Director / Sr. Director, Project Finance & Structuring (BESS)

Taylor Hopkinson is seeking an experienced Director, Project Finance & Structuring in Chicago, Illinois with a fast-growing, vertically integrated battery manufacturer focused on lithium-ion and energy storage solutions, with a strong emphasis on EV batteries and grid-scale BESS. The company is expanding rapidly in North America, including a growing manufacturing footprint in the U.S., supporting the energy transition through battery production, supply chain localization, and large-scale investments tied to electric mobility and renewable energy storage. This person will lead and support the structuring and financing of U.S. renewable energy and BESS projects, including capital stack design, tax credit monetization, investor engagement, diligence, and execution through financial close. We are seeking candidates with hands-on experience in project finance and capital structuring within U.S. renewable energy particularly BESS and solar-plus-storage. Professionals who can structure, finance, and help execute projects, not just analyze them internally. This is not a traditional FP&A, accounting, treasury, or purely financial modeling role. Responsabilities: Lead or support project finance and structuring for U.S. BESS and renewable energy projects Design and evaluate project-level capital structures (debt, equity, tax equity, transferability, construction/bridge financing, etc.) Partner cross-functionally (commercial, legal, technical, finance) to assess project bankability and execution viability Engage with capital providers (banks, tax equity investors, infrastructure funds) and external advisors Support or lead term sheet negotiations, diligence, and financial close execution Assess key project risks including offtake, merchant exposure, tax credits, interconnection, permitting, EPC, and counterparty risk Required: 8+ years of experience in: U.S. renewable energy project finance BESS / solar-plus-storage IPP / developer-side finance Power & renewables investment banking Infrastructure or tax equity investing Renewable transaction advisory Direct exposure to utility-scale renewable or power infrastructure transactions in the U.S. Strong candidates will be able to clearly articulate: Their role in projects that reached financial close How the capital stack was structured Involvement with debt, equity, tax equity, or transferability structures Interaction with capital partners, lenders, and advisors Key challenges in making projects financeable Their personal contribution beyond financial modeling