Director of Operations and Maintenance, ESS

Redwood Materials • Reno, NV

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Redwood Materials is seeking a Director of Operations and Maintenance to define the operating model for all field service and maintenance activities for commercial and utility-scale BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems). This executive leadership role plays a critical part in our mission to build a sustainable battery supply chain by ensuring the reliable, safe, and high-performance operation of deployed energy storage systems. You will be responsible for owning the full O&M lifecycle from strategy through execution. The position requires meaningful field presence and cross-functional leadership to ensure safety, regulatory compliance, asset reliability, and customer satisfaction across dynamic project sites. As a foundational leadership hire, this role requires a player-coach approach during the organizational build-out phase, with direct execution responsibility that transitions to team leadership as the function matures.

Requirements

• Proven executive or senior leadership experience building and scaling O&M organizations for commercial and utility-scale BESS or comparable energy infrastructure, including organizational design, talent development, and culture-setting.
• Demonstrated P&L or budget management experience with the ability to develop business cases, manage cost structures, and drive financial performance in field operations.
• Experience with customer and commercial negotiations, executive-level communication, and representing technical operations in business development contexts; expertise in warranty management and contract fulfillment.
• Ability to develop and execute multi-year strategies and operational roadmaps while operating at both the strategic and execution levels in a player-coach capacity.
• Deep technical knowledge of high-voltage battery systems, power electronics, thermal management, system diagnostics, and safe field service practices.
• Strong proficiency with data analysis tools (Excel and others), CMMS platforms, and project management software; demonstrated ability to develop and implement tracking systems and digital tools.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving abilities; strong communication and collaboration skills across cross-functional teams and executive stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead field operations teams in dynamic, outdoor, and variable-temperature environments while upholding safety standards, EHS compliance, and performance targets.
• Ability to remain focused, organized, and responsive while working under time constraints or during periods of increased operational demand.
• 10+ years of relevant experience with 5+ years in progressively senior leadership roles; Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Energy Systems, or related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the multi-year O&M strategy, operating model, and roadmap; define and govern service standards, technical procedures, and safety frameworks to ensure fleet-wide consistency and continuous improvement.
• Ensure all commercial and contractual commitments are met, including performance guarantees, availability targets, and SLAs; oversee warranty claim management and technical support.
• Develop and manage KPIs across availability, safety, response time, and cost; lead business case development and investment decisions and manage the O&M budget.
• Lead all field service and O&M activities across the BESS fleet, including proactive maintenance, troubleshooting, repairs, and system optimization; track daily operational metrics and hold teams accountable to performance targets.
• Build, recruit, develop, and retain a high-performing O&M organization; provide direct in-field leadership and execution oversight as the organization scales, including field deployments up to 50% travel; champion ergonomic, 5S, and safety initiatives across all sites.
• Own vendor and contractor selection, qualification, and commercial negotiations; drive implementation of tracking systems, digital tools, and maintenance schedules to support O&M efficiency and performance visibility.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing, Engineering, EHS, Logistics, and Commercial teams on process improvement and root cause analysis; represent O&M in executive reviews, customer escalations, and commercial negotiations.

What This Job Offers

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