United States onlyRequisition ID # 158305
Job Category: Customer Support / Operations
Job Level: Manager/Principal
Business Unit: Engineering, Planning & Strategy
Work Type: Hybrid
Job Location: Oakland
Department Overview
In 2022, PG&E articulated its True North Strategy (TNS), a bold, breakthrough vision that charts a course over the next 10 years toward achieving our purpose and climate commitments. The Grid Research Innovation and Development (GRID) department is focused on bringing technologies and solutions that support the implementation of TNS from conception to reality.
The Grid Edge Innovations team within the GRID department is charting the future of the utility and the energy industry by defining how grid edge technologies will interact with the grid to enable a 24/7/365 clean, resilient, and affordable energy system. The team evaluates, demonstrates and deploys emerging technologies, concepts, and processes that PG&E will need to design and operate the resilient energy system of the future and transform the electric grid from the edges inward. Toward that end, the team works collaboratively with diverse stakeholders across the enterprise to design, build and test product strategies, roadmaps and implementation plans for innovation. The current focus of the Grid Edge Innovation team is to build and advance products and processes to operationalize Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) and grid edge technologies such as solar PV, battery storage, electric vehicles and microgrids. This team is an important bridge between PG&E’s DER policy and strategy and how PG&E will plan for, interconnect and interact with or operate DERs on a day-to-day basis.
Position Summary
This execution and operationally-oriented candidate will lead the deployment and ongoing operations of PG&E’s enterprise Load Management Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS) (also known as the “Flex DERMS” Platform) as well as the development of new operational processes for DER management. An initial focus of this role will be to consolidate and modernize tools and processes for load management including transitioning the existing demand response programs onto the new platform and supporting the development of innovative new load management programs and virtual power plant (VPP) offerings.
In addition to the execution focus, the DERMS Load Management Product Manager will also support development PG&E’s overall DER strategy working across a number on internal business units to align the DERMS capabilities and roadmap to PG&E’s overall DER Management vision.
A strong applicant will be highly organized and motivated, with a strong track record of success in building consensus and managing many moving parts within matrixed teams. The Product Manager will work closely in collaboration with cross functional stakeholders in various company divisions and with vendor and industry stakeholders to effectively manage PG&E’s DERMS implementation and ongoing operations.
This position is based out of PG&E’s General Office in downtown Oakland, CA. The team has a hybrid work model primarily working remotely with the expectation of working from Oakland office several days per month minimum. In-person activities will focus on synchronous collaboration, affinity building, ideation, or planning activities. Most day-to-day work (individual and collaborative) will be performed remotely. The role may also require occasional travel to PG&E facilities throughout the service territory.
PG&E is providing the salary range that the company in good faith believes it might pay for this position at the time of the job posting. This compensation range is specific to the locality of the job. The actual salary paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, geographic location, and internal equity. Although we estimate the successful candidate hired into this role will be placed between the entry point and the middle of the range, the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis related to these factors. This job is also eligible to participate in PG&E’s discretionary incentive compensation programs.
A reasonable salary range is:
Bay Area Minimum: $140,000
Bay Area Maximum: $238,000
Job Responsibilities
Lead the deployment of PG&E’s DERMS cloud platform
- Lead the development and deployment of PG&E’s Flex DERMS Platform and use cases, which enable PG&E to leverage DER flexibility for grid services and customer benefits
- Engage with the project execution stakeholders (e.g IT, cybersecurity, ADMS, vendors) to leverage PG&E’s Lean Operating System framework of Daily/Weekly/Monthly Operation Reviews (ORs) to drive execution
- Act as a liaison to Flex DERMS Users (e.g. Demand Response Operations) to represent user needs in the design and deployment phase as well as ongoing operations, ensuring that the platform meets operational requirements and delivers value to the business
- Act as the primary point of contact with IT organization to deliver system and interfaces, coordinating with other IT teams and projects to ensure alignment and integration of DERMS with other systems and data sources
- Act as the primary point of contact with our DERMS Vendor and other service providers managing the vendor relationship(s) and contract(s), overseeing the delivery of the platform and use cases, resolving issues and escalating risks as needed
- Drive coordination between PG&E’s DERMS vendor and DER technology vendors to ensure interoperability and integration
Support PG&E's overall DER technical product strategy and roadmap
- Drive alignment across internal work groups to develop an enterprise DER technology strategy, technology roadmap including integration with existing DER and Load Management programs (e.g. Demand Response, Electric Vehicle Grid Integration)
- Provide input into the longer term DERMS Product Roadmap by identifying future use cases and providing input and feedback on the vision and strategy for DERMS evolution and innovation
- Support development of the DERMS application architecture for the future ecosystem of DER Management applications and technologies
- Act as DERMS subject matter expert to inform designs of future Load Management or Virtual Power Plant program design, contributing to the development of PG&E's load management capabilities and offerings, leveraging DERMS as a key enabler
A strong applicant will be organized and motivated, with a strong track record of success in building consensus and managing many moving parts within matrixed teams.
Qualifications
Minimum:
- Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Business, Economics, Marketing, Psychology, or related.
- 10 years of job-related experience
Desired:
- Master’s in Business Administration, Engineering or other Advanced Degree
- 5 years of electric industry related experience (e.g. utility, DER technology company or developer, etc.)
- Demonstrated experience in project, product, or program management in the context of utility operations, IT systems or DER product deployment
- Experience as Product Owner in an Agile environment
- Experience leading cross cutting programs or technology deployments, with a focus on emerging/innovative technologies and creating new process & structure for rapid scale-up
- Familiarity with California utility regulations, regulatory processes and policy context
- Working technical knowledge of demand response and load management programs and the tools and technology to support program implementation.
- Knowledge and experience with DER (Distributed Energy Resource) communications protocols – IEEE 2030.5, CSIP 2.1, Open ADR, Aggregator APIs etc.
Desired Characteristics
- Bias toward action
- Ability to work in a matrixed environment and a positive execution-oriented mentality
- Converts ambiguity into structure, creating well-oiled machines of process from scrappy first iterations
- Rigorously defines and enforces prioritization of feature development, defeating scope creep and delivering the most impactful product improvements
- Flexibility in project communication, execution and problem approach when coordinating across various stakeholders.
- Communicates effectively highly complex ideas with credibility, confidence, and clarity to diverse audiences using a variety of media
- Handles multiple projects and stakeholders and pushes for pace with self-directed drive
