Contract-to-Hire in Clean Energy: Two Pre-Construction PMs Placed in Under a Month

Client: AES Clean Energy Group
Industry/Sector: Renewable Energy
Company Size: 5,800 Employees 
Location: Arlington, Virginia, USA
Hiring Requirement: Pre-Construction Project Manager (Contract)

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

The client is a diversified power and clean energy company headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, operating across regulated utilities and competitive generation assets, with a strong focus on renewables and battery storage. With approximately 13.2 GW of renewable energy in operation — spanning solar, wind, hydro, and energy storage — the company holds more clean energy power purchase agreements with corporations globally than any other provider, serving major technology companies including Amazon and Google. Corporate customers now represent nearly two-thirds of the company's backlog, reflecting surging demand for clean energy driven by AI data centre development and advanced manufacturing.

THE CHALLENGE 

AES Clean Energy needed to scale its pre-construction capacity but was unable to bring on full-time headcount at the time. A contract model was identified as the solution; however, this required candidates who could operate fully remotely with demonstrable solar experience and the ability to contribute immediately. 

OUR APPROACH 

Spencer Ogden focused its search on fully remote Pre-Construction PMs with direct solar experience, sourcing across LinkedIn and leveraging candidates previously engaged in similar roles. Each candidate was secured through consistent communication and clear expectation-setting throughout the process. Feedback was relayed promptly between both parties, keeping momentum high and ensuring the interview process ran without delay. 

THE RESULTS 

• Two Pre-Construction PMs were placed in under one month 
• Both candidates are fully operational and performing strongly 
• High satisfaction from both the client and candidates