A commissioning manager hired late, a project director without the right contract experience, or a vacant project controls lead can put schedule, budget, and safety at risk long before the problem appears in a report. Ampense works with EPC contractors, developers, and utilities, as well as OEMs and owner engineers, to close exactly these gaps, connecting organizations with experienced delivery leadership at manager level and above.
Delivery-critical roles we recruit
Our project delivery recruitment practice concentrates on the positions that carry a project from contract award through engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and handover. These are senior, accountable roles where a wrong hire surfaces as months of delay, claims exposure, and eroded margin, so the evidence standard for these appointments has to be high.
We support hiring across a defined set of leadership functions. The scope below is a selection of the positions we recruit, and we welcome a conversation about adjacent or unusual roles.
Project and program managers
Leaders who own scope, schedule, and stakeholder alignment across a single project or a multi-project program, and who are often the first senior hire a delivery organization makes.
Construction managers
Site leadership accountable for execution, subcontractor coordination, and safe, high-quality field delivery against the program baseline.
Commissioning managers
Specialists who carry systems from mechanical completion through energization, testing, and handover, frequently under the tightest schedule pressure on the project.
Project controls and estimating leaders
Managers and directors accountable for cost, schedule, and risk, and for the accuracy of the bids and forecasts on which delivery commitments rest.
Contracts and delivery executives
Contracts managers, delivery directors, and vice presidents who carry commercial risk, claims strategy, and overall program performance.
What employers assess in delivery leadership
Hiring for project delivery differs from hiring for steady-state operations. The strongest candidates are judged on evidence from completed projects, and our screening is built around that evidence. When we qualify a project director or construction manager, we examine delivered projects by technology and size, because leadership of a utility-scale solar build does not automatically translate to a combined cycle facility or a multi-site transmission program.
We assess familiarity with contract forms and how a candidate has managed risk under them, whether lump sum turnkey, cost reimbursable, or unit price structures. Safety record carries as much weight as schedule record. We also probe cost and schedule control discipline, claims and change management experience, and the ability to lead across multiple sites, contractors, and interfaces at once, asking candidates to walk through how they recovered a slipping milestone or defended a variation on a real project.
Renewable, conventional and grid project hiring
The US build-out of wind, solar, and battery energy storage has made renewable EPC leadership one of the most competitive hiring markets in the sector. Experienced project and construction managers with utility-scale delivery histories are scarce, and the strongest of them rarely respond to advertising. Our work in this space relies on established networks and a direct, targeted approach, mapping who has delivered comparable projects and approaching them with a credible, well-defined opportunity.
Our power project recruitment extends to conventional generation and nuclear, together with grid, substation, and transmission infrastructure programs, where outage windows, regulatory requirements, and site access add further constraints. In every case, the starting point is the same: we work to understand the project itself, its technology, contract structure, and delivery phase, before defining the person who can lead it.
How a search for a delivery leader runs
Every engagement follows a structured process designed to produce a short, high-quality shortlist with minimal burden on your team. The steps below show how an assignment proceeds.
1. Scoping the assignment
We work with your project and HR leadership to define the role, the project context, and the experience that predicts success on this specific program.
2. Mapping the market
We identify where suitable delivery leaders currently sit, segmented by technology, project scale, and contract environment.
3. Direct approach and screening
We approach candidates directly and assess them against delivered project evidence, safety record, and the scope of teams and contractors they have led.
4. Shortlist and interviews
We present a focused shortlist, coordinate interviews, and prepare both sides so each conversation tests the points that matter.
5. Offer and onboarding
We manage the offer, maintain contact through notice periods, and support onboarding so the appointment holds to the agreed start date.
Why employers work with Ampense
Our focus on hiring for energy project delivery shows in the quality of the conversation from the first call. We understand EPC-side and owner-side delivery roles, the implications of a particular contract form, and the qualifications and certifications that matter on regulated sites. It also shows in the shortlist, which contains a small number of candidates screened for fit.
Our approach is consultative and transparent. We give direct market feedback on availability, compensation expectations, and timing, and we communicate consistently with both clients and candidates throughout a search. For time-critical projects, speed and reliability matter, and we organize our work around your program dates. Ampense operates nationally across the United States, with offices in Atlanta GA, Marlborough MA, Parsippany NJ, and Cheyenne WY.
Frequently asked questions
What seniority levels do you cover in EPC and project delivery?
We recruit at manager level and above, from project and site leadership through to director and vice president level.
Do you recruit beyond power and grid projects?
Yes. We also recruit delivery leaders for oil and gas and broader energy services organizations, with the same focus on delivered project evidence.
Can you support hiring for a full project ramp-up?
Yes. For large programs we run project-based recruitment campaigns that sequence multiple leadership hires around your delivery schedule. We support these campaigns with talent mapping on availability and salary benchmarking, so offers stay competitive as hiring progresses.