Project Development Associate

About CycloKinetics:

CycloKinetics, is advancing the next generation of high-performance propellants for aerospace and defense. Our highly innovative technology allows us to harness existing energy from biomass and convert it to superior performance fuels and propellants across aviation, aerospace, and defense applications.

We are a team of engineers, scientists, and operators driven by performance, innovation, and national security impact focused on building scalable, domestic energy solutions that power the future of propulsion. CycloKinetics is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Job Summary:

The Project Developer Associate supports the advancement of capital projects from concept through final investment decision (FID). The role combines technical, commercial, and regulatory workstreams, including site selection, feasibility, stage-gate documentation, financial modeling, and stakeholder coordination, across multiple projects. This role will report directly to the SVP of Capital Projects and will help shape the overall project pipeline.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

• Support project development workplans through FEL 1–3, preparing gate packages and decision materials for investment committee and leadership review. • Conduct site screening and selection analyses (feedstock and offtake logistics, utilities, permitting, community considerations, and infrastructure access). • Build and maintain project financial models, including capital cost, operating cost, sensitivities, and returns, in coordination with finance. • Support capital cost estimating and benchmarking, and manage engineering consultant and FEED contractor deliverables. • Track and support permitting, environmental review, and regulatory workstreams. • Assist in structuring commercial arrangements: feedstock supply, offtake, EPC/EPCM contracting strategy, joint ventures, and partner agreements. • Prepare applications and supporting documentation for government funding and financing programs (e.g., DOE programs, OTAs, DFC, and export credit or multilateral structures). • Conduct market, policy, and incentive analyses, including tax credits and regulatory mechanisms relevant to project economics. • Maintain the project risk register, assumptions log, and development tracker. • Coordinate with legal, finance, engineering, and external advisors, and support data-room preparation for lenders and investors.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction management, or a related field (or equivalent experience). • 4-7 years of scheduling experience on capital projects in industrial, energy, chemical, or infrastructure settings. • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Project or Primavera P6, including baselines, calendars, relationships, and resource loading. • Working knowledge of enterprise scheduling concepts: multi-project environments, EPS/OBS structures, portfolio roll-ups, and cross-project resource management. • Working knowledge of CPM scheduling, earned value management, and progress measurement. • Experience reviewing contractor schedules on EPC or EPCM execution. • Strong Excel skills and the ability to communicate schedule drivers clearly to non-specialists.