Position DescriptionThe VP of People will own Fervo's people strategy and run the function independently. They will hold a high bar for themselves and their team as the architects of Fervo's people strategy and culture. They will ensure we hire exceptional people, pay them fairly and competitively, develop them, and keep them highly engaged. They will also run high-stakes work such as compensation, compliance, and board governance, and they will work proactively with the leaders of every team to spot risks before they become problems, whether that is a project deadline that lands over the holidays or a staffing gap that is about to open, and put the morale and financial support structures in place early. This person will report to the COO, who will act as a strategic thought partner, but the role will operate with significant autonomy, proposing direction and translating it into a high-performing People function.
We care more about how this person thinks than where they have worked, and they must have proven rigor in the fundamentals of running a people-first organization. We are at an inflection point, and the right leader will help design the organization deliberately, measure success, and make it easier to scale with every site we bring online.
Responsibilities- Own the long-range people strategy, including org design, workforce planning, and leadership development, and tie it to the GeoBlock deployment roadmap. Design the organization we need ahead of demand across field crews, plant operators, engineers, and corporate teams.
- Partner with all Fervo functions on headcount planning and organizational design, surfacing people risks and constraints before they become bottlenecks.
- Serve as the architect of our compensation, equity, and benefits philosophy and execution, including leveling, benchmarking, bonus design, annual equity refresh, and the annual benefits renewal. Run the annual merit cycle with pay-equity analytics and clear, transparent communication.
- Own engagement and retention strategy, understanding why people stay and why they leave, and act before trends manifest as attrition.
- Oversee and lead talent acquisition strategy and continually raise the hiring bar as we grow headcount across both hourly/field and salaried/technical roles.
- Build and develop a high-performing People team, with clear goals and strong accountability.
- Build the systems and analytics that make People a source of operational insight, not just administration.
- Be one of Fervo's most visible culture carriers, including at our sites.
- Own public-company people disclosure and multi-state employment compliance in partnership with Legal and Finance.
- Own the board-level compensation committee preparation and delivery, from analysis and materials to presenting alongside the COO.
- Bolster an explicit and durable culture. Raise the performance bar through manager capability, honest feedback, and differentiated performance management systems.
QualificationsRequired- Bachelor's degree; advanced degree is a plus
- 10+ years in people leadership, including 5+ years leading a People function or major People discipline at a fast-paced company
- Direct experience preparing for and presenting to a board audience
- Expertise in compensation design and equity programs
- Track record of building a team and holding them accountable to high performance
- Experience scaling an organization's headcount
- A command of multi-state employment compliance
Preferred- Public company experience, including public company disclosure requirements
- Experience with both hourly/field and salaried/technical workforces
- Background in energy, industrial, manufacturing, or hardware
- Experience designing or redesigning a comp system, hiring engine, or culture program
- Excellent executive presence and communication skills, from board presentations to site-level town halls
Who Thrives at FervoWe screen for attributes as much as experience. The people who do best here share a few things in common:
- First-principles thinkers - they question conventional wisdom and can explain the "why" behind every decision
- Extreme ownership mindset - when something isn't working, they own the diagnosis and the fix
- Bias for speed and iteration - they ship imperfect things and make them better over time
- Simplifiers - they cut complexity
- Data-driven and decisive - they set metrics for success, drive creative analyses, and trust their instincts when interpreting the data
- Direct communicators - comfortable delivering hard feedback and having hard conversations
- Mission-driven - they believe geothermal energy matters and want to build first-of-a-kind energy systems
LocationFervo Energy has offices in Houston, TX, Golden, CO, Reno, NV, Oakland, CA, and Salt Lake City, UT. This position will be eligible for some hybrid work flexibility, but regular in-office presence in our Houston office will be required.
Benefits & Perks- Fervo offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, financial well-being, and life outside of work. Benefits for eligible employees include:
- Medical, dental, and vision plan options
- Employer-paid basic life insurance and short-term and long-term disability coverage
- A 401(k) plan with up to 6% match
- Flexible paid time off and paid parental leave
- Family-building, fertility, hormonal health, pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting support through Carrot
- A dependent care FSA for eligible child and elder care expenses
- An annual Lifestyle Spending Account for eligible wellness expenses, including fitness, financial planning, pet insurance, and pet care
- Employee ownership opportunities through Fervo's Employee Stock Purchase Program, as well as LTI and bonus opportunities for eligible roles
Benefits and programs are subject to eligibility requirements and may change.
Our WorkplaceFervo Energy highly values having employees work in the office to foster collaboration and strengthen our company culture. This role follows a hybrid schedule, with team members expected to work in the office three days per week. Fervo considers this in-office schedule an essential function of the role. Your recruiter can share more information about the schedule.
