Director of Operations and Maintenance, ESS

Essential Duties and Responsibilities 

• Develop and own the multi-year O&M strategy, operating model, and roadmap; define and govern service standards, technical procedures, and safety frameworks to ensure fleet-wide consistency and continuous improvement. 

• Ensure all commercial and contractual commitments are met, including performance guarantees, availability targets, and SLAs; oversee warranty claim management and technical support. 

• Develop and manage KPIs across availability, safety, response time, and cost; lead business case development and investment decisions and manage the O&M budget. 

• Lead all field service and O&M activities across the BESS fleet, including proactive maintenance, troubleshooting, repairs, and system optimization; track daily operational metrics and hold teams accountable to performance targets. 

• Build, recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing O&M organization; provide direct in-field leadership and execution oversight as the organization scales, including field deployments up to 50% travel; champion ergonomic, 5S, and safety initiatives across all sites. 

• Own vendor and contractor selection, qualification, and commercial negotiations; drive implementation of tracking systems, digital tools, and maintenance schedules to support O&M efficiency and performance visibility. 

• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Engineering, EHS, Logistics, and Commercial teams on process improvement and root cause analysis; represent O&M in executive reviews, customer escalations, and commercial negotiations. 

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities  

• Proven executive or senior leadership experience building and scaling O&M organizations for commercial and utility-scale BESS or comparable energy infrastructure, including organizational design, talentdevelopment, and culture-setting. 

• Demonstrated P&L or budget management experience with the ability to develop business cases, manage cost structures, and drive financial performance in field operations. 

• Experience with customer and commercial negotiations, executive-level communication, and representingtechnical operations in business development contexts; expertise in warranty management and contract fulfillment. 

• Ability to develop and execute multi-year strategies and operational roadmaps while operating at both the strategic and execution levels in a player-coach capacity. 

• Deep technical knowledge of high-voltage battery systems, power electronics, thermal management, system diagnostics, and safe field service practices. 

• Strong proficiency with data analysis tools (Excel and others), CMMS platforms, and project management software; demonstrated ability to develop and implement tracking systems and digital tools. 

• Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities; strong communication and collaboration skills across cross-functional teams and executive stakeholders. 

• Proven ability to lead field operations teams in dynamic, outdoor, and variable-temperature environments while upholding safety standards, EHS compliance, and performance targets. 

• Ability to remain focused, organized, and responsive while working under time constraints or during periods of increased operational demand. 

• 10+ years of relevant experience with 5+ years in progressively senior leadership roles; Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Energy Systems, or related field preferred.