Application Guide

How to Apply for VP of Product

at Perch Energy

🏢 About Perch Energy

Perch Energy is a mission-driven clean energy company dedicated to making renewable energy accessible, affordable, and equitable through community solar. As a for-purpose company, you'll have the opportunity to work on meaningful climate impact while shaping the technology that powers the clean energy transition.

About This Role

As VP of Product, you will lead the transformation of Perch into an AI-enabled, platform-driven marketplace, focusing on automation, scalability, and user experience. This role is pivotal in simplifying complex regulatory and operational workflows, directly impacting how solar subscribers, project owners, and partners interact with the platform.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve leading a product review with engineering and data teams, diving into customer discovery interviews with subscribers or partners, and refining the product roadmap based on analytics. You'll also collaborate with stakeholders across the company to ensure alignment on platform initiatives and evaluate new AI-driven opportunities for automation.

🎯 Who Perch Energy Is Looking For

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📝 Tips for Applying to Perch Energy

1

Highlight specific examples of how you've scaled a platform and implemented AI/automation to reduce manual work.

2

Quantify your impact: include metrics like % reduction in operational costs, increase in user adoption, or speed of market expansion.

3

Show your customer-centric approach: mention how you've used continuous discovery and user research to solve friction points.

4

Demonstrate your ability to partner with engineering and data leadership, perhaps with a case study of a successful cross-functional initiative.

5

Tailor your resume and cover letter to emphasize your experience with multi-sided marketplaces and regulatory complexity, as these are core to Perch's business.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

1. Emphasize your passion for clean energy and Perch's mission of accessibility and equity. 2. Showcase your experience with platform scalability and AI-driven automation, directly addressing the role's focus. 3. Highlight your customer-centric product philosophy and how it aligns with Perch's continuous discovery approach. 4. Demonstrate your ability to navigate complex regulatory environments and partner ecosystems.

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • Understand the community solar industry, including key regulatory frameworks (e.g., net metering, virtual net metering) and how Perch operates within them.
  • Read Perch Energy's website and any recent news or press releases to understand their current market position and growth strategies.
  • Look into Perch's technology stack and any public information about their product offerings or partnerships.
  • Research competitors in the community solar space (e.g., Arcadia, CleanChoice Energy) to understand Perch's differentiators.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you approach modernizing Perch's core tech stack while minimizing disruption to ongoing operations?
2 Describe a time you used continuous discovery to uncover a critical customer pain point and how you solved it.
3 What's your experience with buy-vs-build decisions for platform capabilities? Can you walk us through a specific example?
4 How do you balance the needs of different user groups (subscribers, project owners, sales partners) in a multi-sided marketplace?
5 How would you leverage AI to automate manual processes in a community solar marketplace?
6 How do you ensure product decisions are data-driven while still keeping a customer-centric focus?
7 Can you share an example of scaling a product across multiple markets with different regulatory requirements?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't submit a generic resume or cover letter that doesn't address the specific AI, platform, and scalability focus of this role.
  • Avoid focusing too much on consumer-facing product experience without showing B2B or partner-facing platform experience, as this role involves multiple stakeholders.
  • Don't overlook the mission-driven aspect: failing to express genuine interest in clean energy and equitable access could be a red flag for a for-purpose company.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Perch Energy!