About Sparkfund
Sparkfund is an energy technology platform company based in Washington, D.C. built to accelerate the energy transition by transforming the built environment into a productive, resilient, climate-adapted extension of the grid. We do this by partnering with utilities and building owners to provide program management, project implementation, and financing services and capabilities to our partners' customers. Together, we are creating a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable energy future.
Our Programs Unit
Our Programs business unit partners with utilities and building owners to bring cohesion and organization to a fragmented energy services market and to innovate on products and services that help our utility Partners make the built environment a proactive part of the grid.
Position Summary
We are hiring a Director-level commercialization leader for our Growth team to lead the implementation of our Partners’ new programs and to develop the next wave of products and solutions critical to our Programs Unit. We are looking for a professional with experience with and expertise in the utilities and energy markets as well as in the policy frameworks, regulatory processes, and local and national legislative systems that impact these markets. Using this expertise, this person will consult on various topics concerning the near-term initial programmatic scope for our utility Partners, including utility reorganization, the evolution of utility businesses’ distributed energy resources strategy, strategic planning and integration of EV charging, and more.
This person will also use their expertise to develop new products and strategies for the Programs Unit in collaboration with other Programs Unit leaders, and they will work with our Product team to scale existing programs’ product pilots.
Note: This is not a sales role, but this role designs and develops the capabilities our sales functions will sell.
The role will primarily support Sparkfund’s Program Unit, and it will work closely with our Program Management, Commercial Solutions, Project Development, Delivery, Financial Solutions, and Marketing teams. This person will also work closely with Sparkfund executives and senior leaders as well as external executives and leaders. This role will report to our AVP, Growth, but it will also have a dotted line functional reporting to our AVP, Product.
Location
Sparkfund is a remote-first company, and this role can be based anywhere in the continental United States. This role will require infrequent travel – roughly 2-3 days of travel per month – to Washington, DC or other US cities to meet with potential and current Partners as well as to collaborate with other Sparkfund leaders and team members, learn the ins and outs of our business, and contribute to our company culture.
Key Responsibilities
Program Implementation
- Lead the implementation of our utility Partners’ new programs, consulting on our utility Partners’ near-term initial programmatic scope.
- Launch new engagements for our Partners, engaging directly with our Partners’ senior executives across various functions, including innovation, customer solutions, product, and technology.
- Manage the handoff of new Partner engagements to Sparkfund’s Program Management team for long-term relationship management, when necessary.
Program Development
- Consult and strategize in collaboration with Program Unit leaders on the products and solutions the Unit can offer in the market as well as on the strategic positioning of these products and solutions in the market for customer appeal (e.g., customer-sited DERs, EV Charging-as-a-Service, multitech energy efficiency, DER bundling, etc.).
- Develop product visions and business cases as well as the requirements for these new products, collaborating closely with cross-functional internal and external stakeholders.
- Own the Program Unit’s Product Roadmap, from inception to launch – structure and manage the projects, own the day-to-day project workstream, collaborate with SMEs, and commercialize the solution into our business in collaboration with the program managers and our Marketing team.
Product Development
- Define the solutions and services that our Partners can currently buy across utilities, business owners, property managers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and developers.
- Prioritize and assess Sparkfund’s Product Roadmap in close collaboration with the Product team.
- Support the product development process’s data architecture and process improvements.
- Report to key internal and external stakeholders weekly, quarterly, and annually, creating slide decks / visual presentations that effectively communicate the status of the Program Unit’s Product Road map as well as the development of products and solutions.
Required Skills & Qualifications
- 7+ years of experience with program management and / or product development within or for the energy or utility industries.
- Functional expertise in energy and / or utility-related policy frameworks, regulatory processes, and legislative systems at local and national levels.
- Functional expertise in the energy market and the new / changing technologies, regulations, and trends influencing the adoption of energy transition technologies.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, particularly the ability to communicate effectively with cross-functional stakeholders at various levels of Sparkfund and our Partners’ organizations.
- Demonstrated organizational and project management skills, including a keen attention to detail and experience balancing competing priorities and deadlines effectively.
- Demonstrated ability to adapt to changing priorities and circumstances efficiently, including the ability to incorporate feedback constructively and effectively.
- Consistent, demonstrated commitment to Sparkfund’s values.
Preferred Skills & Qualifications
- Experience working in a fast-paced startup environment.
- Experience with Slack, Google Workspace, Salesforce, or Asana.
Benefits
- Competitive compensation and stock option plans - we believe in shared ownership.
- Comprehensive benefits package including medical, vision, and dental insurance as well as disability and life insurance.
- Flexible vacation policy that encourages ~4 weeks of paid time off. We also observe all federal holidays.
- 8 weeks gender-neutral paid leave for caregivers when they have a new addition to their families and an additional 4 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents.
- A one-time, work-from-home stipend to help cover any equipment, hardware, etc. you need to set up your remote office.
- A monthly allowance of $100 to help cover phone and WiFi expenses.
