Evaluation & Validation People Manager

Job Description

At Frontier Energy, we’re more than just engineers and professionals—we’re a team of innovators, problem-solvers, and visionaries dedicated to advancing clean energy solutions. Our mission is to pioneer the intelligent use of energy for a sustainable and resilient future.

We offer a collaborative and dynamic workplace where your ideas are heard, nurtured, and transformed into impactful solutions. With a flat hierarchy and open-door policy, every team member is empowered to experiment, take ownership, and make a real difference.

Beyond fostering an inspiring culture, we provide competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for growth. Join us and be part of a team that’s shaping the future of energy while leaving a positive impact on the world.

The Evaluation & Validation People Manager will develop and lead technical and research staff in our Evaluation & Validation discipline. This position is based out of our Cazenovia (upstate New York) Office. The team is a mixture of early and mid-career engineers and energy professionals focused on field research of emerging energy technologies and energy efficiency program support for utilities, national labs, government agencies & private clients. This is a hybrid role with the expectation that the successful candidate will be on-site at least 3 days per week (and more if business needs require). This role is designed for someone who thrives in a dynamic & fast paced environment and has a passion for providing direction, guidance and leadership to a team of engineers and other staff professionals in an organization.

The ideal candidate must have high emotional intelligence, be organized and have the ability to communicate well both orally and in writing and work effectively with stakeholders, team members & clients adhering to project timelines, deliverables and budgets. Candidates must have excellent conflict management and problem-solving skills, the ability to prioritize tasks, the ability to create a culture of collaboration among colleagues and other team members across a matrixed organization, have the requisite leadership skills to motivate staff and have hands-on knowledge of performance evaluations and career pathing.

Responsibilities include (but are not limited to) :

• Interviewing and assessing new staff members (includes drafting job descriptions and candidate assessments & interview questions)
• Partnering with New Hires in determining & executing upon 30 / 60 / 90 day post hire goals
• Manage cross-functional teams to achieve program & project objectives
• Identifying any areas of concern that could impact the performance of team members
• Ensure direct reports are on track to meet or exceed goals providing appropriate feedback on the achievement of Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Help direct reports develop SMART goals that drive growth and successful execution at the organization level
• Provide encouragement & guidance for direct reports to develop active collaboration skills through regular personal check-ins
• Mentor & coach team members in their career pathing & support logical succession planning
• Resource programs & projects across the various Disciplines (Business Units) within Frontier Energy
• Maximize productivity by aligning available staff members to appropriate programs & projects while promoting a healthy work / life balance
• Support Program & Project Managers in monitoring & aligning relevant budgets
• Communicate any pertinent information regarding project timelines, goals or objectives to team members
• Support & promote best in class timecard practices adhering to policies and invoicing requirements
• In partnership with Program & Project Managers, construct Medium Depth Project / Resource Plans in Deltek or other Project Management System
• Ensure Programs & Projects are appropriately resourced according to scope by reviewing the appropriateness of project plans & program documentation
• Develop & monitor appropriate OKRs and KPIs for staff development and growth
• Guide direct reports and other team members on contract scope & complexities
• Resolving any employee conflicts quickly and efficiently partnering with the Human Resources team as necessary
• Conduct root-cause analysis on identified execution and staffing interaction issues, proposing & implementing appropriate solutions and coordinating with the team to address them

Required Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications