Director - Project Engineering, HV Focus - Hybrid in Phoenix, SF, or NYC

Jan 17, 2026

Job Title: Location:

Remote role, preference for Phoenix, San Francisco, or Brooklyn

About the Company

At Elevate, we are deploying reliable energy solutions that power the communities we serve. We're not just building infrastructure; we're enabling the future of energy, supporting massive digital and data center expansions and supporting a more resilient, electrified grid.

Elevate is where top talent meets real impact. We're a lean, mission-driven team accelerating the clean energy transition through bold, meaningful projects. Here, you'll work alongside some of the smartest people in the industry, have a seat at the table from day one, and help shape a company that's building the future of power-fast. If you thrive in dynamic environments, value authenticity over fluff, and want your work to matter, Elevate is the place to be.

Position Summary

The Director, Project Engineering will lead the engineering function responsible for managing the high voltage development plan and taking energy storage (BESS) and hybrid power projects from 30% design through IFC design and construction support. This role owns technical scope, engineering standards, design quality, and cross-functional alignment with Development, Implementation/Construction, Procurement, Interconnection, and Asset Management.

The role includes direct oversight of high-voltage (HV) design interfaces (collection, substation, protection & control), technical utility engagement and plant controls/automation (EMS/SCADA/PPC) to ensure safe, code-compliant, grid-ready, and executable projects.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering Leadership & Delivery

• Own engineering execution across a portfolio of utility-scale BESS and hybrid projects (PV + BESS, BESS + thermal, BESS + gas balancing, etc.).
• Support and lead development of project basis-of-design (BOD), design criteria, and technical requirements from early-stage through IFC.
• Establish engineering schedules, deliverable registers, and design review gates aligned to development stage-gates and construction milestones.
• Drive design optimization for cost, constructability, operability, safety, quality, and schedule, in collaboration with Development Engineering, Procurement and Execution teams.
• Maintain technical decision logs, change control, and lessons learned to improve repeatability across deployments.

High Voltage Design & Grid Interface

• Provide technical leadership and oversight for HV/MV collection systems and substation design (greenfield and expansion), including protection and control philosophies, grounding, insulation coordination, and equipment specification.
• Own HV interface coordination across EPC, substation designers, relay/protection engineers, OEMs, and utilities/ISOs, including design inputs for interconnection applications, studies, and utility technical requirements.
• Review and approve HV deliverables including:
  • One-lines/three-lines and station layouts
  • Relay/protection concepts and P&C philosophy
  • AC/DC station service and auxiliary systems
  • Grounding plans and insulation coordination documentation
  • Conduit/cable schedules and cable derates
  • Equipment datasheets
  • Commissioning and test plans
• Ensure compliance with applicable HV and utility standards and practices (regional utility requirements, IEEE/NERC where applicable, and AHJ/regional grid requirements).
• Partner with Interconnection to validate equipment ratings, protection schemes, metering, telemetry, and study assumptions through design and commissioning.

Controls, Automation & Data Systems

• Own the technical scope and integration for EMS, SCADA, PPC (power plant controller), RTUs/IEDs, metering, DAS/telemetry, and communications networks, including cybersecurity requirements as applicable.
• Develop SCADA and controls exhibits for EPC and O&M/LTSA contracting processes
• Define and manage control requirements for operating modes including:
  • Charge/discharge dispatch
  • Ramp-rate control
  • Voltage/VAR support
  • Frequency response
  • Curtailment logic
  • Ride-through and grid-code functionality
  • Fleet-level monitoring
• Lead controls integration across BESS controls, inverter/PCS controls, substation automation, revenue-grade metering, and utility/ISO telemetry; develop and maintain interface control documents (ICDs).
• Oversee controls commissioning readiness including FAT/SAT, point-to-point testing, functional performance testing, grid test coordination (as required), and punch-list closeout.

