Sr. Grid Integration Engineer

Sr. 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. You will build the EMS/PPC layer that sits above our PCS, MPPTs, batteries, meters, and switchgear — defining how every device talks, how setpoints flow from the grid operator down to the silicon, and how the plant behaves under every operating condition the grid can throw at it. This is a high-agency role where your concept of operations, sequence diagrams, and control logic become the operating system of our power plants.

Key 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).

• Integrate power electronics (inverters, MPPTs, DC-DC converters), revenue and protection-class meters, BOP equipment, and PV systems into a unified software fabric using industry-standard protocols: DNP3, IEC 61850 (MMS, GOOSE, Sampled Values), Modbus TCP/RTU, SunSpec Modbus, MESA-ESS, IEEE 2030.5 (CSIP), OPC UA, and CAN .

• 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.

• Lead commissioning and on-site bring-up of EMS/PPC — protocol mapping verification, end-to-end signal tracing, control loop tuning, FAT/SAT, and grid-code witness testing with the utility/ISO.

• Document controls architecture, protocol maps, point lists, and operating procedures to a standard that supports independent engineering review, AHJ approval, and operator training.

The Skills You Bring:

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls, or equivalent experience with a focus on Power Systems, Control Theory, and software-defined controls.

• 5+ years of experience building EMS, PPC, or plant-level controls for utility-scale solar, storage, hybrid, or wind power plants.

• Deep working knowledge of utility and industrial communication protocols: DNP3, IEC 61850, Modbus TCP/RTU, SunSpec, MESA-ESS, IEEE 2030.5, OPC UA, CAN — including hands-on protocol mapping, point list design, and debugging (Wireshark, protocol analyzers, simulators).

• Hands-on experience with SEL RTAC , Codesys , and MATLAB / Simulink for model-based control development. Experience with industrial HMIs and historians (Ignition, AVEVA/Wonderware, Canary, OSIsoft PI) is a strong plus.

• Strong understanding of grid-following and grid-forming inverter control , droop response, virtual inertia, and the trade-offs between them at plant scale.

• Familiarity with IEEE 1547-2018, IEEE 2800, UL 1741 SB/SC, IEEE 519 , FERC Order 2023, and applicable NERC reliability standards.

• Proven ability to author concept of operations documents, sequence diagrams, state machines, and control narratives that engineering, operations, and external stakeholders can all build against.

• Proficiency in Python (or similar) for tooling, point list automation, and SCADA data analysis.

• Fluency with AI-assisted development — daily use of LLM coding assistants and agentic workflows to accelerate control code, test harnesses, point list generation, protocol parsing, and documentation. Working knowledge of applying ML/AI to operational data (forecasting, anomaly detection, optimization) is a strong plus.

• Strong understanding of LV/MV power plant architecture — transformers, switchgear, BOP, metering, and protection coordination at the plant level.

• Experience supporting commissioning, FAT/SAT, and grid-code witness testing in the field.

• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to translate between control engineers, power engineers, software developers, and utility/ISO counterparts.

• Self-driven, with the grit to solve ambiguous, cross-disciplinary plant-level problems in a fast-paced, clean-slate environment.

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.

• Proven ability to perform failure analysis (FMEA) at both system and subsystem levels.

About the Tech Stack

• Languages: Python, go, C/C++

• Frameworks: MATLAB, Typhoon HIL, RTDS, Opal-RT, SIL frameworks, CI/CD pipelines automation

• Infrastructure: High-voltage DC systems (up to 1500V), PV emulators, battery simulators, and Electrical Design architectures. AWS IOT core

• Tools: Git, Jira, Power Analyzers, Oscilloscopes, and Logic Analyzers

Benefits and Perks:

Competitive Compensation Package

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.

Additional Information:

Minimum salary of $120,000 to maximum salary of $205,000 + equity + benefits.

The range provided is 1AP’s reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount will be based on job-related and non-discriminatory factors such as location, experience, training, skills, and abilities. Consult with your Recruiter during the initial call to determine a more targeted range based on these job-related factors.

About 1st Avenue Power:

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.

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