sites 

• Coordinate site onboarding to ensure NERC registration aligns with PPA COD 

• Maintain the feedback loop from compliance activities into the project pipeline to ensure lessons learned are incorporated into new projects and standard updates 

• Monitor upcoming changes to NERC reliability standards; participate in industry working groups as appropriate to remain current and influence standards development 

Program Management & Reporting 

• Track, coordinate, and report on all NERC compliance tasks to ensure timely completion across the organization 

• Provide regular status updates to the VP, Asset Operations on the health of the compliance program 

• Implement and administer tools and systems that automate compliance processes and support efficient operations 

• Drive continuous improvement of compliance processes, tools, and controls as the company’s NERC footprint grows 

• Create and present assessments on GOP performance related to NERC-based scope and compliance vendor performance 

• Develop and maintain procedures ensuring internal teams and contractors follow the ICP at NERC facilities 

• Identify risks, escalate issues, and drive resolution of compliance gaps across teams and vendors 

Training & Cross-Functional Support 

• Develop and deliver NERC compliance training to operations, engineering, and project management teams, ensuring clear understanding of compliance obligations and CIP requirements 

• Ensure all staff managing scope that could impact compliance understand their obligations under the ICP 

• Support data collection, analysis, and system security tasks outside of core NERC scope as assigned 

• Project manage transitions from third-party service providers as directed 

• Other duties as assigned 

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor’s degree required; degree in Engineering, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a related field preferred 

Experience: 

• 5+ years of NERC compliance experience, with demonstrated knowledge of both NERC GO/GOP reliability standards and NERC CIP cyber security standards 

• 3+ years in a program lead or senior individual contributor role managing a NERC compliance program or significant compliance workstream 

• Prior people management or team lead experience strongly preferred 

• Hands-on experience with CIP technical controls including firewall management, system security, network configuration, SCADA systems, RTACs, and access administration 

• Experience managing GADS reporting and related data collection workflows 

• Familiarity with SCADA, PI systems, data lakes, and historians 

• Experience with compliance evidence management, self-assessments, and audit support 

• Experience working with third-party vendors and consultants on compliance-related scope 

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence compliance outcomes 

• Solar or renewable energy industry experience preferred 

Technical Skills: 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including Excel 

• Experience with compliance management tools and process automation 

• Intermediate digital file management skills 

• Familiarity with project management methodologies and tools 

Our interview process:

A typical interview process at Silicon Ranch might include the below stages. Please note that we may make changes to these steps as needed, and details will be provided to you early on in the process.

1. Introductory Interview with our recruiter
2. Hiring Manager Interview to dive into technical skills and behavioral questions
3. Panel Interview to assess cross-functional skills and dive deeper into technical skills
4. Executive Interview to answer high-level questions about SRC and the team