Key Information

• Salary: $150,000–$180,000 base, plus equity options

• Location and Travel: Work from home, but must be in Denver, CO or Minneapolis, MN or Washington, DC. 30% travel required

  • Relocation Package Available

• Benefits:

  • Medical, dental, vision + life and disability insurance

  • Flexible PTO and all U.S. federal holidays

  • Every other Friday off (alternating 4-day weeks)

  • 12 weeks gender-neutral paid parental leave + 4 additional weeks for birthing parents

  • One-time home-office stipend for equipment/setup

  • $100/month phone & home internet allowance

Role Overview

We’re seeking a Principal Engineer to be the company’s chief technical authority on utility-scale battery energy storage, covering technology selection, procurement strategy, and real-world application. This role sits at the junction of strategy, engineering, and commercial delivery. You’ll shape our storage roadmap, steer strategic sourcing, and set the technical foundation for our distributed energy (DER) programs—building trust with utilities and regulators along the way.

What You’ll Do

Strategy & Technical Leadership

• Serve as the go-to subject matter expert for utility-scale BESS: cell chemistries, PCS/inverters, controls, safety, and operational practices.
• Advise senior leadership on safe, effective design, construction, commissioning, and operation of the storage portfolio.
• Build and maintain the long-term technology roadmap; assess emerging solutions for grid support and fleet performance.
• Convert the roadmap into sourcing strategies; cultivate relationships with key OEMs, integrators, and EPC partners.
• Provide technical rationale and testimony for storage within IRPs, regulatory filings, and rate proceedings.

Standards, Specifications & Design Governance

• Be the custodian of BESS safety across the portfolio; ensure compliance is embedded in designs and supplier contracts.
• Author and maintain corporate technical standards/specifications to anchor RFPs and contractual technical exhibits.
• Translate OEM performance data, control specs, and safety documents (e.g., UL 9540A, IEEE 1547, NFPA 855 Annex G) into practical requirements for project design and operations.
• Define and validate configurations across inverter, BMS, and site controller; oversee FAT/SAT and align control logic to project requirements.
• Support commissioning and field troubleshooting for controls, comms networks, and monitoring platforms in partnership with vendors and site teams.
• Drive structured product feedback loops with OEMs/integrators to inform selections, firmware updates, and next-gen improvements.
• Lead technical reviews of interconnection applications (utility-owned and third-party) to ensure code compliance and operational readiness.
• Contribute to reliability, cybersecurity, and functional safety reviews for controls and communications.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Management, Environmental Science, or related technical field.
• 10+ years in engineering for clean energy, resilience, and/or efficiency programs, ideally with BESS OEMs, inverter manufacturers, or SCADA/DERMS vendors.
• Active Professional Engineer (P.E.) license is a plus.
• Proven depth in BESS for commercial/industrial or utility-scale projects with front-of-meter interconnections.
• Working command of BESS codes/standards: NFPA 68/69/855 (incl. Annex G); NFPA 70 Articles 706 & 480; IEEE 1547; UL 1741, UL 9540, UL 9540A; IFC Section1206.
• Familiarity with FAT/SAT procedures for utility-scale battery systems.
• Experience specifying or integrating controls (PPCs, BMS, site controllers, inverter controls, OEM supervisory layers).
• Hands-on exposure to commissioning and monitoring platforms (e.g., Tesla Powerhub, Fluence Mosaic, Sungrow iSolarCloud) and associated data workflows.
• Understanding of dispatch/monitoring integrations with utility SCADA and ADMS/DERMS environments.
• Knowledge of comms protocols: Modbus/TCP, DNP3, IEC 61850, IEEE 2030.5.
• Ability to apply interconnection standards and telemetry requirements to OEM architectures.
• Proficiency in modeling/performance tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, DIgSILENT, HOMER, Xendee, or similar).
• Helpful certifications: NABCEP Energy Storage Installation Professional (ESIP) or equivalent.
• Comfortable with cloud/software tools (e.g., Bluebeam Revu, Salesforce, Google Workspace, CAD).
• Excellent written and verbal communication, able to translate complex topics for executives and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strong analytical rigor and attention to detail; able to make sound, defensible decisions with imperfect information.