Director, Energy Markets & Strategic Partnerships

📍 Location: Washington, DC (Arlington HQs; Hybrid); open to Boston, MA (Somerville; Hybrid)

👥 Team: Regulatory

🧭 Reports to: VP of Marketing & Regulatory

💼 Type: Full-time (exempt)

📌 Job details

Geothermal is the most efficient way to heat and cool a home, but the upfront cost has kept it out of reach for most homebuilders and homebuyers. In 2025, Dandelion launched a first-of-its-kind solution to that problem. Instead of the builder paying for the system, an investor partner buys it, claims the federal tax credit and other incentives, and leases the system to the homebuyer. Builders can offer geothermal without paying for it up front.

As Director of Energy Markets and Strategic Partnerships , you'll run this program and help it grow. You'll make sure we deliver reliably, at the pace builders need, and in a way that gets builders and homebuyers the most financial benefit. You'll also work across teams to find the next opportunities as we expand nationwide. These include new ownership and financing options and new revenue from grid services, such as virtual power plants and demand response programs.

🛠️ Responsibilities

Managing & Scaling Existing TPO Partnerships

- Serve as the primary relationship owner for Dandelion’s existing third-party ownership and geothermal leasing partners.
- Monitor portfolio performance, ensure smooth operational workflows between sales, installation, and fund administration, and optimize asset deployment.
- Resolve operational bottlenecks, streamline tax equity/debt drawdowns, and maximize partner capital efficiency.

Origination & Structuring of New Financing Products

- Identify, negotiate, and execute new capital partnerships (tax equity, debt facilities, infrastructure funds, consumer finance) to lower customer barriers to entry and expand Dandelion's TPO offerings.
- Structure innovative financing models tailored specifically to geothermal heating and cooling assets (e.g., ground-loop infrastructure leasing, loan/lease hybrid models).
- Work closely with Legal, Finance, and Product teams to launch next-generation financial products that improve conversion rates and customer economics.

Expansion into Grid Services, VPPs, & Energy Markets

- Lead strategy and deal execution for grid-edge monetization opportunities, including Demand Response (DR) programs, Virtual Power Plant (VPP) aggregations, and wholesale energy market participation.
- Build strategic partnerships with utilities, grid operators (ISOs/RTOs), aggregators, and energy retailers to monetize geothermal heat pumps' controllable, low-peak electrical profile.
- Evaluate and launch revenue-sharing models that stack TPO financing benefits with grid service yields for Dandelion and its customers.
- Identify opportunities for product development to maximize scale and revenue.

🎯 We’re looking for:

- Commercial Drive: Self starter with proven track record of originating, negotiating, and closing complex, multi-million-dollar partnership agreements.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Ability to collaborate seamlessly across teams that do not report to you, including Legal, Policy, Operations, Finance, Marketing, Sales and R&D/Product.

✅ Must -haves

- Experience: 7+ years in commercial structured finance, energy project development, corporate business development, or partnership management within clean tech, residential solar/storage, or HVAC.
- Domain Expertise: Understanding of residential Third-Party Ownership (TPO) models, PPAs, leases, tax credit monetization, and debt/tax equity structures.
- Energy Markets Knowledge: Familiarity with REC markets, residential Demand Response, VPP platforms, ISO/RTO market participation rules, and utility regulatory frameworks.

🌼 About Dandelion

Dandelion Energy is transforming how homes are heated and cooled—starting from (below) the ground up. As the nation’s leading residential geothermal company, we design, install, and maintain all-in-one heating and cooling systems that are cleaner, quieter, more affordable, and up to 4× more efficient than traditional HVAC. Our focus is on large, enterprise deployments with major homebuilders, helping bring geothermal to more homes, faster.

Backed by Google Ventures (GV) and other top tech investors, our end-to-end geothermal solution is challenging the status quo in residential heating and cooling. We’re scaling strategically and intentionally to meet growing demand. Our mission is simple and bold: to make geothermal the default choice for heating and cooling in the U.S.

🌳 Why Dandelion

Dandelion Energy is at the forefront of the transition to clean, efficient home energy. Our team has delivered thousands of high-quality geothermal installations across the country, helped elevate geothermal heat pumps nationally, and played a meaningful role in advancing electrification-friendly policy at both the local and federal levels.

We’re a multidisciplinary, mission-driven team spanning hardware engineering, HVAC, drilling, solar finance, behavioral economics, and startup operations. Together, we’re building something complex, impactful, and designed to scale … work that directly shapes how homes are powered for decades to come.

At Dandelion, you’ll find a collaborative, fast-paced, and inclusive culture where curiosity, ownership, and cross-functional teamwork are core to how we operate. Our nationwide team is united by a shared commitment to sustainability and a belief that clean, affordable heating and cooling should be the standard.

We’re driving a wholesale shift in how homes are heated and cooled. Join us.

🎁 Benefits & Perks

- Medical (including mental health), dental, vision, and pet insurance
- 401(k) plan
- Commuter benefits
- Generous paid sick leave, vacation, and parental leave
- Learning & development support, including on-the-job training and virtual courses
- Pet insurance