Director of Operations and Maintenance, ESS

Supervisor Responsibility:  

Direct supervisory responsibility for BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems) field service management, field service teams, technicians, maintenance specialists, project coordinators, contractors, and support staff. Accountable for organizational design, talent development, performance management culture, and safety leadership across the function. 

  

Position Summary:  

Redwood Materials is seeking a Director of Operations and Maintenance Director – Operations and Maintenance to define the operating model for all field service and maintenance activities for commercial and utility-scale BESS. 

 

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. 

 

Essential Duties and 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. 

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities  

 

• 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, talentdevelopment, 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 representingtechnical 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.