Chief of Staff

Fervo Energy•Houston, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Fervo is seeking a Chief of Staff to the VP of Operations to serve as a direct extension of the VP across Fervo’s Operations organization. This role spans Operations Engineering, O&M, Production Engineering, and Commissioning, with accountability for keeping the full portfolio aligned, moving, and decision-ready. The Chief of Staff will represent the VP in forums they cannot attend, drive workstreams requiring senior coverage, and engage with full authority to make decisions on the VP's behalf. This role is crucial for scaling Fervo's geothermal program by owning the operational rhythm that enables a single leader to manage a large program. Responsibilities include tracking AFEs and forecast spend, reconciling change orders, preparing executive-grade deliverables, running cross-functional meetings, closing action items, and standing in for the leader across various engineering and operational functions. The ideal candidate will proactively identify issues, ensure deliverables are met, and operate by reasoning from first principles to eliminate waste, simplify processes, and build repeatable outputs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in an Engineering discipline (non-engineers will be considered if relevant experience can be demonstrated).
10+ years of experience in an engineering, finance, consulting, data science or operations role, preferably in the energy, oil & gas, or industrial sector.
Demonstrated experience with project financial tracking: AFEs, budgets, change orders, vendor cost reconciliation, accruals, and variance analysis.
Strong fluency reading and synthesizing engineering and construction documentation (P&IDs, schedules, drawings, vendor scope packages, commissioning procedures).
Track record building executive-grade deliverables (PowerPoint, Excel models, written briefings) under tight deadlines.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to engage credibly with senior executives and field personnel alike.
Track record of operating at the intersection of multiple disciplines — engineering, construction, commissioning, operations, finance.
Comfortable making decisions with incomplete information and equally comfortable revising those decisions 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 other power plant commissioning, startup, or repowering projects.
Prior chief-of-staff, business operations, or senior management role supporting a P&L owner or major program leader.
Cost engineering, AFE management, or project controls background; experience with cost-loaded schedules, EVM, or formal project controls disciplines.
Familiarity with various EDMS, Primavera P6, SmartPlant, Bluebeam, or comparable project execution and commissioning systems.
Lean / Six Sigma / 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.
Comfort leading RCA workshops, HAZOPs, MOC reviews, or other structured problem-solving forums.
Startup-environment experience — comfortable building the process while running it.

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic partner and direct extension of the VP of Operations.
Manage and track AFEs, budgets, change orders, vendor cost reconciliation, accruals, and variance analysis.
Synthesize engineering and construction documentation, including P&IDs, schedules, drawings, vendor scope packages, and commissioning procedures.
Build executive-grade deliverables such as PowerPoint presentations, Excel models, and written briefings under tight deadlines.
Communicate effectively with senior executives and field personnel.
Operate at the intersection of multiple disciplines including engineering, construction, commissioning, operations, and finance.
Make decisions with incomplete information and revise them as better information becomes available.
Travel to Fervo locations up to 25% of the time.
Interface daily with Engineering, Commissioning, Production Engineering, O&M, HSSE, Supply Chain, and Finance to ensure alignment and remove roadblocks.
Coordinate with external partners, including OEMs, owner’s engineers, and vendor field service personnel.
Run cross-functional meetings, including setting agendas, driving decisions, capturing action items, and ensuring follow-through.
Translate information between disciplines to ensure a unified understanding across teams.
Own ongoing tracking of CapEx and OpEx budgets, AFEs, and actuals; build and maintain monthly spend forecasts and variance analyses.
Develop and refine cost models for CapEx, OpEx, and lifecycle costs.
Manage vendor purchase orders, invoices, and accruals, identifying and flagging commercial risks.
Prepare executive budget summaries, AFE narratives, and variance commentary.
Track schedule, cost, and risk metrics across workstreams, providing data and analysis for leadership decisions.
Maintain risk registers, RAG status reports, and look-ahead schedules, bringing recovery plans for issues.
Build executive-facing PowerPoint deliverables, briefing memos, and one-page summaries.
Identify and eliminate duplicated effort, redundant approvals, and workflow friction.
Build reusable templates, trackers, and standard operating procedures for future projects.
Codify successful processes into Fervo’s operational playbook.
Question inherited requirements and eliminate those without a clear rationale.
Integrate AI tools into daily workflows to improve efficiency.
Lead special initiatives outside existing functional lanes, such as process redesign or technology adoption.
Draft executive communications, QBR content, board materials, and regulatory submissions.
Liaise with internal and external stakeholders with discretion and judgment.
Translate field realities into concise and actionable reporting.