1st Avenue Power

1st Avenue Power

Sr. Grid Integration Engineer

Mountain View, CA · Senior

Sponsorship not specifiedDetected 35 days ago
PythonGoC++MATLABGitCI/CDNLPCybersecurityJiraEmbedded SystemsElectrical EngineeringPower ElectronicsControlsSimulinkCommunicationRenewable EnergySCADA

About the role

  • Grid Integration Engineer Location: Mountain View/San Jose Bay Area Team: System Engineering The Impact You'll Make: As a Sr.
  • Grid Integration Engineer, you will architect the software and control fabric that turns our power conversion hardware, energy storage, and balance-of-plant equipment into a single, dispatchable power plant.
  • This is a high-agency role where your concept of operations, sequence diagrams, and control logic become the operating system of our power plants.

Responsibilities

  • Architect and build the Energy Management System (EMS) and Power Plant Controller (PPC) software stack that orchestrates inverters, MPPTs, battery systems, meters, and balance-of-plant equipment as a single grid-interactive plant.
  • Own the plant Concept of Operations - author sequence diagrams, state machines, and control narratives that describe power flow under every operating mode (PV-only, charging, discharging, curtailment, frequency response, voltage regulation, black start, night-mode transitions, fault ride-through).
  • Develop plant-level control logic for active power dispatch, reactive power / voltage support, ramp-rate control, frequency response (PFR / AGC), autonomous curtailment, and setpoint coordination across all device classes.
  • Implement and tune grid-following and grid-forming control strategies at the plant level - coordinating inverter modes, virtual inertia, droop response, and ride-through behavior between the PPC and underlying device controls.
  • Build the SCADA architecture for the plant: HMI, historian, alarms, event logging, time synchronization (PTP / IRIG-B), redundancy, and cybersecurity hardening (IEC 62443, NERC CIP awareness).
  • Develop control logic on SEL RTAC, Codesys (IEC 61131-3) PLCs, and model-based platforms (MATLAB / Simulink) - moving cleanly from simulation to deployable runtime code.
  • Use MATLAB / Simulink for control design, model-based development, plant dynamics modeling, and tuning of EMS/PPC loops before field deployment.
  • Ensure plant compliance with IEEE 1547-2018, IEEE 2800, UL 1741 SB/SC, FERC Order 2023, and applicable ISO/utility interconnection requirements through correct implementation of protection, ride-through, and grid-support functions.
  • Partner closely with embedded software, power electronics, and hardware teams to define interface requirements and translate plant-level behavior into firmware and device-level requirements.
  • Document controls architecture, protocol maps, point lists, and operating procedures to a standard that supports independent engineering review, AHJ approval, and operator training.

Requirements

  • Degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls, or equivalent experience with a focus on Power Systems, Control Theory, and software-defined controls.
  • Strong understanding of grid-following and grid-forming inverter control, droop response, virtual inertia, and the trade-offs between them at plant scale.
  • Proficiency in Python (or similar) for tooling, point list automation, and SCADA data analysis.
  • Strong understanding of LV/MV power plant architecture - transformers, switchgear, BOP, metering, and protection coordination at the plant level.

Nice to have

  • Hands-on experience with the complete lifecycle of utility-scale renewable energy power plant development.
  • Experience with industrial communication protocols such as Modbus TCP, CAN, and Ethernet.
  • About the Tech Stack
  • Languages: Python, go, C/C++
  • Frameworks: MATLAB, Typhoon HIL, RTDS, Opal-RT, SIL frameworks, CI/CD pipelines automation
  • Tools: Git, Jira, Power Analyzers, Oscilloscopes, and Logic Analyzers
  • Competitive Compensation Package
  • Additional Information:

Skills

  • Git, Jira, Power Analyzers, Oscilloscopes, and Logic Analyzers
  • MATLAB, Typhoon HIL, RTDS, Opal-RT, SIL frameworks, CI/CD pipelines automation
  • The actual amount will be based on job-related and non-discriminatory factors such as location, experience, training, skills, and abilities.

Compensation

  • At 1st Avenue Power, we are on a mission to deliver simple, fast-to-deploy, customer-centric and intelligent power systems leveraging the abundance of solar to provide inexpensive and reliable clean energy to global customers from data centers to energy starved communities around the world.
  • We envision a future where every community, business, and nation thrives on the limitless potential of clean energy, united in a shared commitment to a sustainable and equitable world.
  • You will be working with Dr.
  • Tom Buttgenbach, one of the most successful clean energy technology innovators and entrepreneurs who has been a driving force in making solar-based energy solutions the cheapest and most reliable energy option.
  • Tom founded and led Avantus (formerly known as "8minute Solar Energy"), to become one of the largest and most profitable solar and energy storage companies in the United States and the largest in California, including delivering over 17% of Los Angeles' power.
  • When Tom sold his interest in Avantus' development business to KKR in mid-2024, it had delivered over $1 billion in profit and secured over $10 Billion in power purchase agreements and project financings with a pipeline of over 30 GW of solar and 90 GWh of energy storage, capable of powering the homes of more than 20 million Americans day and night.

Benefits

  • Health Insurance: We offer 100% coverage of employee premiums under a Gold-level PPO plan.
  • Dental & Vision Insurance: 50% of employee premiums are covered.
  • Retirement Plan: A 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match.
  • Minimum salary of $120,000 to maximum salary of $205,000 + equity + benefits.

Company info

  • Please inform the company's personnel representative if you need assistance completing an application or to otherwise participate in the application process.

Equal opportunity

  • Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and local laws.
  • A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on 1AI Energy or 1st Avenue Power.
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This listing is sourced directly from 1st Avenue Power's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.