Principal Product Manager - Innovation Partnerships

Requisition ID # 169591 

Job Category: Customer Support / Operations 

Job Level: Manager/Principal

Business Unit: Engineering, Planning & Strategy

Work Type: Hybrid

Job Location: Oakland; Alameda; Alta; American Canyon; Angels Camp; Antioch; Auberry; Auburn; Avenal; Avila Beach; Bakersfield; Balch Camp; Bay Point; Bear Valley; Belden; Bellota; Belmont; Benicia; Berkeley; Brentwood; Brisbane; Buellton; Burney; Buttonwillow; Calistoga; Campbell; Canyon Dam; Canyondam; Capitola; Caruthers; Chico; Clearlake; Clovis; Coalinga; Colusa; Concord; Concord; Corcoran; Cottonwood; Cupertino; Daly City; Danville; Davis; Dinuba; Downieville; Dublin; Emeryville; Eureka; Fairfield; Folsom; Fort Bragg; Fortuna; Fremont; French Camp; Fresno; Fresno; Fulton; Garberville; Geyserville; Gilroy; Goodyear; Grass Valley; Guerneville; Half Moon Bay; Hayward; Hinkley; Hollister; Holt; Houston; Huron; Jackson; Kerman; King City; Lakeport; Lemoore; Lincoln; Linden; Livermore; Lodi; Loomis; Los Banos; Lower Lake; Madera; Magalia; Manteca; Manton; Mariposa; Martell; Marysville; Maxwell; Menlo Park; Merced; Meridian; Millbrae; Milpitas; Modesto; Monterey; Montgomery Creek; Morgan Hill; Morro Bay; Moss Landing; Mountain View; Napa; Needles; Newark; Newman; Novato; Oakdale; Oakhurst; Oakley; Olema; Orinda; Orland; Oroville; Palo Alto; Palo Cedro; Paradise; Parkwood; Paso Robles; Petaluma; Pioneer; Pismo Beach; Pittsburg; Placerville; Pleasant Hill; Point Arena; Potter Valley; Quincy; Rancho Cordova; Red Bluff; Redding; Richmond; Ridgecrest; Rio Vista; Rocklin; Roseville; Round Mountain; Sacramento; Salida; Salinas; San Bruno; San Carlos; San Francisco; San Francisco; San Jose; San Luis Obispo; San Mateo; San Rafael; San Ramon; San Ramon; Sanger; Santa Cruz; Santa Maria; Santa Nella; Santa Rosa; Selma; Shaver Lake; Sonoma; Sonora; South San Francisco; Springville; Stockton; Storrie; Taft; Tracy; Turlock; Twain; Ukiah; Vacaville; Vallejo; Walnut Creek; Wasco; Washington; Watsonville; West Sacramento; Wheatland; Whitmore; Willits; Willow Creek; Willows; Windsor; Winters; Woodland; Yuba City

Department Overview
The Strategy and Innovation team is focused on engaging high-impact customers whose energy needs and interactions propel California toward an electrified 2040 future with 100% clean energy that reduce rates.

The Innovation Partnerships group’s mission is to engage strategically with external entities over structured long periods on innovation projects that create significant downward pressure on customer rates. In pursuit of this mission the team:

• Serves as an initial filter for external parties offering PG&E a potential solution, evolving energy system problem statements, building relationships with innovation community within and outside of PG&E.​

• Structures partnerships that drive bi-directional value, ensuring PG&E and partner commit resources and share risk​.

• Engage deeply with PG&E stakeholders to understand key pain points across the energy systems innovation problem statements and leverage leading innovation management processes. ​

• Build and maintain deep relationships with the innovation community (e.g., venture capitalists, Big Tech, startups) to encourage more activity aimed toward energy system PG&E challenges.

The team is organized according to the PG&E R&D Strategy Report to align with the company’s True North Strategy (TNS) goals. This breadth means each member of the team is given autonomy and responsibility to drive meaningful outcomes while embodying PG&E values: Trustworthy, empathetic, curious, tenacious, and nimble, with a mission to deliver for hometowns, serve the planet, and lead with love. Team members are equal parts innovation strategy consultants, venture capital analysts, and corporate entrepreneurs who are expected to create a vision and collaboratively lead others toward its creation.

Position Summary

A principal product manager is being hired to:  

• Lead the Charge: Take ownership of Load Management Solutions (LMS) and Integrated Grid Planning (IGP) focus areas in PG&E’s R&D Strategy Report, identifying and executing breakthrough innovation projects that address critical R&D challenges and drive significant downward pressure on customer rates.
• Be a Strategic Advisor: Guide functional teams on how innovation can help achieve their True North Strategy goals, breaking down barriers and unlocking new possibilities.
• Forge Powerful Partnerships: Build and nurture relationships with top innovators—venture capitalists, Big Tech, startups, academia, and energy leaders—to co-create solutions that solve real-world energy challenges.
• Shape the Future: Develop and refine processes, policies, and partnership frameworks that set new standards for collaboration and success.

 
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 and will be agreed upon by the successful candidate and hiring leader. The preferred work location is Oakland, CA. 

PG&E is providing the full salary/pay range for this position.  The actual amount 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 range to reasonably expect will be around the minimum to the midpoint of the range.  The final decision will be made on a case-by-case basis related to the factors above. This job is also eligible to participate in PG&E’s discretionary incentive compensation programs. 

Bay Area Minimum: $140,000.00

Bay Area Midpoint: $189,000.00

Bay Area Maximum: $238,000.00

California Minimum: $133,000.00

California Midpoint: $180,000.00

California Maximum: $226,000.00

Job Responsibilities

• Design and deliver innovation & partnership solutions that advance PG&E’s True North Strategy.
• Establish and grow relationships with internal and external stakeholders, drive innovation and shared success.
• Recommend and structure strategic partnerships using standard contracts and MOUs.
• Champion process improvement and operational excellence across Load Management and IGP initiatives.
• Evaluate market trends and competitive offerings to ensure PG&E’s solutions are uniquely positioned for sustainable success.
• Manage stakeholder engagement and milestone achievement with transparency and collaboration. .
• Work alongside Load Management and IGP-related lines of business, acting as an advisory innovation, bringing innovation assessment, strategy, management, process, and partnership support as necessary.
• Follow the partnership assessment framework and filtering process to say “no” as well as “yes” at the right times and document all decisions and learnings.
• Develop policies and procedures for the product, service, or related process.

Qualifications

Minimum:

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

Desired:

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience
• Independent judgment, creativity, and humility
• Expert systems thinker and dot connector
• Proven track record of driving cross-functional change management and process health
• Operational, planning, and process experience
• Ability to lead complex projects and to co-create compelling business cases with input and alignment from multiple departments
• Adept at addressing issues with diplomacy and tact
• Excellent communication skills and attitude necessary to establish and maintain positive working relationships and results with all management and personnel
• Experience with managing complex software projects from inception to scale at an enterprise level
• Familiarity with Load Management solutions, market dynamics, and policies including experience working with aggregators in California.