How to become a renewable energy development manager
Official title: Renewable energy development manager
Also called: Hydropower development manager, Wind energy business development manager, Solar energy manager, Senior renewable energy manager, Wind turbine manager
Renewable energy development managers oversee the assessment and development of renewable energy businesses like wind power, solar energy, hydropower, geothermal power and bioenergy. They may manage construction projects, environmental studies, permits and proposals.
Main tasks
- Lead renewable energy projects
- Manage the construction of energy sites
- Oversee environmental projects and plans
- Manage project budgets
- Manage sustainability projects
- Create better ways to run projects
- Guide teams working on sustainabilty projects
- Share information about renewable energy
How to become one
You usually need experience and a qualification to become a renewable energy development manager. You usually need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a relevant tertiary qualification in engineering studies, electrical and electronic engineering, business and management, environmental studies, earth sciences or similar area.
Ways in
- University: Engineering degrees, Offered by 5 universities in New Zealand
- University: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 6 universities in New Zealand
- University: Agriculture & Environment degrees, Offered by 4 universities in New Zealand
Pay
- Most common pay: $97,333 to $129,500 a year (median $109,667), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $80,000 a year · Upper: $142,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Related jobs
- Water resource specialist
- Power station and substation electrical technician
- Industrial measurement and control technician
- Signal technician
- Roadmarker
- Asset manager
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Questions people ask
How do I become a renewable energy development manager?
You usually need experience and a qualification to become a renewable energy development manager. You usually need University Entrance to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a relevant tertiary qualification in engineering studies, electrical and electronic engineering, business and management, environmental studies, earth sciences or similar area.
How much does a renewable energy development manager earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $109,667 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $97,333 to $129,500 a year.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026