Manager, Field Operations

Exowatt is revolutionizing the energy landscape for the AI era with our groundbreaking P3 system that captures solar energy, stores it as heat, and generates electricity on demand. Founded in 2023 and backed by leading investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Sam Altman, and Felicis, we are committed to providing clean, modular, and scalable power that meets the rapidly growing demands of AI infrastructure. Our mission is to make sustainable renewable energy always available and almost free, enabling technological advancement while protecting our planet. Exowatt has progressed to the next growth phase. With our first commercial deployment underway, we are entering a phase where execution is the binding constraint on growth. We do not currently have an owner for the end‑to‑end deployment of our modules at a customer site: scope, schedule, deliverables, on‑site coordination, and customer‑facing project communication. Today, this work is being absorbed across Business Development, Engineering, Product, and Supply Chain & Manufacturing on an ad‑hoc basis. That is workable for one customer; it does not scale as we add the next two to three deployments over the coming twelve to eighteen months. This role is the seed of a Field Operations function at Exowatt. The first hire owns our anchor customer deployment and communication end‑to‑end, owns the response when deployed modules need product or field service attention during these first deployments, builds the playbook and templates that every subsequent deployment will use, and creates the foundation we will hire against as deployments scale. The Manager, Field Operations is responsible for the successful delivery of Exowatt modules at customer sites — beginning with pre‑contract site visits, support during contracting, coordinating permitting, delivery, startup, commissioning, and post‑sale field service. This is a manager‑level role with significant cross‑functional and customer‑facing scope. The role owns the program plan, the deliverables tracker, and the customer relationship for project execution. This person operates at the intersection of customer, engineering, supply chain, and field operations. They translate contract obligations into a credible execution plan, hold internal teams accountable to it, and represent Exowatt to the customer with clarity and confidence. This role can be based at our headquarters in Miami, FL or at our facility in Austin, TX. Key responsibilities Customer-facing project ownership Serve as the primary Exowatt project point of contact for the customer from contract execution through site acceptance. Run the customer‑facing project cadence: kickoff, weekly status, milestone reviews, risk reviews, and acceptance. Translate customer requirements, site conditions, and contract obligations into a clear, tracked scope. Own escalation handling—internally and with the customer—judging what to surface, when, and to whom. Deliverables and schedule management Build and maintain the master deliverables matrix, schedule, and critical path for each deployment. Coordinate inputs from Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Field Operations, and Commercial to keep the schedule live and credible. Track contract milestones, payment milestones, and acceptance criteria; ensure internal and external sign‑offs happen on time. Identify schedule and scope risks early, propose mitigations, and drive them to closure. On‑site coordination and commissioning Coordinate site readiness with the customer: civil, electrical, interconnection, permitting, and access logistics. Lead pre‑deployment site visits, factory acceptance reviews, and on‑site installation and commissioning campaigns. Partner with Field Operations to ensure safety, quality, and documentation standards are met at every step. Product issue response and field service coordination Lead the incident response for deployed modules requiring technical or field attention: triage issues, determine severity, define the remediation path, and drive to resolution. Orchestrate the field response across internal engineering, service technicians, and third‑party partners; ensure mobilization includes the correct personnel, components, and documentation. Own customer‑facing communication during field incidents, providing clear acknowledgments, credible recovery timelines, and formal closure documentation. Systematize the capture of field data: root cause analysis, corrective actions, and time‑to‑resolution to provide structured feedback for Engineering and Product iterations. Establish the foundational tooling and conventions (ticketing, escalation paths, and service levels) necessary to scale a future Field Ops function. Build out the Field Operations Function Create the reusable playbook: kickoff templates, deliverables matrices, status reporting formats, risk registers, acceptance protocols. Define the operating model for how Field Operations interfaces with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Commercial, and Finance. Establish lessons‑learned and post‑deployment review practices so every project makes the next one easier. Scope and shape future Field Operations hires as our customer count grows. Required experience Eight to twelve years of program or project management experience delivering complex hardware deployments at customer sites. Energy or power infrastructure background strongly preferred (utility‑scale solar, BESS, distributed generation, data center power, microgrid). Industrial hardware, modular construction, telecom infrastructure, or industrial automation deployment experience considered. Demonstrated ownership of multi‑million‑dollar customer deployments from contract through acceptance. Direct, executive‑grade customer-facing experience—has been the named project owner with a large enterprise customer. Fluency with project management fundamentals: schedule, scope, risk, budget, change control, dependency management. Strong written and verbal communication; able to produce executive‑grade status communications without hand‑holding. Comfortable in an early‑stage environment: builds the process while running the project, rather than waiting for the process to exist. Ability to travel to customer sites as deployment phases require (typically twenty‑five to forty‑percent during active deployment). Preferred experience Engineering background (mechanical, civil, electrical, industrial) or equivalent technical fluency to engage credibly with internal engineering and customer technical staff. Experience standing up a deployments, delivery, or technical program management function at an earlier‑stage hardware company. PMP, PgMP, or equivalent credential. Familiarity with EPC, owner’s engineer, and AHJ permitting workflows in U.S. jurisdictions. What We Offer Competitive salary and equity options. Comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and retirement plans. A dynamic work environment that fosters creativity and innovation. Opportunities for professional growth and development in a rapidly evolving industry. Relocation assistance. #J-18808-Ljbffr