Sr. Technical Program Mgr, Software & Control

Catalyzing a cleaner future

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.

Position Profile

ESS is seeking a Sr. Technical Program Manager, Software & Controls to drive strategic planning and execution across our software, controls, and systems engineering teams. This role owns end-to-end program planning, coordination, and delivery for complex, cross-functional development efforts, ensuring that timelines are realistic, cross-project 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 the central 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 and with emphasis on comprehensive quality. This role operates with a high degree of autonomy and serves as the bridge between domain execution and enterprise program objectives .

The ideal candidate is proactive, highly organized, technologically fluent, and comfortable managing competing priorities within teams and across the organization with senior leaders.

What you’ll do

• Own end-to-end strategic planning and execution of software, controls, and integrated system testing programs
• Develop and maintain integrated program plans, including milestones, dependencies, and risks
• Lead Agile execution rhythms (sprint planning, backlog coordination, release tracking) across multiple teams
• Drive cross-functional alignment across engineering, product, systems, and external partners
• Serve as the primary coordination point for third-party development vendors, ensuring alignment to program timelines and deliverables
• Identify, escalate, and resolve cross-team risks, blockers, and execution gaps
• Synthesize program status into clear, actionable insights for leadership and PMO stakeholders
• Run program reviews, standups, and status communications with a focus on accuracy and consistency
• Ensure alignment between customer commitments, internal roadmaps, and enterprise milestones
• Support translation of product and technical strategy into executable plans
• Implement and reinforce program management tools, processes, and governance standards
• Develop and maintain resource planning, forecasting, and program-level budgeting as needed
• Drive continuous improvement in program execution, coordination, and reporting practices
  
  

What you bring

• Business mindset and the ability to develop and maintain an effective program strategy aligned to enterprise objectives
• 8-12+ years of experience in technical program management, project management, or engineering operations
• Experience orchestrating complex, multi-team projects & program outputs in software, controls, or integrated hardware/software environments– relevant applications include automotive, aerospace, energy, or similar technical products
• Strong working knowledge of Agile/Scrum methodologies and development workflows
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional dependencies and external partners
• Excellent organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to operate independently in fast-paced, evolving environments
• Strong analytical mindset with attention to detail and follow-through
• Ability to engage deeply and motivate technical teams without direct authority
• Ability to deal with ambiguity and dynamic priorities
  
  

Key Attributes

• Drives clarity, accountability, and alignment across complex programs
• Proactively identifies risks and resolves issues before escalation is required
• Influences across all levels of the organization with data-driven communication
• Builds strong cross-functional relationships and fosters collaboration
• Balances structure and flexibility to enable execution in dynamic environments
• Maintains high standards for communication quality, consistency, and transparency
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in energy storage, power systems, EV, utilities, or similar industries
• Background in hardware + software integrated product development, familiarity with software lifecycle management
• Experience managing third-party engineering or software vendors
• Familiarity with information management tools such as Smartsheet, MS Project, Jira, Confluence, Oracle Cloud, Fusion PLM
• Proficiency with Excel and / or PowerBI
  
  

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent experience
• PgMP , PMP, Scrum, or similar certification (strongly preferred)
  
  

Benefits of working at ESS

In addition to the value of working with and helping grow a global reaching clean technology, ESS offers Company assisted medical, dental and vision, 401k with Company match, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), generous flexible time off (FTO), and 8 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.