Technical Scope, Standards & Quality

• Develop and maintain engineering standards, templates, and specifications (SLDs, grounding/protection concepts, comms standards, civil standards, QA/QC checklists, etc.).
• Ensure compliance with applicable codes and standards (NEC, IEEE, NFPA, UL and other applicable requirements) and local AHJ/utility requirements.
• Own technical risk identification and mitigation, including system safety, hazards analysis, quality plans, and reliability/maintainability reviews.
• Drive disciplined document control and design traceability across multi-party engineering efforts.
• Lead technical evaluations and selection support for OEMs, integrators, EPCs, and key subcontractors.
• Own technical interfaces across BESS integrator, inverter/PCS, transformers, MV/HV equipment, protection and controls, EMS/SCADA, communications, and civil works.
• Manage design reviews with EPC(s) and OEM(s): 30/60/90% and IFC; review calculations, layouts, protection philosophies, and commissioning approach.
• Provide SME expertise technical leadership in contract exhibits and scopes of work (technical specs, performance requirements, testing, guarantees, warranties, and acceptance criteria).
• Reduce construction change orders and schedule impacts by ensuring scope clarity and constructability in design packages.
• Manage creation of commissioning and testing standards for projects
• Review commissioning packages and test reports provided by suppliers and EPCs for compliance with overall project goals
• Assist in overall project commissioning process, providing general oversight of suppliers and contractors in the field

Cross-Functional Execution

• Partner with Development Engineering on early layouts, fatal-flaw analysis, site constraints, and permitting inputs.
• Partner with Implementation/Construction on constructability, RFIs, submittals, field changes, quality, and commissioning readiness.
• Partner with Asset Management to ensure designs support long-term reliability, maintainability, and operational performance (availability, augmentation planning, degradation management, spares strategy).
• Support executive-level reporting on engineering progress, risks, and decisions across the project portfolio.

Team Building & Operating Rhythm

• Build and lead a high-performing project engineering team; define roles, hiring plans, performance expectations, and career development paths.
• Implement an engineering operating cadence: weekly design reviews, interface meetings, technical governance, and post-project retrospectives.
• Track and improve portfolio-level engineering KPIs (design cycle time, design-driven change orders, commissioning punchlist velocity, and recurring defects).

Requirements

• 10+ years of relevant power/energy experience with 5+ years leading engineering teams and/or major projects.
• Deep experience delivering utility-scale BESS and/or renewable hybrid plants through design and construction.
• Strong working knowledge of HV/MV systems, substation interfaces, protection & controls, interconnection processes, and grid-code compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated experience specifying and integrating plant controls systems (EMS/SCADA/PPC) and coordinating controls testing and commissioning (FAT/SAT/functional testing).
• Proven ability to drive OEMS and multi-discipline engineering deliverables and timelines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to present technical positions to executives, utilities, investors, and partners.
• Preferred: Electrical Engineering degree or equivalent experience.
• Preferred: Experience delivering projects with HV substations (eg, 69kV-345kV) and utility protection/telemetry requirements.
• Preferred: Familiarity with inverter-based resource (IBR) control capabilities and grid services (VAR, frequency response, ramping, ride-through) and validation through commissioning.
• Preferred: Experience building engineering standards and scalable processes for a growing project portfolio.
• Preferred: Experience in fast-track delivery environments (compressed schedules, multi-site deployments).
• Owner mindset with strong bias to execution, risk management, and quality.
• High bar for technical rigor, detailed engineering and clarity of scope.
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity and making timely, well-documented decisions.
• Collaborative leader who aligns Development, Implementation, and Asset Management around common outcomes.

What Success Looks Like (First 6-12 Months)

• Engineering standards, templates, and review gates established and adopted across the portfolio.
• Clear technical scopes and interface management reducing RFIs and change orders during construction.
• Predictable engineering schedules and consistent design quality across EPC and OEM partners.
• Controls and HV deliverables integrated cleanly into interconnection, commissioning, and operational readiness.
• A strong project engineering team operating with clear accountability and cadence.

Why Join Us?

• Make a Meaningful Impact: Play a direct role in accelerating the energy transition by contributing to transformative, utility-scale energy storage projects-especially on complex brownfield and urban-constrained sites where innovation drives real-world results.
• Thrive in a Mission-Driven Culture: Be part of a lean, agile team that values integrity, innovation, and decisive execution. We foster a collaborative environment where every team member has a voice and is empowered to make a difference.
• Grow with a Company on the Rise: Join at a pivotal moment as we scale from startup to growth stage. You'll have the opportunity to shape strategy, influence outcomes, and grow professionally alongside a company backed by top-tier private equity and poised for significant expansion.

Compensation

The base compensation range for this role is $175,000 to $235,000 per year, which represents the Company's good-faith estimate of the salary range for this position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be determined based on the skills, experience, and qualifications of the candidate selected.

Employees in this role are also eligible to participate in the Company's annual discretionary bonus program, subject to the terms of the applicable plan.

Elevate Renewables is an Equal Opportunity employer and committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome all applications regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or Veteran status.