Principal Product Manager

Requisition ID # 168564 

Job Category: Customer Support / Operations 

Job Level: Manager/Principal

Business Unit: Engineering, Planning & Strategy

Work Type: Hybrid

Job Location: Oakland

Position Summary

The Microgrid Design and Delivery Team is seeking an experienced Principal to play a leading role for PG&E in the resiliency and microgrids space. This experienced professional will play a central, driving role in project development of PG&E’s growing portfolio of microgrids from origination to operation. This people-centered, development-oriented role will require a combination of project management, technical knowledge, policy analysis, and general problem-solving skills to drive towards successful project outcomes on PG&E’s fast-paced microgrid space.

The Principal will oversee the execution of projects currently in flight as well as manage implementation of community microgrids under the Community Microgrid Enablement Tariff (CMET). The team is currently actively engaged in two landmark community microgrid programs: the Community Microgrid Enablement Program (CMEP) and the Microgrid Incentive Program (MIP).

This position requires coordinating across the various functions and teams involved throughout the development lifecycle of microgrids, including Engineering, Customer Care, Project Management, Land Rights, Environmental Permitting, and Policy and Strategy. A strong applicant will be highly organized and motivated, with a strong track record of success in building consensus and managing many moving parts within matrixed teams with the initiative to recognize and fill gaps to establish repeatable work processes as they learn by doing. In addition to the project management roles, the Principal Product Manager will be responsible for bridging the gap between numerous technical PG&E teams critical to project development, driving effective communication and being able to translate technical concepts to non-technical audiences and vice versa.   

Given the role’s engagement across the full spectrum of the microgrid space, the successful candidate will be uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between the hard realities of implementation and the shaping of critical strategy, policy and regulatory enablers.  Thus, the Principal Product Development Manger will be regularly tapped as a subject matter expert in development of PG&E’s microgrid vision and strategy and sought after for development of PG&E positions in the policy and regulatory space.

Setting aside all pretenses aside for one paragraph and focusing on what is at the core of our team identity and culture…we are looking for someone who will love to work in this space as much as we do.  Someone who wants to play a critical role in delivering resilient solutions for our communities and is here for the hard reality of what it takes on a day-to-day basis to make that happen.  Someone who wants to work with similarly engaged people, feeding off their energy and intelligence, while giving back in kind.  Someone who is willing not only to unselfishly share their expertise anywhere applicable, but also to offer their random semi-educated guesses in situations where they feel their expertise is in short supply.  Collectively, we value and strive for leaders who combine technical depth with collaborative spirit – those who thrive in ambiguity, inspire others, and drive innovation in resilience solutions. If this feels right, we hope you’ll consider joining our team.

This position is hybrid, working from your remote office and your assigned work location based on business need. The assigned work location will be within the PG&E Service Territory. The preferred work location is in Oakland, CA.

PG&E is providing the salary range that can reasonably be expected for this position at the time of the job posting. This salary range is specific to the locality of the job. The actual salary paid to an individual will be based on multiple factors, including, but not limited to, internal equity, specific skills, education, licenses or certifications, experience, market value, and geographic location. The decision will be made on a case-by-case basis related to these factors.​ This job is also eligible to participate in PG&E’s discretionary incentive compensation programs.  

A reasonable salary range is:

Bay Area: $140,000.00 to $207,900.00

Job Responsibilities 

1. Project Development – Utility-Driven Microgrids

• Lead end-to-end development of PG&E-owned microgrid projects, from concept through commissioning.
• Define project scope, design, and objectives aligned with utility goals.
• Develop and secure consensus on detailed work plans, including schedule, cost, resources, and contingency planning.
• Manage vendor integration, RFOs, and bilateral negotiations for third-party products and services.
• Track performance, mitigate risks, and ensure lessons learned are captured for continuous improvement.

2. Project Development – Community-Driven Microgrids

• In addition to the responsibilities outlined in the “utility-driven microgrids”, you will also –
  • Act as primary point of contact for community microgrid project developers (CMPDs).
  • Co-develop project scope and objectives with CMPDs, ensuring compliance with PG&E technical requirements.
  • Drive successful outcomes for PG&E-community partnerships under CMEP and MIP programs.

3. Process Development & Scaling

• Establish repeatable frameworks and processes to enable rapid scale-up of microgrid deployment.
• Identify gaps and implement solutions to streamline project delivery and improve efficiency.

4. Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Lead complex cross-functional meetings and maintain alignment among diverse stakeholders.
• Translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences and vice versa.
• Communicate project status, risks, and strategic implications to internal and external stakeholders.

5. Strategic Leadership & Policy Influence

• Represent PG&E in external forums, regulatory proceedings, and industry working groups.
• Identify barriers to microgrid deployment and advocate for technical/regulatory innovations.
• Contribute to shaping PG&E’s medium- and long-term microgrid vision and roadmap.

Qualifications 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Business, Economics, Marketing, Psychology, or related.
• 10+ years of job-related experience

Desired Qualifications:

• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives with minimal oversight
• Demonstrated experience with major construction project development
• Demonstrated knowledge of the electric system
• A strong applicant will be organized and motivated, with a strong track record of success in building consensus and managing many moving parts within matrixed teams.
• Demonstrated ability to create scalable processes for emerging technologies
• Demonstrated ability to be creative, versatile, efficient and productive in the face of ambiguity and change
• Strong verbal / written communication and presentation skills
• Experience mentoring or coaching peers and junior staff
• Working technical knowledge of overall utility electric grid design and operations, solar PV, inverters, energy storage, conventional generation, microgrid controllers
• Knowledge of microgrid projects and requirements relevant to various PG&E functional areas
• Familiarity with California utility regulations, regulatory processes and policy context
• Policy experience on Electric Rule 21, Wholesale Distribution Tariff, and other interconnection tariff issues
• Master’s in business administration, Engineering or other Advanced Degree
• 2+ years of experience in electrical project management in the context of utility operations
• Awareness and familiarity with tools / applications regularly used by electric distribution or transmission system Operators, Operating Engineers, and Planning Engineers such as: SCADA, Outage Management System (OMS), Distribution Management System (DMS), Power Flow modeling tools (e.g., CYME), Geographic Information System (GIS), operational data historian (e.g., OSISoft Pi)