Staff Project Engineer - Grid Scale

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Staff Project Engineer – Grid Scale based in the United States. Join a growing clean-energy engineering team focused on delivering reliable, affordable, and lower-emission power solutions for large-scale energy projects. As a Staff Project Engineer, you will lead the technical development and execution of grid-scale deployments of 10 MW and above, including utility-connected facilities and power systems serving large loads such as data centers. You will bring together electrical, mechanical, civil, controls, fuel, and utility disciplines to deliver safe, compliant, and buildable project designs. Working closely with clients, engineering partners, project managers, and utilities, you will guide projects from early design through interconnection, commissioning, and final authorization to operate. Your expertise in power systems, protection, controls, and grid compliance will help resolve complex technical challenges while maintaining project schedules and performance objectives. This role offers the opportunity to shape engineering standards, improve delivery processes, and support the expansion of dependable, cleaner power infrastructure.

As a Staff Project Engineer, you will own the technical direction of large-scale power projects, ensuring that designs meet customer needs, regulatory requirements, and operational objectives. You will coordinate multidisciplinary engineering activities, support grid interconnection, and guide projects through design, construction, testing, and commissioning. Lead technical project development: Define project requirements and technical direction, including site layouts, single-line diagrams, equipment selection, sequences of operation, plant controls, communications, network security, protection and metering, grounding, fuel systems, and safety systems. Coordinate multidisciplinary engineering: Integrate electrical, mechanical, civil, controls, fuel, and utility scopes, conducting design reviews, interface assessments, and value-engineering activities to deliver compliant, buildable solutions within established budgets and schedules. Support grid interconnection: Provide technical data, equipment models, and electrical documentation for interconnection applications; review feasibility, system impact, and facility studies; and advise on technical requirements in interconnection agreements. Design large-load power systems: Define how generation plants serve and protect large loads, including data centers, through islanding, load-following, transfer schemes, and related operational strategies. Specify power and fuel equipment: Guide the selection of medium-voltage and interconnection equipment, including switchgear, breakers, transformers, protective relays, revenue meters, reclosers, plant power controllers, SCADA hardware, gas regulators, and valves. Develop engineering documentation: Prepare and maintain equipment specifications, sequences of operation, engineering standards, EPC scopes of work, and testing procedures. Support procurement activities and requests for proposals. Manage design coordination and quality: Work with clients and engineering partners to translate project requirements into construction-ready plan sets, apply QA/QC standards, respond to requests for information (RFIs), approve submittals, and review designs throughout execution and commissioning. Resolve technical issues: Approve design variances and independently assess engineering modifications while preserving design intent, project functionality, and delivery schedules. Review power system studies: Evaluate site assessments, inspections, and studies covering load flow, short circuits, protection coordination, arc flash, power quality, and dynamic performance. Ensure grid and regulatory compliance: Verify plant controls and protection settings against utility and regional requirements, IEEE 1547/2800 standards, and applicable NERC/FERC obligations, including ride-through capability, reactive power, and telemetry. Monitor standards and grid codes: Track changes to utility interconnection handbooks, regional grid codes, and IEEE/NERC standards, identifying compliance risks and recommending necessary technical or product adaptations. Support permitting activities: Coordinate with development, environmental, and authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs) to support permitting for large power facilities. Lead compliance testing and commissioning: Oversee grid-code compliance demonstrations, model validation, protective relay checkout, witness testing, metering verification, and utility acceptance testing to help secure final Permission to Operate (PTO). Improve project delivery processes: Develop and implement Lean or similar initiatives that improve operational efficiency, engineering consistency, and scalability. Document and share knowledge: Record project challenges and develop training materials, instructional documentation, and engineering guidance to improve future deployments. Travel to project sites: Visit project locations at different stages of development, construction, testing, and commissioning as required. Requirements: The ideal candidate is an experienced project or power systems engineer with a strong background in grid-scale generation or energy storage. You will bring technical depth in medium-voltage electrical systems, power plant controls, engineering design, and grid compliance, alongside the leadership and communication skills needed to coordinate complex projects across multiple disciplines. Hold a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline, preferably with a power systems focus. Mechanical, Systems, Controls, or Mechatronics degrees may be considered, and equivalent technical education and experience may substitute. Have at least 8 years of relevant professional experience as a project engineer or power systems engineer, including 2–5 years in a direct contributing role on grid-scale generation or storage projects. Bring experience with one or more relevant technologies, such as solar PV, central inverters, battery energy storage systems, modular generation packages, microturbines, reciprocating engines or gensets, large fuel cells, combined heat and power (CHP), plant controllers, distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS), or virtual power plants. Demonstrate experience in project management, medium-voltage distribution and protection system design at 5 kV or above, SCADA/PPC/EMS systems, interpretation of technical drawings and construction plan sets, and electrical troubleshooting. Understand construction processes, sequencing, and contractor coordination for large generation facilities. Have a strong grasp of balance-of-plant interfaces, including equipment foundations, structural layouts, fuel and gas delivery systems, and hazardous-area requirements. Be able to review, cross-reference, and approve multidisciplinary EPC design packages, including single-line diagrams, piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs), and civil site plans. Understand power-generation industry regulations, codes, and standards, including NEC, NESC, IEEE 1547 and 2800, the IEEE C37 series, UL 1741, utility interconnection handbooks, and regional grid codes. Have working knowledge of FERC interconnection requirements and applicable NERC reliability standards for generation facilities. Understand medium-voltage protection functions, utility-grade protective relays such as SEL equipment, revenue metering, and their application in power plant design and at the point of interconnection. Be able to interpret and apply power system study results, including load flow, short circuit, coordination, arc flash, power quality, and dynamic or ride-through analysis. Have experience with power system analysis tools such as ETAP, SKM, CYME, or PSS/E. Be familiar with SCADA systems, power plant controllers for voltage regulation and dynamic power control, and industrial communication protocols such as DNP3, Modbus, and IEC 61850. Demonstrate excellent decision-making, communication, time management, documentation, and organizational skills. Be self-directed, take ownership of technical outcomes, and enjoy building repeatable processes in a growing engineering organization. Be willing to collaborate across technical disciplines and work with customers, utilities, contractors, and internal stakeholders to resolve complex engineering challenges. Candidates who do not meet every listed qualification are still encouraged to apply if their experience aligns with the role's core responsibilities. Flexibility may be possible in defining responsibilities or identifying other suitable opportunities. The organization is committed to building a diverse, inclusive, flexible, and collaborative workplace and provides equal employment opportunities without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. Benefits: Compensation determined by role-related factors, including work location, relevant experience, education, skills, and expertise. Opportunities for salary growth over time as additional skills, competencies, and company-specific knowledge are developed. A collaborative engineering environment focused on reliable, affordable, and lower-emission power solutions. Opportunities to contribute to large-scale generation projects serving utilities, data centers, and other major energy users. The opportunity to help shape engineering practices, technical standards, and project delivery processes within a growing organization.