Project Development Director

Energy Vault; Westlake Village (CA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 246,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus plan

RSUs

401K matching

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Flexible Spending Account

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Paternity leave

Holiday allowance

Flexible time off

Home office stipend

Job summary

Energy Vault seeks a Project Development Director to own front-end development across a US portfolio, taking projects from acquisition through RTB. You will coordinate with commercial, grid, engineering, legal, and finance teams to drive critical decisions and ensure timely milestones.

The role requires strong customer-facing and internal management skills, with a focus on regulatory compliance, schedule discipline, and development risk. Domestic and international travel up to 30% is expected.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of related experience with degree ladder as described.
• 5+ years in project management of complex energy projects.
• Proven experience from origination through development approvals and grid connections.
• PM certification is preferred.
• Ability to travel up to 30% domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development of utility-scale energy storage and generation projects from acquisition to Ready-to-Build (RTB).
• Manage third-party developers, consultants, and internal cross-functional teams to advance workstreams.
• Own development budgets, schedules, critical path, risk management, and reporting to leadership.
• Secure and manage key project agreements and permits with authorities.
• Drive grid interconnection and utility coordination for RTB outcomes.
• Define project scope aligned to commercial strategy supporting financing and offtake.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Cross-functional coordination

Analytical thinking

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Communication, or Business

Master’s degree

PhD

Job description

Our Company

Welcome to Energy Vault® (NYSE:NRGV), a global energy storage and power infrastructure company focused on owning, operating, and enabling resilient, dispatchable energy assets.

Energy Vault’s focus is to deliver reliable, flexible power that supports the evolving needs of modern grids, communities, and large energy users. Since 2024, the Company has centered its strategy on an Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, developing, building, owning, and operating critical energy assets around the world.

Energy Vault operates globally, with headquarters in Westlake Village, California and Lugano, Switzerland, and regional development across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The Company partners with utilities, grid operators, and large energy consumers to deliver infrastructure that strengthens grid reliability, enables renewable integration, and supports long‑term energy security.

By combining asset ownership with advanced technologies and integration expertise, Energy Vault is building the next generation of critical energy infrastructure, delivering dependable power when and where it matters most.

Learn more at www.energyvault.com, explore recent updates inour Newsroom, and connectwith us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, or YouTube.

Our Values

We Commit: To Building a Better Future for Earth and All Its Beings.

We Innovate: Cutting Edge Solutions to Accelerate the Unique Energy Aspirations of Our Clients.

We Connect: To Build Genuine Relationships.

We Deliver: Going Above & Beyond by Being Fast & Nimble.

We Lead: With Authenticity and Purpose.

Your Impact as a Project Development Director:

The Project Development Director plays a critical role across Energy Vault’s front‑end development activities, acting as the single point of ownership for progressing acquired projects to deploy energy storage and/or generation assets under its Build‑Own‑Operate strategy, from early development through to Ready to Build (RTB). This role is execution‑focused and accountable for driving outcomes leveraging internal and external resources for planning approvals, grid connection, off take, pre‑construction planning, project financing and risk management across a US portfolio.

The position requires both customer‑facing expertise as well as excellent internal project management and team management capabilities. The Project Development Director will lead domestic projects, with particular focus on energy generation and storage systems. Attention to legal and regulatory compliance, on‑schedule performance, quality, and accuracy are of the utmost importance. This is a highly networked position that includes partnerships and alignment with Commercial, Grid, Engineering, Legal, Finance, Pre‑Construction, and external consultants and development partners, the Project Development Director serves as the project “owner” from acquisition to ready to build and financial close of project financing.

While supported by specialist internal teams and external consultants, the Project Development Directoris expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, proactively identifying issues, managing approvals and grid interface risk, and optimizing development processes as required. This includes ownership of development budgets, oversight of consultant performance, and implementation of governance, templates, and stage‑gate controls to support consistent project execution. The role is primarily execution‑heavy, with a strong emphasis on accountability for approvals timelines and development risk. As the portfolio matures, the position has the potential to evolve into a Team Lead role, supporting the growth and scalability of Energy Vault’s Project development capability.

Your Mission:

• Lead end‑to‑end development of utility‑scale energy storage and generation projects from early‑stage assessment/acquisition through contracting and Ready‑to‑Build (RTB)
• Manage third‑party developers, consultants, and internal cross‑functional teams to advance development workstreams, ensure stage‑gate readiness, and drive critical decisions.
• Own development budgets, schedules, critical path execution, risk management, and reporting to leadership and investment stakeholders.
• Secure and manage key project agreements and permits, including land control, environmental/community engagement, and local approvals with relevant authorities.
• Drive grid interconnection and utility coordination through application, studies, and agreements to support bankable RTB outcomes.
• Define project scope and requirements aligned to commercial strategy, ensuring development deliverables support financing, offtake, and long‑term value creation.

Your Background:

• 15 years of related experience with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Communication, or Business,; 12 years of related experience with a master’s degree; or 8 years of related experience with a PhD.
• 5+ years of experience in Project Management of complex projects in the Energy Generation and/or Energy Storage industries.
• Proven experience developing projects from origination/acquisition through development approvals and grid connections.
• Certification in Project Management preferred.
• Capacity to learn on‑the‑fly, particularly regarding nuanced project technical or legal requirements.
• Excellent Project Management skills and the ability to work independently on multiple project timelines simultaneously.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills. Agile work ethic with flexibility to address pressing project needs as they arise.
• Proficiency in effective communication of project plans, proposals, and results, and ability negotiate options at senior management levels.
• Willingness to travel domestically and/or internationally, up to 30%.
• Comfortable thriving in fast‑paced, rapid growth environments.
• A passion for sustainability, our mission, and our vision is a bonus!
• Must successfully pass a pre‑employment background check.
• Energy Vaultparticipatesin E‑Verify.

Benefits of Powering the Future with Energy Vault:

• Annual bonus plan.
• Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).
• 401K employer matching.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for employees and family.
• Flexible Spending Account.
• Company‑paid Life insurance, Short‑and‑Long‑term disability insurance.
• 8‑weeks for Paternity leave.
• Generous holidayallowance.
• Flexible time off plus sick leave.
• Reimbursement for home office equipment, phone, and internet expenses.

$154,000 - $246,000 a year

The range, $154,000 to $246,000, reflectsa total compensation package for thispositionacrossall U.S. locations.

Join Us in Empowering Change

At Energy Vault we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants. We believe inclusion creates opportunity for collaborative excellence through diversity of thought. We invite individuals of all genders, races, identities, ethnicities, sexual orientations, national origins, abilities, protected veteran status, religions, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds to explore employment with our organization.