About Redwood Materials

Redwood Materials was founded in 2017 by JB Straubel, co-founder and former CTO of Tesla, on a simple but radical idea: the critical minerals powering the energy transition already exist. They just need to come back. Today Redwood is the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America — recovering, refining, and redeploying critical minerals from end-of-life batteries back into the supply chain. On the energy side, Redwood has deployed the largest second-life battery project in the world, delivering power to AI data centers in months rather than years using proprietary energy architecture engineered entirely in-house. The company is profitable, the market it operates in is projected to grow 20 to 50 times over the next decade, and Redwood is the only company with the supply chain, the technology, and the operational scale to lead it.

Position Summary

Redwood Materials is deploying large-scale battery energy storage systems that power data centers and the nation's grid. Founded by Tesla co-founder and former CTO JB Straubel, Redwood closed a $425M Series E in January 2026 and was named to Fast Company's 50 Most Innovative Companies for 2026. Redwood’s energy storage business is scaling fast - we built North America's largest microgrid (63 MWh) for AI infrastructure company Crusoe, signed a partnership with GM to deploy stationary storage using both new and second-life EV batteries, and are now bringing that same battery energy storage system to Rivian's Normal, Illinois manufacturing plant. 

The Senior/Staff BESS Land Development Project Manager will join as an early member of a new engineering team working on our Battery Energy Storage System product line, specializing in BESS projects at the initiation and concept phases — you lead land use and development due diligence during the earliest project phases, turning raw, ambiguous site information into a defensible development basis - confirmed site conditions, a clear permitting and entitlement path, utility service availability, and a resolved environmental and regulatory profile. The work rewards people who move fast without sacrificing the depth that sets projects up for permitting and execution success.

 

Responsibilities will include:

• Prepare requests for proposals (RFPs) for development and due diligence for potential battery energy storage system (BESS) project sites in the United States.
• Own and manage external consultant scope, resourcing, and schedule for land use and development due diligence on assigned early-phase projects, from initial site screening through handoff to detailed design, coordinating across Business Development, Policy, the Product team, Engineering, and Project Controls.
• Produce early site-screening and constraints analysis from title, survey, environmental, and jurisdictional information during pursuit qualification, then harden the development basis and provide diligence exhibits that attach to the contract as pursuits advance.
• Scope, procure, and manage site surveys, geotechnical investigations, and hydrology and drainage studies, integrating findings on topography, boundaries, easements, subsurface conditions, floodplain, and stormwater into the developable-area and constraints analysis. Coordinate with Redwood’s environmental compliance team to obtain subject matter expert input where required.
• Oversee where applicable environmental due diligence under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and applicable state review acts, coordinating federal requirements including Clean Water Act Section 404 wetlands review, Endangered Species Act consultation, and National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 cultural resources review.
• Drive local entitlements - zoning, conditional and special use permits, site plan and design review, setbacks and buffers, and variances - and develop and maintain the permit matrix, entitlement schedule, and budget across federal, state, and local approvals.
• Identify and secure non-power utility service (water, sewer, and fiber), including availability confirmation, service applications, will-serve letters, and coordination of extensions or on-site systems, while selecting and managing environmental and technical consultants and supporting agency and community outreach.
• Deliver feasibility studies as a go/no-go input with constraints register, drive the gap analysis to closure with an owner on every item, and produce the land use and development Basis of Design package as the formal handoff to detailed design.

Desired Qualifications:

• B.S. in Engineering, Environmental Science, Planning, or a related field, preferably Civil or Environmental Engineering. Alternatively, demonstrate exceptional ability in land development, environmental, or civil disciplines through equivalent experience.
• 5+ years (Senior), 8+ years (Staff) of experience in energy project development, land use, and entitlement with BESS and utility scale solar experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of grid-scale battery energy storage systems and their site development requirements (footprint, setbacks, fire / life-safety separation distances, access, and balance-of-plant siting), sufficient to translate product configurations into land and permitting requirements.
• Strong knowledge of land use and development due-diligence, including site / ALTA boundary and topographic surveys, geotechnical investigations, and hydrology, drainage, and floodplain studies.
• Working knowledge of environmental review and permitting under NEPA and state environmental review acts, plus federal agency requirements (Clean Water Act Section 404, Endangered Species Act, NHPA Section 106, and related wetlands, species, and cultural resource processes).
• Familiarity with local planning and entitlement processes - zoning, conditional / special use permits, site plan and design review, variances, and grading / stormwater permits - across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience developing and managing permit matrices, entitlement schedules and budgets, and non-power utility (water, sewer, fiber / data) service coordination and agreements.
• Experience selecting and managing environmental and technical consultants (survey, geotechnical, environmental, and civil) - scoping, budgeting, and deliverable review.
• PE, AICP, or comparable professional credential preferred.
• Ability to prioritize and execute tasks in parallel.
• An excellent attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including preparing agency submittals and supporting community and stakeholder outreach.
• Project management experience.
• Thrives under pressure and in ambiguous environments.
• A passion for sustainability and making the world a better place!

In accordance with California pay transparency laws, the salary range for this position is listed below. Actual compensation may vary based on a variety of factors, including experience, education, and skills. 

California Pay Range:$160,000—$252,000 USD

The position is full-time. Compensation will be commensurate with experience.

 

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