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

Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)

401(k) employer matching

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans

Flexible Spending Account

Company-paid Life insurance

Short- and Long-term disability insurance

8-weeks of Paternity leave

Generous holiday allowance

Flexible time off plus sick leave

Reimbursement for home office equipment

Job summary

Energy Vault in Westlake Village, California, is seeking a Project Development Director to lead the development of utility-scale energy storage and generation projects. The role focuses on managing third-party developers and ensuring project readiness for construction.

Successful candidates will have 15 years of experience and a background in engineering or business. The role offers competitive annual salaries, annual bonuses, stock options, and comprehensive health plans.

Join us and contribute to empowering sustainable energy solutions while working in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• 15 years of related experience or 12 years with a master's or 8 years with a PhD.
• 5+ years of experience in Project Management in Energy Generation/Storage.
• Proven experience developing projects from origination to grid connections.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development of utility-scale projects.
• Manage developers and consultants to advance development.
• Own development budgets, schedules, and risk management.
• Secure and manage key project agreements and permits.
• Drive grid interconnection and utility coordination.

Skills

Project Management

Analytical skills

Effective communication

Problem-solving

Agile work ethic

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Communication, or Business

Master’s degree

PhD

Job description

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 Director is 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 Vault participates in E‑Verify.

Benefits of Powering the Future with Energy Vault:

• Annual bonus plan.
• Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).
• 401(k) 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 of Paternity leave.
• Generous holiday allowance.
• Flexible time off plus sick leave.
• Reimbursement for home office equipment, phone, and internet expenses.

$154,000 - $246,000 a year

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.