Project Development Director

Energy Vault•Westlake Village, CA

2d•$154,000 - $246,000•Remote

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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.
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.
Must successfully pass a pre-employment background check.
Energy Vault participates in E-Verify.

Nice To Haves

Certification in Project Management preferred.
A passion for sustainability, our mission, and our vision is a bonus!

Responsibilities

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.