Director of Software Engineering

Fervo Energy; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Fervo Energy, based in Oakland, is seeking a Director of Software Engineering to lead the development of internal applications that enhance workflows and decision-making. This role involves overseeing the architecture and delivery of software products while building a skilled engineering team.

The ideal candidate should have over 8 years of software engineering experience with a strong focus on cloud environments and a technical leadership background. Emphasis on AI and integration capabilities is crucial for improving operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of software engineering experience, including at least 3 years in technical leadership.
• Experience building and deploying full-stack or backend applications in cloud environments.
• Strong fundamentals in backend engineering and API design.

Responsibilities

• Own the internal application architecture and maintain scalable designs.
• Lead the development of internal applications for better decision-making.
• Work with operational teams to understand workflows and pain points.
• Build a product-oriented software team that translates needs into software.
• Advance the use of AI in applications and improve workflows.
• Set engineering standards for software delivery practices.
• Manage relationships with software vendors and integration partners.

Skills

Software engineering experience

Technical leadership

Backend engineering fundamentals

Cloud application deployment

AI and machine learning integration

Job description

Description

Fervo Energy is the leading developer of next-generation geothermal power. We design, build, own, and operate geothermal wellfields, pipelines, power plants, and transmission assets — delivering firm, flexible clean power to utilities and hyperscalers. As we scale our fleet of projects, we are building the digital infrastructure to match: a robust Azure-based data platform that unifies real-time operational data with back-office systems, and an enterprise application layer that puts that data to work.

Position Description

Fervo is hiring a Director of Software Engineering to build and lead the software organization responsible for our internal application layer. Reporting directly to the CTO, this leader will own the architecture, roadmap, and delivery model for software products that support Fervo’s rapidly scaling business.

This is an opportunity to build production software at the intersection of energy infrastructure, industrial operations, data, and AI. The systems you build will help teams across Fervo improve workflows, connect information, and make more informed decisions as the company grows.

The ideal candidate is both an engineering leader and a product-minded builder: someone who can work closely with internal stakeholders, understand complex business and operational needs, and lead a team that ships durable, high-impact software.

Responsibilities

• Own the internal application architecture. Define and maintain the architecture for Fervo-built applications, including application patterns, service boundaries, integrations, deployment models, observability, and application-level security. Partner closely with data, IT, cybersecurity, and business stakeholders to ensure Fervo’s software ecosystem is scalable, secure, maintainable, and built to evolve with the company.
• Build business-facing software products. Lead the development of internal applications that translate data and operational context into clearer workflows, better visibility, and more effective decision-making. These may include workflow tools, reporting systems, dashboards, automation capabilities, and AI-enabled applications.
• Work forward-deployed with operational teams. Embed directly with drilling engineers, wellfield operators, power plant technicians, and commercial leads to understand their workflows and pain points. Rapidly prototype and ship MVPs into live production environments, iterate with real users, and bring operational learnings back to the core engineering and data platform teams.
• Lead a product-oriented engineering model. Build a software team that works closely with stakeholders across the business to translate ambiguous needs into deployed software. Balance embedded discovery with centralized architecture and engineering discipline so that Fervo’s software ecosystem compounds over time.
• Build and lead the software engineering team. Hire, manage, and grow a team of full-stack engineers, backend engineers, and product managers. Establish engineering culture, delivery practices, technical standards, and operating rhythms that allow a small, high-leverage team to move quickly while building durable systems.
• Advance Fervo’s use of AI-enabled applications. Partner with technical and business leaders to identify, prioritize, and deliver practical AI-enabled software capabilities. Focus on production-grade tools that improve workflows, reduce manual effort, and support better decision-making.
• Establish engineering standards for the application stack. Set the practices that support high-quality software delivery, including CI/CD, testing, code review, documentation, observability, incident response, and application security. Partner with IT and cybersecurity on identity, access management, infrastructure standards, and enterprise security requirements.
• Manage vendor and integration relationships. Own technical relationships for software vendors and integration partners that support Fervo’s internal application ecosystem.

Qualifications

Required

• 8+ years of software engineering experience, including at least 3 years in a technical leadership or engineering management role
• Experience building and deploying production full-stack or backend applications in cloud environments
• Strong backend engineering fundamentals, including modern programming languages, API design, authentication and authorization patterns, and production-grade integration design
• Hands‑on experience integrating applications with modern data platforms or enterprise systems
• Experience deploying AI, machine learning, or automation-enabled features into production environments