Alumni Stories: Cassie Atchley |Schneider Electric

Cassie Atchley

Schneider Electric | Project Development Manager
Biosystems Engineering

What is your current role + company and how would you describe your responsibilities?

I work as a Project Development Manager for Schneider Electric’s Sustainability Business. Schneider Electric is a Fortune 500 French multinational company that is publicly traded. Through the work of several business divisions, we specialize in digital automation and energy management.

My specific role is to develop energy performance contracts in the public market, primarily for school districts, local governments, and higher education institutions. Energy performance contracts allow our customers to make facility upgrades that reduce utility spend and increase operational efficiency. Customers use the capital saved by reducing utility spend to fund the facility upgrades.

To develop a project, I work closely with our account executives to build a relationship with the customer by seeking to understand their needs and vision, conducting feasibility studies, and presenting periodic project updates (this means I travel about 30% of my time).  I oversee the internal engineering team that builds facility energy models, designs mechanical system solutions, and creates a building automation design. I also manage scopes of work such as LED lighting retrofits, building envelope sealing, water conservation, and more through subcontractor bidding. I maintain the project budget and schedule as well as forecast cost and workload. Finally, upon completion of project development, I am responsible for writing the final energy performance contract.

How did you secure your position? What was your job search process like and were there any specific resources you found useful during your search (i.e. Handshake, career fairs, career coaches, other specific workshops or events)?

I secured my position through the alumni network of an on-campus organization I was a member of. Auburn provides incredible opportunities to begin building a professional network while still a student- you just have to put yourself out there! Working your network is particularly helpful if you are seeking a job that is out-of-the-box or not an obvious job description for your degree.

What were you looking for in your job search and how did you confirm the decision to accept your job offer?

I wanted a job that offered opportunities for growth in communication, decision-making, and was dynamic- meaning that every day was different and held new problems to solve. Further, I find it really rewarding as an engineer when my daily work makes a tangible difference in the lives of our customers as well as a positive impact for the environment.

What kinds of experiences in college helped you prepare for your full-time position? How so?