Sierra Schultz works on the HQ Construction team as a Commercial Project Manager overseeing solar on multi-family housing projects. She also co-leads the AAPI affinity group and Women and Non-binary Genders in Construction affinity group at GRID. She is now a licensed Civil Engineer and can design and stamp Civil drawings. Outside of work, Sierra is on the board for WiOPS (Women in Construction Operations) where she fundraises for networking events to empower women in the industry.
What is your role and location?
My responsibilities as a Commercial Project Manager include planning, executing, monitoring, and closing out HQ Commercial PV projects that range from 60-400kW in size. I mostly work on SOMAH (Solar on Multifamily Affordable Housing) funded projects, and installing solar on apartments and community buildings. As a Commercial Project Manager, I ensure that projects are staying on schedule, within our budget, and completed safely from project development to PTO (permission to operate). I coordinate with the design team, project owners, AHJs, subcontractors, vendors, and the onsite crew ensuring that the project is running smoothly. I am currently located in Sacramento, CA but I enjoy working remotely from different locations and countries. It keeps me inspired and I love traveling.
What is something you are proud of working on during your time at GRID?
Climate justice links climate change and social justice, and I’m proud to work on projects that address this intersectionality to ensure that everyone can have access to solar. Although the climate crisis disproportionately affects different income levels in our society, I am proud to work for an organization that is changing this.
Coming from a background with little solar knowledge, there was a steep learning curve for me when starting at GRID. I am proud that I am able to use my past work experience along with my passion and drive to expand my solar knowledge and be a part of a team that brings solar to multi-family housing units. There is a lot of work that goes into project development, funding, and managing these projects, but it is very rewarding. Over the last year, I have managed the Dover Woods, Rolling Oaks, and Valley Oaks projects successfully, and I am taking on more projects for 2023.
Lastly, I am also proud of acquiring my Professional Engineering license this year. The process requires an engineering degree from an accredited university, passing two national exams and two state exams, relevant work experience, references, and a grueling application. This takes about four years to complete after graduating. While starting at GRID, I was also taking courses and studying for the CA Seismic and CA Surveying exams after work and on the weekends. All my hard work paid off because I was approved by the CA board, and am now a licensed Civil Engineer. I haven’t had a chance to stamp off on drawings yet, but the knowledge I gained along the way has helped me with projects like Hacienda Heights where we struggled to obtain a permit from the city.