Director Electrical Engineering

Vicinity Energy is North America’s largest provider of district energy solutions, offering low carbon energy to most of the iconic buildings you see in the skylines of Boston, Cambridge, Philadelphia, Baltimore and many other cities in the US. As a member of the communities we serve, all of us at Vicinity understand the critical role we play in reducing the impacts of climate change and being a leader in decarbonization. We are committed to net zero and eliminating our reliance on fossil fuels, but we need the best and the brightest minds on our team to help us reach our goal, not only for us as a company, but for our customers, our communities, and our planet.

Summary

The Director Electrical Engineering is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing various engineering functions with a specialized focus on electrical systems. Recognized as having technical expertise in electrical or applicable discipline engineering design, construction standards, ANSI/IEEE Standards, NEC, NERC, NESC code requirements, electric operating procedures, and regulatory compliance. This position ensures strategic alignment of engineering initiatives with organizational goals, manages multidisciplinary teams, and drives innovation while maintaining compliance with safety and industry standards. This is a full-time exempt position located at our Corporate HQ in Boston, MA. This position reports to the SVP Engineering.

Compensation range of $150K-$245K base plus an annual bonus of 25%.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

- Work with SVP, Engineering to develop strategic plans for major engineering problems and opportunities and has responsibility for interpreting, organizing, executing, and coordinating assignments. Work with SVP, Engineering to develop and update material and equipment standards, including operating procedures. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to align projects with company goals.

Engineering Oversight

- Direct and manage internal and external engineering resources across regions and disciplines.

- Oversee design, development, and implementation of engineering projects.

- Ensure plant performance, budgeting, and technical reviews meet organizational standards.

Electrical Engineering Focus

- Lead electrical engineering involved in Vicinity’s industry leading steam system electrification efforts.

- Lead all aspects of electric utility interconnection projects, NERC, working closely with utilities, internal and external teams to facilitate the successful integration of large-scale industrial heat pumps and electric boilers into our plants and onto the electric grid.

- Lead planning, design, and maintenance of electrical systems, including high and medium voltage projects, substations, transformers, and switchgear.

- Ensure compliance with electrical codes, safety protocols, and reliability standards.

- Drive innovation in electrical system design and energy efficiency.

Team Management

- Recruit, train, and develop engineering staff.

- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.

- Responsible for supervising, assigning, prioritizing, and directing the work performed by engineering consultants and contractors.

Compliance & Safety

- Ensure adherence to environmental, safety, and regulatory requirements.

- Implement risk management strategies for engineering and electrical operations.

- Familiarity with NERC, LOTO, and arc flash safety standards.

Basic Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, EET or similar field with an electrical focus.

- Minimum eight years of progressive engineering experience, including leadership roles.

Preferred Qualifications

- Master’s degree in Engineering (Electrical or related field preferred).

- Proven expertise in electrical systems and multidisciplinary engineering projects.

- Strong knowledge of industry standards, safety regulations, and compliance requirements.

Other Qualifications

- Strategic thinking and decision-making.

- Technical proficiency in electrical engineering and general engineering principles.

- Leadership and team development.

- Budgeting and resource allocation.

- Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration.

- Successful delivery of engineering projects on time and within budget.

- Compliance with safety and regulatory standards.

- Team engagement and retention.

- Continuous improvement in system reliability and efficiency.

Physical Requirements

- Must submit to a company provided physical and drug screening.

- Standing, sitting, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, pushing, pulling, walking on uneven surfaces, and grating, working from elevated platforms, scaffolding or ladders, required to lift up to and including 50 pounds and maneuver up to and including 100 pounds.

- Must qualify to participate in respirator fit program and use as necessary.

- Ability to tolerate confined spaces, including manholes and varying temperatures and weather conditions.

- Exposed to temperature extremes, high noise level areas, high pressure steam lines, rotating equipment, and dusty/dirty environment.

- Required to wear PPE such as hard hat, safety glasses, safety shoes, hearing protection, electrical PPE as needed.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY POLICY STATEMENT Vicinity North America is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.