Procurement Specialist - BESS

A leading international renewable energy IPP with an established and growing presence in North America is seeking support on utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) procurement activities. The business is expanding its project pipeline, spanning solar, wind, and storage projects globally, and is now strengthening its procurement team in the U.S. market. This role requires strong US experience and can be remote from any US location.

Role Overview
The organization is seeking a contractor to support the procurement of large-scale BESS for utility projects (100 MW). The role will focus on near-term U.S. contract negotiations while also preparing RFP activity for upcoming projects. This temporary role is expected to last 4–6 months, with potential to extend into a permanent position if successful.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support negotiation of a U.S. BESS procurement contract, ensuring compliance with U.S. standards, technical requirements, and commercial best practices.
• Represent the company in supplier discussions and help finalize commercial and contractual terms.
• Liaise with internal teams (engineering, project management, finance, and legal) to align procurement workstreams with project objectives.
• Transition certain procurement activities previously managed in Europe to the North American business.
• Following contract negotiations, develop and issue a Request for Proposal (RFP) to BESS vendors for the next project batch.
• Build and manage vendor due diligence processes to establish a qualified long-term supplier base.
• Support contract documentation, internal approvals, and reporting to senior procurement leadership.
• Provide commercial input with exposure to adjacent procurement areas, including solar panels and turbines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, or related field (technical degree not required).
• 5 years of experience in procurement or contract negotiation, ideally within renewable energy or power sector.
• Proven experience with BESS procurement and negotiation in the U.S. on large-scale projects (100 MW) from either developer or supplier side.
• Strong understanding of U.S. technical standards and commercial requirements in the storage sector.
• Demonstrated ability in RFP drafting, evaluation, and vendor due diligence.
• Excellent negotiation skills and experience managing complex supplier relationships.
• Capable of operating independently while working collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams.

Contract Terms

• Contract duration: 4–6 months, with potential to extend into full time.
• Start date: ASAP.
• Contractor engagement with a fixed rate structure (paid directly through consultancy or contract).
• Remote role with strong preference for candidates with U.S. project experience.

About Us
Climate17 is a purpose-led, international Renewable Energy & Sustainability recruitment firm. We provide specialist talent acquisition services to organizations seeking to reduce their environmental footprint, as well as those working towards the decarbonization of the energy sector.

Inclusive Application Process
Climate17 is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace. We believe there is no solution to climate change without people. We aim to increase diversity across all areas and as such, we are committed to partnering with clients and candidates to create an inclusive and sustainable regenerative world. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, or whether or not they have a disability. If you require additional support, equipment or resources in order to participate in the job application or interview process, please let us know.