Head of Technical Programme Management

At ESS (NYSE: GWH), our mission is to accelerate global decarbonization by providing safe, sustainable, long‑duration energy storage that powers people, communities, and businesses with clean, renewable energy anytime and anywhere it’s needed. As more renewable energy is added to the grid, long‑duration energy storage is essential to providing the reliability and resiliency we need when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing.

Our technology uses earth‑abundant iron, salt, and water to deliver environmentally safe solutions capable of providing up to 12 hours of flexible energy capacity for commercial and utility‑scale energy storage applications. Established in 2011, ESS Inc. enables project developers, independent power producers, utilities, and other large energy users to deploy reliable, sustainable long‑duration energy storage solutions.

ESS is seeking a Technical Program Manager II, BESS Mechanical & Electrical (NPD / NPI) to drive strategic planning and program execution across mechanical and electrical systems product development initiatives. This role drives detailed program planning, coordination, and delivery for complex, cross‑functional development efforts, ensuring that timelines are realistic, dependencies are understood, and teams remain aligned to product roadmaps and company commitments as we deliver next‑generation energy storage products.

You will act as a key execution leader, integrating internal teams of engineers, architects, product leaders, and third‑party partners into a cohesive program, proactively managing dependencies, resolving risks, optimizing costs, and synchronizing timelines to ensure business objectives are realized effectively with an emphasis on comprehensive quality. This role operates with moderate autonomy and emphasizes hands‑on coordination, schedule integration, and risk management, serving as a bridge between domain execution and enterprise program objectives.

Own end‑to‑end strategic planning and execution of mechanical and electrical system development programs

Develop and maintain integrated program plans, including milestones, dependencies, and risks

Proactively engage with mechanical and electrical engineering teams to ensure progress against milestones, leveraging sprint methodologies to keep teams focused and organized

Partner with technical SMEs to define, scope, and manage subcontractor engagements, including development of SoW and deliverable expectations

Identify, elevate, and resolve cross‑team risks, blockers, and execution gaps with support from leadership

Synthesize program status into clear, actionable insights for leadership and PMO stakeholders

Support maintained alignment of program scope against evolving customer commitments, internal roadmaps, and enterprise milestones

Implement and reinforce program management tools, processes, and governance standards

5-8+ years of experience in technical program management, project management, or engineering within a physical product development environment

Experience orchestrating complex, multi‑team projects & program out put in integrated system NPD / NPI or product evolution applications - relevant industries include automotive, aerospace, energy, or similar technical products

Proven ability to manage cross‑functional dependencies and external partners

Ability to engage deeply and motivate technical teams without direct authority and understand complex integrated system design strategies / development interplay to identify associated effort, risks, & challenges

Proactively identifies risks and drives mitigation in partnership with engineering and program leadership

Drives impact through data‑driven communication

Balances structure and flexibility to enable execution in dynamic environments

Maintains high standards for communication quality, consistency, and transparency

Experience with mechanical / electrical subcontractors, consultants, and equipment suppliers

Familiarity and / or experience navigating product safety and regulatory compliance requirements and certification

Familiarity with information management tools such as Smartsheet, MS Project, Jira, Confluence, Oracle Cloud, Fusion PLM

Proficiency with Excel and / or Power BI

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field, or equivalent experience

PG MP, PMP, Scrum, or similar certification (strongly preferred)

In addition to the value of working with and helping grow a global, clean technology, ESS offers company‑assisted medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) with company match, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), generous flexible time off (FTO), and eight paid holidays.

As an equal‑opportunity employer, we are open to considering every qualified candidate who is eligible and legally authorized to work in the United States on a full or part‑time basis, without need for sponsorship.

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