Key Responsibilities

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Startup Support + Utility Ecosystem Development

• Provide mentorship and hands-on support for two cohorts of 6 startups per year through Joules’ accelerator program. This includes conducting bi-weekly meetings, engaging in active correspondence with the startups and their advisors, making connections within our network, and coordinating related opportunities: projects, demos, pilots, pitches, vouchers, conferences, etc. 

• Provide strategic and technical advising support to startups, including on market insights, customer segmentation, adoption barriers, regulatory considerations, competitive landscapes, value propositions, go-to-market strategies, pricing, procurement pathways, and pilot commercialization plans. 

• Participate in the biannual cohort selection process, which includes sourcing, evaluating, and selecting startups. Proficiency and understanding of grid technologies brought to bear on applications. 

• Coordinate technical, contractual, and evaluation workstreams so pilots deliver measurable market signals with reduced adoption risk. 

 

Voucher and Adoption Readiness Level Mapping

• Conduct ARL assessments with startups and develop consequent risk mapping and path-to-market plan. 

• Deliver customized support and feedback based on the ARL assessment to startups, including addressing identified risk areas through vouchers. 

• Build a prioritized pipeline of pilot and voucher opportunities matched to partner needs (utilities, C&I, municipalities).

• Coordinate with Future Grid Network Partners to support voucher development. Identify and build a network of vendors providing services for startups, and of key technical advisors.  

• Co-develop project scopes, timelines, risk matrices, and success criteria for pilots with startup leads.

• Define KPIs for Technology-to-Market activities and report outcomes to Joulesʼ board, funders, and partners.

• Ultimately, accelerate adoption and market fit for startups. 

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Utility Relationship Management  

• Manage a spectrum of relationships with utilities and other industry partners. This includes speaking to stakeholders at all levels, including senior leadership. 

• Contribute an understanding of utility’s needs and considerations in the innovation landscape. 

• Represent Joules at partner meetings, industry forums, and investor briefings; co-design and lead showcase events and partner site visits.

• Serve as Joulesʼ lead on technical and commercialization conversations with utility partners (e.g., Duke Energy), corporate sponsors, investors, universities, and national labs.

• Generally speaking, bring technical savvy and heft to the Joules team given previous experience in a related and complementary field or organization. 

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Qualifications

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• Bachelor’s Degree in environmental science, engineering, data science, policy, economics, or applied science.

• 5+ years of professional experience in energy/utility innovation, product commercialization, program management, or startup commercialization roles. 

• Intermediate technical fluency in grid-technology and its applications. Ability to communicate credibly with startup founders and utilities. 

• Familiarity with ARL, TRL, technology commercialization, and startups. Must have a thorough understanding of the ARL framework developed by the Department of Energy, and its role in commercialization.

• Understand the grid ecosystem. (i.e. IOUs, IPPs, new startups, Co-ops, OEMs, etc.)

• Proven track record managing startup ecosystems and working with utilities, regulated entities, or large industrial partners

• Excellent communication and people skills. Professional and engaging candor with a network that spans all levels including senior leaders and stakeholders. Comfortable negotiating commercial terms and aligning cross-functional teams. 

• Demonstrated experience with relationship-building and engagement. Ability to identify needs, advise, and execute on support. Experience mentoring startups and translating product-market fit into procurement/procurement-ready pilots

• Curiosity and a willingness to learn. 

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Preferred

• Prior nonprofit, accelerator, or incubator experience.

• Experience working inside (or closely with) a regulated utility or with corporate R&D /Innovation groups.

• Familiarity with national labs, grant funding, and demonstration site logistics.

• Exposure to procurement, rate-base decision processes, or utility interconnection and testing constraints.

• Advanced degree in related field. 

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Reports to: Executive Director

Location: Remote in the Southeast, including: NC, SC, VA, GA, TN. If located in Charlotte, NC, some hybrid work will be required. Occasional travel required. 

Type: Three month full-time contract with opportunity to transition to full-time in 2027

Compensation: $40-60/hour depending on experience, $90-125k depending on experience as salaried  

Benefits: Insurance, PTO (as full-time staff)