Principal Product Manager

Pacific Gas And Electric Company•Oakland, CA

8d•$144,000 - $244,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Join the Innovation Strategy & Programs (IS&P) team within PG&E’s Grid Research Innovation & Development (GRID) department and help us change the electric utility industry from the inside! In 2022, PG&E articulated its True North Strategy (TNS), a bold breakthrough vision that charts a course toward achieving our purpose and climate commitments over the next 10 years. The mission of Innovation Strategy & Programs (IS&P), where this role sits, is to ensure that PG&E can bring the technologies that support the TNS vision of a resilient, decarbonized, optimized energy system from conception to reality through a rigorous R&D practice. To do so, IS&P leads PG&E’s R&D Strategy, by maintaining an R&D Strategy Report in line with our TNS objectives and conducting large scale Innovation Summit and Innovation Pitch Fest events to bring our strategy to life and build coalitions with external stakeholders. Our team also leads PG&E’s Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC) and Gas Research, Development & Demonstration (Gas RD&D) programs which are collectively funded at around $25M/year and together represent one of the nation’s biggest and most advanced utility R&D functions. These programs enable PG&E and other California organizations to demonstrate novel technology solutions to meet emerging energy system needs and achieve the state’s ambitious energy policy goals.

Requirements

Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Business, Economics, Marketing, Psychology, or related, or equivalent experience.
Job-related experience, 10 years

Nice To Haves

Master in Business Administration, Public Policy, Engineering or other advanced degree
Utility experience and/or understanding of gas and electric system operations, including familiarity with utility information and operational technology systems
Familiarity with program management including governance, compliance, roles & responsibilities, methodologies, processes and procedures
Track record in executing grant applications and managing grant-funded program
Experience scaling emerging technologies from pilot to operations
Consulting experience
Strong demonstrated capability in constructing business cases for executive leadership
Demonstrated strong work ethic and exceptional levels of accountability, self-drive, and business judgment
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including comfort using AI tools (i.e. Microsoft CoPilot) to enhance clarity and efficiency
Strong analytical and technical skills in Excel, PowerPoint, Word
Familiarity with information technology implementation and/or systems development and implementation lifecycles from both a technical (IT) and functional (business) perspective

Responsibilities

Facilitates project ideation, prioritization, project selection, and strategic alignment
Supports project teams in creating robust project concept proposals and business plans including documentation of scope, timeline, budget, benefits, risks/mitigations and programmatic compliance requirements. This also includes performing benchmarking, vendor and technology due diligence, and facilitating alignment on project objectives, scope, use-cases, etc.
Influences enterprise innovation strategy and future R&D investment priorities
Serves as the primary point of coordination with the CPUC for the Gas RD&D program
Leads the preparation for, and facilitation of, program deep dives and other meetings with the CPUC
Represents PG&E at formal workshops with the general public
Leads the development of content for formal regulatory filings such as PG&E’s annual Gas RD&D plans, leads annual reporting to the CPUC, and manages data requests.
Ensures compliance with the myriad of CPUC requirements over the Gas RD&D program
Coordinates with the CEC and other California utilities to maintain alignment across portfolios and identifies and acts on any opportunities for collaboration and portfolio synergies during program execution.
Directly oversees 1-2 key projects within PG&E’s EPIC and Gas RD&D portfolios
Enables project teams to successfully develop and implement projects through strong, client-oriented support service and centralized governance.
Embeds in program team to drive business value by developing and applying a sound technical understanding of projects, awareness of technology landscape/benchmarking, stakeholder and organizational dynamics, and program requirements.
Facilitates alignment of all internal (and external where appropriate) stakeholders, including senior leadership throughout the project lifecycle.
Facilitates closure/completion of projects including production of project closeout documentation.
Establishes and oversees improved processes that support compliance with any new regulatory requirements
Establishes and oversees improved processes that support the transition of successful R&D projects into technology roadmaps and investment plans for broader technology integration and deployment
Identifies opportunities to improve and streamline R&D governance processes and procedures and leads teams to implement changes. Develops documentation outlining procedures and guidelines for the department and for project teams.