Project Manager - M&A Integration

Project Manager

Energy Utilities · Retail and M&A
Location: Houston, TX

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Project Manager to plan, coordinate, and deliver complex initiatives at the intersection of energy utility operations and retail Mergers & Acquisitions. This role is central to ensuring that M&A transactions—from pre-close integration planning through post-merger stabilization—are executed on time, within scope, and within budget.

Key Responsibilities

M&A Integration Project Management

·         Lead end-to-end project management of retail energy M&A transactions from signed LOI through post-close integration and stabilization

·         Develop comprehensive integration master plans, including workstream charters, RACI matrices, dependency maps, critical path schedules, and resource plans

·         Coordinate Day 1 readiness activities across Legal, IT, HR, Operations, Regulatory, and Customer Experience teams to ensure seamless close execution

·         Manage integration management office (IMO) processes including status reporting, issue escalation, and executive steering committee cadences

·         Track and report synergy realization progress against deal model assumptions

Schedule, Budget & Risk Management

·         Own project schedules across multiple concurrent M&A workstreams, proactively identifying and resolving schedule risks and interdependencies

·         Monitor project budgets and integration cost trackers; flag variances and recommend corrective actions to leadership

·         Maintain a consolidated risk and issues log; facilitate mitigation planning with workstream leads and escalate blockers in a timely manner

·         Facilitate lessons-learned reviews and continuously improve integration playbooks and templates

Utility Operations & Regulatory Coordination

·         Coordinate project activities involving utility regulatory filings, PUC approvals, tariff transitions, and FERC/NERC compliance milestones

·         Partner with Operations to sequence customer migration activities in alignment with utility switching rules, billing cycle cutoffs, and ISO/RTO settlement timelines

·         Manage project dependencies related to SCADA system integration, AMI data migration, and operational technology (OT) transitions

·         Ensure integration project plans account for state-specific retail choice rules, customer notice requirements, and license transfer obligations

Stakeholder Communication & Governance

·         Prepare and deliver clear, concise project status reports, dashboards, and executive briefings for senior leadership and Board-level audiences

·         Facilitate cross-functional integration working sessions, steering committee meetings, and deal team stand-ups

·         Serve as the primary point of contact for workstream leads, external advisors, and acquired-company counterparts during integration

·         Build and maintain strong relationships with acquired entity leadership to ensure cooperative and timely integration execution

Qualifications

Required

·         6+ years of project management experience, with at least 2 years managing M&A integration projects or large-scale operational transformation programs

·         Experience in the energy sector—utility operations, retail energy, or energy services—strongly preferred

·         Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams with competing priorities across cross-functional teams

·         Proficiency with project management tools such as MS Project, Smartsheet, or equivalent; comfort with Jira and Confluence a plus

·         Strong command of project governance frameworks: risk/issue management, change control, status reporting, and milestone tracking

·         Excellent written and verbal communication skills; proven ability to distill complex project status into clear executive-level messaging

·         PMP certification or equivalent (PMI-ACP, PRINCE2) required or actively in progress

·         Bachelor''s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or a related field

Preferred

·         Direct experience in retail energy M&A—customer migration, CIS/billing system cutover, or retail license transfers

·         Familiarity with deregulated energy markets (ERCOT, PJM, NEISO, MISO) and their operational constraints on retail customer switching

·         Experience coordinating utility regulatory filings or state PUC approval processes as part of an M&A transaction

·         Understanding of utility IT systems: Customer Information Systems (SAP IS-U, Oracle CC&B), SCADA, ETRM platforms, or MDM/AMI systems

·         MBA or advanced degree in Business, Engineering, or Energy Management

·         Six Sigma, Lean, or change management certification (Prosci, CCMP)