In New Ventures, we believe bold creativity, emerging technologies, and partnerships are critical to meet evolving energy needs. With a focus on innovation and a dedication to providing clean, safe, reliable, and affordable energy solutions, we are at the forefront of shaping the energy landscape. 

We are seeking a teammate who thinks strategically, is creative and analytical, and who can connect dots to achieve transformational impact through first-of-a-kind solutions that will bring value and efficiencies to Southern Company and our customers. The ideal candidate is an independent thinker who enjoys solving complex problems, works effectively with cross-functional teams, and thrives in a fast-paced and evolving work environment. This role will engage with internal stakeholders to understand their priorities and help achieve those priorities through innovative partnerships and pilots to advance valuable solutions within the company.

In collaboration with external innovators and internal experts we find the best ideas that emerge from the latest research, create new businesses, commercialize Southern’s IP, and advance initiatives that transform industries and communities. Through Energy Impact Partners (“EIP”, the $4B fund of which Southern Company is a founding partner) and our partnerships with other venture organizations such as Techstars, Engage, and mHub, we also invest in promising start-ups and build commercial connections between our venture portfolio and Southern’s operating businesses.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field required. Advanced degree is a plus.

Relevant Experience 

Minimum 5-10 years of work experience in utility business development, innovation, emerging technology, project management, or related roles required Experience in the energy sector is highly desirable, particularly with demonstrated experience navigating a regulated energy utility A strong understanding of the energy industry transition and the evolving needs of customers around resiliency and reliability Experience leading cross-functional teams and efforts within a large-scale, complex, and matrixed organization  Proven experience successfully leading new initiatives and partnering with other functional teams across an organization to deploy strategy Experience with external innovation ecosystems (venture firms, accelerators, clean-tech startups, etc.) and a proven track record of developing successful relationships with external partners is preferred  Self-starter; strong analytical, business planning, and execution skills  Willingness to learn new skills and areas outside of previous core competencies Passion for technology innovation, business transformation and strategy development Sound judgment skills to understand priority projects and their impact to the organization’s goals Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team environment Ability to effectively communicate (written and orally) to build consensus around abstract and sometimes complex concepts Excellent written, note taking and information delivery skills Ability to take full ownership of projects and lead them to successful delivery Must be experienced working with Microsoft Office products

Essential Responsibilities

Monitor the evolving landscape for new energy technologies and startups, including but not limited to operations and power delivery efficiencies, demand side management, distributed energy resources, decarbonization and sustainability Engage with EIP and the broader venture ecosystem to develop and support our investment pipeline, as well as initiate, and manage first of a kind pilots to drive impact across Southern Company Engage with Southern Company’s internal Operating Companies, affiliates, and stakeholders to understand their priorities and help achieve those priorities through innovative pilots with an aim to scale successful solutions across the company Develop and deliver business cases for potential pilots and their scalable solutions Create and deliver on opportunities for internal and external communications, collaboration, and engagement as a partner and solutions “broker” Participate and lead cross-company working teams, as applicable to your focus area(s) Keep consistent documentation and organization of work and engagement Create internal and external communications and presentations to share information and demonstrate New Ventures’ value Perform or manage due diligence requests for commercialization opportunities of new technologies and/or partners, including financial and feasibility evaluations