About Sparkfund
What is Sparkfund?
Sparkfund calls itself "the utility services company unlocking capacity on the grid." Through its Distributed Capacity Procurement (DCP) model, it helps utilities, energy majors and large-load customers such as data centers deploy front-of-the-meter batteries and gensets of 1–5 MW as distribution infrastructure, "adding targeted capacity exactly where and when the grid needs it most." The assets are utility-owned, dispatched from the utility's control room and accredited as capacity on its resource plan. Sparkfund reports "more than 3,200 projects deployed across 43 states and more than 300MW of energized assets constructed". Its first DCP is Xcel Energy's Capacity*Connect, which plans to install up to 200 megawatts of distributed battery storage by 2028 with Sparkfund, and Google has committed $50 million to the program. Founded in 2013, Sparkfund began by pioneering as-a-service financing for energy efficiency and distributed energy, and in 2017 it bet that utilities would lead an energy transition "driven more by infrastructure needs than consumer adoption." Founder and CEO Pier LaFarge: "Something that's always made Sparkfund different is a belief that the energy transition is more about infrastructure and less about customer adoption."
Where will I work?
"Sparkfund is a remote-first company with a distributed workforce and emerging hub offices in Denver, Minneapolis, and Washington, DC." Its headquarters is on Adams Mill Road in Washington, DC. Most roles are remote within the United States: in September 2026 the Vice President of Electric Cooperative Markets "may be based anywhere in the United States", a Finance Analyst role is remote with a preference for the New York City area or the East Coast, and a Senior Power Systems Engineer can be based anywhere in the US. Several project roles sit in Minnesota: the Senior Manager of Project Management is "Remote-flexible, must be located in Minnesota", and a vendor management role is hybrid in Minneapolis. Many roles involve travel to utility partners, industry events and team gatherings.
What is the Sparkfund team like?
Sparkfund is candid about the work: "Let's be honest — it's tough working in the energy industry." It says "our culture is built on ownership, resilience, and shared purpose", and "We celebrate every milestone—big or small—because progress matters". Its core values describe Sparkfunders as curious, creative, critical thinkers, problem solvers and attentive: people who "thrive in uncertainty" and have an "unwavering bias toward action". The company has about 60 employees, led by LaFarge with President Jonathan Plowe and CFO Bill Bush.
Work-Life Balance
Sparkfund works half days on Fridays. Its newest postings say so plainly: "Flexible Fridays - we work half days on Fridays!", "Flexible Fridays, with half-day Fridays every week" and "Federal holidays and Flexible Fridays, including half-day Fridays each week". A fourth posting lists "Flexible Fridays", while the two oldest, from June 2026, list benefits without mentioning Fridays. Staff also get a flexible vacation policy, paid federal holidays and 12 weeks of gender-neutral paid caregiver leave, and one posting promises a "Remote-first culture with strong work-life balance".
Perks and Benefits
- Half-day Fridays every week
- Employer-subsidized medical, dental and vision insurance
- Employer-subsidized disability and life insurance
- A 401(k) plan with a 2% employer match
- 12 weeks of gender-neutral paid caregiver leave
- A flexible vacation policy and paid federal holidays
- A one-time work-from-home stipend for eligible remote roles and a $100 monthly phone and internet allowance
- Eligibility for a discretionary or performance-based bonus in some roles