Director of Software Engineering

Fervo Energy is the leading developer of next-generation geothermal power. We design build own and operate geothermal wellfields pipelines power plants and transmission assets delivering firm flexible clean power to utilities and hyperscalers. As we scale our fleet of projects we are building the digital infrastructure to match: a robust Azure-based data platform that unifies real-time operational data with back-office systems and an enterprise application layer that puts that data to work.

Position Description

Fervo is hiring a Director of Software Engineering to build and lead the software organization responsible for our internal application layer. Reporting directly to the CTO this leader will own the architecture roadmap and delivery model for software products that support Fervos rapidly scaling business.

This is an opportunity to build production software at the intersection of energy infrastructure industrial operations data and AI. The systems you build will help teams across Fervo improve workflows connect information and make more informed decisions as the company grows.

The ideal candidate is both an engineering leader and a product-minded builder: someone who can work closely with internal stakeholders understand complex business and operational needs and lead a team that ships durable high-impact software.

Responsibilities

• Own the internal application architecture. Define and maintain the architecture for Fervo-built applications including application patterns service boundaries integrations deployment models observability and application-level security. Partner closely with data IT cybersecurity and business stakeholders to ensure Fervos software ecosystem is scalable secure maintainable and built to evolve with the company.
• Build business-facing software products. Lead the development of internal applications that translate data and operational context into clearer workflows better visibility and more effective decision-making. These may include workflow tools reporting systems dashboards automation capabilities and AI-enabled applications.
• Work forward-deployed with operational teams. Embed directly with drilling engineers wellfield operators power plant technicians and commercial leads to understand their workflows and pain points. Rapidly prototype and ship MVPs into live production environments iterate with real users and bring operational learnings back to the core engineering and data platform teams.
• Lead a product-oriented engineering model. Build a software team that works closely with stakeholders across the business to translate ambiguous needs into deployed software. Balance embedded discovery with centralized architecture and engineering discipline so that Fervos software ecosystem compounds over time.
• Build and lead the software engineering team. Hire manage and grow a team of full-stack engineers backend engineers and product managers. Establish engineering culture delivery practices technical standards and operating rhythms that allow a small high-leverage team to move quickly while building durable systems.
• Advance Fervos use of AI-enabled applications. Partner with technical and business leaders to identify prioritize and deliver practical AI-enabled software capabilities. Focus on production-grade tools that improve workflows reduce manual effort and support better decision-making.
• Establish engineering standards for the application stack. Set the practices that support high-quality software delivery including CI/CD testing code review documentation observability incident response and application security. Partner with IT and cybersecurity on identity access management infrastructure standards and enterprise security requirements.
• Manage vendor and integration relationships. Own technical relationships for software vendors and integration partners that support Fervos internal application ecosystem.

Qualifications

Required

• 8 years of software engineering experience including at least 3 years in a technical leadership or engineering management role
• Experience building and deploying production full-stack or backend applications in cloud environments
• Strong backend engineering fundamentals including modern programming languages API design authentication and authorization patterns and production-grade integration design
• Hands-on experience integrating applications with modern data platforms or enterprise systems
• Experience deploying AI machine learning or automation-enabled features into production environments
• Demonstrated ability to lead engineering teams manage technical roadmaps and make prioritization tradeoffs across competing business needs
• Strong product judgment with a track record of scoping and shipping the simplest useful solution to a real business problem
• Ability to work with non-technical stakeholders understand complex workflows and translate ambiguous needs into software requirements and deployed systems

What Were Looking For

In the first year you will have established Fervos software engineering function as a high-leverage partner to the business. You will have hired and developed a small team defined the architecture for Fervos internal application layer shipped production applications that improve critical workflows and created a repeatable model for turning business needs into software products.

Longer term your work will help Fervo build a connected scalable software ecosystem that improves how teams access information coordinate work and make decisions as the company grows.

Why Fervo

Fervo is solving one of the most important problems in energy: delivering around-the-clock carbon-free power at scale. We are combining geothermal innovation operational execution and modern technology to build a new category of clean energy company.

This role sits at the center of that transformation. You will help define how software data and AI become part of Fervos operating system as we scale.

Location

Fervo Energy is headquartered in Houston TX with offices in Oakland CA Golden CO Reno NV and Salt Lake City UT. This position is an in-person role in our Oakland CA ; Golden CO ; Houston TX headquarters. Travel up to 25% is required for this role.

Fervo provides a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical dental vision life short-term and long-term disability flexible paid time off and paid parental leave. Additionally Fervo offers an incentive stock options program a bonus incentive program and a 401(k) plan with an employer match.

Fervo Energy is providing the compensation range and general description of other compensation and benefits that the company in good faith believes it might pay and/or offer for this position based on the successful applicants education experience knowledge skills and abilities in addition to internal equity and geographic location. Expected Salary: $269115 - $300000 based on Colorado locality pay in other locations may vary.

Fervo Energy reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer other compensation depending on circumstances not related to an applicants sex or other status protected by local state or federal law.

Fervo Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race color creed gender religion marital status registered domestic partner status age national origin ancestry physical or mental disability medical condition sex genetic information sexual orientation military and veteran status or any other consideration made unlawful by federal state or local laws. It also prohibits unlawful discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of those characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of those characteristics.