Project Engineer, BESS

About Sparkfund

Sparkfund is the deployment services company utilities rely on to take DERs from grid edge to grid core.

With over a decade of experience as a utility services company, Sparkfund has pioneered a smarter approach to deploying distributed assets as part of a fast-growing grid. Through its Distributed Capacity Procurement (DCP) model, Sparkfund enables utilities to plan, deploy, and dispatch DERs at the scale and pace necessary to meet load growth demand and unlock the full value of the grid. We support program design, assessment of DER grid value, host engagement, and value chain management to ensure on-time, on-budget deployment of distributed resources with maximum grid value and lowest cost.

With more than 3,500 projects deployed across 43 states and more than 300MW of energized assets constructed, Sparkfund is transforming buildings into a valuable extension of the grid for the benefit of our society.

Position Summary

As a Project Engineer, you will be at the heart of our deployment services, taking full ownership of the successful execution of battery energy storage projects from initial design through commercial operation. You will serve as the central hub for your projects, managing internal teams, external consultants, and vendors to ensure we deliver on our commitments to our utility partners. Your role is critical to translating our standardized designs into real, grid-connected assets that meet the highest standards of quality, safety, and performance.

Location

While Sparkfund is a remote-first company, with a digital workplace built around emerging hub-offices, this role is required to be in/around our Denver, Minneapolis, and Washington, DC hubs area. Candidates must be within commuting distance, or open to relocating, to be considered for this role. Company subsidized relocation is available for this role and will be covered by the recruiter.

Key Responsibilities

- Project Lifecycle Management

: Manage the full project lifecycle from initial technical qualification through final design, permitting, construction, commissioning, and closeout.

- Engineering and Design

: Lead the application of our pre-engineered system templates to specific host sites. Oversee the production of all engineering deliverables, including system layouts, electrical diagrams, and equipment specifications, ensuring they meet all technical and contractual requirements.

- Vendor and Consultant Management

: Lead the technical evaluation and selection of engineering consultants, contractors, and equipment vendors. Manage these external partners to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery of services and materials.

- Project Controls

: Develop and manage project schedules, budgets, and risk registers. Provide regular, detailed project status reports to internal leadership and utility partners, proactively identifying and mitigating potential issues.

- Stakeholder Communication

: Serve as the primary technical point of contact for utility partners, customers, and local permitting authorities, building strong relationships and ensuring clear communication throughout the project lifecycle.

- Team Leadership

: Manage, train, and mentor junior engineering staff to complete project deliverables within defined timeframes.

Preferred Skills & Qualifications

- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Management, Environmental Science, or a related technical field.

- 10+ years of project development engineering experience in the clean energy, resilience, and/or energy efficiency space.

- Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.).

- Experience managing and leading a team of developers and/or engineers through renewable project development lifecycles.

- Demonstrated technical proficiency with battery energy storage systems, specifically on commercial and/or industrial-scale projects with front-of-meter interconnections.

- Experience with utility distribution systems, distributed energy interconnections, and construction processes.

- Thorough understanding or the ability to rapidly gain an applications-based understanding of BESS-specific codes and standards such as NFPA 855, NFPA 70, IEEE 1547, UL 1741, and UL 9540.

- Experience with BESS dispatch and monitoring communication systems, including utility SCADA, ADMS, or DERMS.

- Experience or familiarity with Solar PV and/or microgrid projects.

- Experience modeling energy storage systems and microgrids in HOMER, Xendee, or similar software tools.

- Past experience working as an electrical engineer at a consulting engineering company, performing detailed electrical power engineering analysis and managing the production of print sets.

- Relevant technology-specific professional certifications, such as the NABCEP Energy Storage Installation Professional (ESIP) or similar.

- Competency in software and cloud-based information management tools, including Bluebeam Revu, Salesforce, GSuite, and CAD.

- Skilled at making sound and defensible decisions with incomplete information.

Benefits

For full-time positions:

- Competitive compensation and stock option plans - we believe in shared ownership.

- The anticipated salary range for this position is between $110,000 - $140,000 per year.

- Comprehensive benefits package including medical, vision, and dental insurance as well as disability and life insurance.

- Flexible vacation policy encouraging strong work life balance and paid time away. We also observe all federal holidays.

- Alternating 4 day weeks, with every other Friday off.

- 12 weeks gender-neutral paid leave for caregivers when they have a new addition to their families and an additional 4 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents.

- A one-time, work-from-home stipend to help cover any equipment, hardware, etc. you need to set up your remote office.

- A monthly allowance of $100 to help cover phone and WiFi expenses.

We Want You To Know

You can be a great candidate even if you don't fit everything we've described above. You can also have important skills we haven't thought of. If that's you, don't hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself. We are dedicated to environmental stewardship, and recognize we need diverse perspectives to successfully tackle this massive challenge. To change the world, we must first change ourselves, which is why Sparkfund has created a space that sources viewpoints from people who look and think differently.

We are committed to diversity and building an equitable and inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and experiences, and we're taking steps to meet that commitment. Sparkfund is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Sparkfund will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records consistent with federal, state, and local legal requirements.