Chief of Staff, Operations

Fervo Energy • Houston, TX

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Chief of Staff to the VP of Operations serves as a direct extension of the VP across Operations Engineering, O&M, Production Engineering, and Commissioning. The role keeps the portfolio aligned, progressing, and decision-ready; represents the VP in forums the VP cannot attend; leads workstreams requiring senior coverage; and makes decisions on the VP’s behalf with delegated authority and accountability. The position reports directly to the VP of Operations.

The role owns the operational rhythm supporting Fervo’s geothermal plant program, from Cape Station Phase I through repeat-build plants. Responsibilities include tracking AFEs and forecast spend, reconciling change orders, preparing executive deliverables, leading cross-functional meetings, closing action items, and coordinating across engineering, commissioning, production engineering, and O&M. The Chief of Staff applies first-principles reasoning to challenge inherited requirements, remove unnecessary work, simplify processes, accelerate work where ownership allows, and make deliverables reusable for future plants.

This is an in-person role at Fervo Energy’s Houston, Texas headquarters, with a hybrid schedule requiring employees to work in the office three days per week. Travel to Cape Station and other Fervo locations is required up to 25% of the time.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline; candidates without an engineering degree may be considered if they demonstrate relevant experience.
• At least 10 years of experience in engineering, finance, consulting, data science, or operations, preferably in energy, oil and gas, or industrial sectors.
• Demonstrated experience tracking project finances, including AFEs, budgets, change orders, vendor cost reconciliation, accruals, and variance analysis.
• Ability to read and synthesize engineering and construction documentation, including P&IDs, schedules, drawings, vendor scope packages, and commissioning procedures.
• Track record of producing executive-grade PowerPoint presentations, Excel models, and written briefings under tight deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with credibility engaging both senior executives and field personnel.
• Experience working across multiple disciplines, including engineering, construction, commissioning, operations, and finance.
• Comfort making decisions with incomplete information and revising them as better information becomes available.
• Willing and able, with or without reasonable accommodation, to travel to Cape Station and other Fervo locations up to 25% of the time.

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience with geothermal, ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle), combined-cycle gas, complex facilities, or power plant commissioning, startup, or repowering projects.
• Prior chief-of-staff, business operations, or senior management experience supporting a P&L owner or major program leader.
• Cost engineering, AFE management, or project controls background, including cost-loaded schedules, EVM, or formal project controls disciplines.
• Familiarity with EDMS, Primavera P6, SmartPlant, Bluebeam, or comparable project execution and commissioning systems.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or TPS exposure, or a track record of cycle-time and cost reductions in a project execution environment.
• Experience preparing materials for ELT, board, investor, or regulatory audiences.
• Experience supporting or advising on PPAs and O&M agreements.
• Experience leading RCA workshops, HAZOPs, MOC reviews, or other structured problem-solving forums.
• Startup-environment experience and comfort building processes while operating them.

Responsibilities

• Represent the VP of Operations in forums the VP cannot attend and drive workstreams requiring senior coverage.
• Make decisions on the VP’s behalf with authority and accountability, keeping the portfolio aligned and decision-ready.
• Anticipate slipping workstreams and overdue deliverables, proactively identifying causes and solutions.
• Coordinate daily with Engineering, Commissioning, Production Engineering, O&M, HSSE, Supply Chain, and Finance.
• Coordinate with external partners, including OEMs, owner’s engineers, and vendor field service personnel.
• Run cross-functional meetings by setting agendas, driving decisions, recording action items, and following through to closure.
• Translate between engineering, operations, finance, and executive stakeholders so they share a consistent understanding.
• Track CapEx and OpEx budgets, AFEs, and actuals for owned workstreams; maintain monthly spend forecasts and variance analyses.
• Develop and refine CapEx, OpEx, and lifecycle cost models for Cape Station and follow-on plants.
• Manage vendor purchase orders, invoices, and accruals against scope and progress; identify commercial risks early.
• Prepare executive budget summaries, AFE narratives, and variance commentary for ELT, board, and external stakeholders.
• Track schedule, cost, and risk metrics across owned workstreams and provide analysis for leadership decisions.
• Maintain risk registers, RAG status reports, and 2-, 4-, and 8-week look-aheads; develop recovery plans when metrics turn red.
• Create executive-facing PowerPoint presentations, briefing memos, and one-page summaries.
• Identify and remove unnecessary duplicated effort, approvals, and workflow friction; simplify remaining processes.
• Build reusable templates, trackers, and standard operating procedures for successive plants.
• Document effective practices in Fervo’s plant-delivery playbook and create reusable deliverables from Cape Station work.
• Question inherited requirements, trace their source, and identify requirements without rationale for possible elimination.
• Integrate AI tools into reporting, cost tracking, scheduling, and coordination workflows, and model their use for the operations team.
• Identify and lead special initiatives, such as process redesign, technology adoption, and capability-building, through completion.
• Draft executive communications, ELT QBR content, board materials, and regulatory submissions on behalf of leadership.
• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders with discretion and judgment.
• Translate field conditions into reporting that is concise for executives and actionable for craft personnel.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision plan options.
• Employer-paid basic life insurance and short-term and long-term disability coverage.
• 401(k) plan with up to 6% match.
• Flexible paid time off and paid parental leave.
• Family-building, fertility, hormonal health, pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting support through Carrot.
• Dependent care FSA for eligible child and elder care expenses.
• Annual Lifestyle Spending Account for eligible wellness expenses, including fitness, financial planning, pet insurance, and pet care.
• Employee ownership opportunities through the Employee Stock Purchase Program, stock option grants, and bonus opportunities for eligible roles.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior