Director of Engineering

Director of Engineering — Utility-Scale Energy Storage (Chicago, IL)

The Director of Engineering will lead the engineering and design of the company’s growing pipeline of utility-scale battery energy storage projects across PJM / MISO and Midwest municipal / co-op utilities. The ideal candidate is a seasoned ESS engineer with demonstrated experience coordinating across owners, utilities, OEMs, EPCs, and AHJs to develop safe, bankable, and value-optimized utility storage systems. This role will be based in Chicago with periodic regional travel to sites, partners, and permitting authorities.

The Director of Engineering will build and lead the engineering team and work cross-functionally with development, commercial, construction, and operations to ensure that BESS projects are designed, procured, constructed, and commissioned to meet grid interconnection, utility, cost, schedule, safety, and performance requirements.

Accountabilities

• Lead all phases of design for utility-scale BESS projects : conceptual & advanced design, interconnection study support, code compliance (NEC / IEEE / NFPA), site & constructability assessment, BoP architecture, development support, construction technical support, commissioning planning
• Coordinate with utilities (interconnection / tariff groups), EPCs, OEMs, engineering partners, and AHJs to translate functional requirements into technical baselines and IFC deliverables
• Define system use cases (capacity, arbitrage, transmission support, FFR / FCR, black start, etc.) and embed performance & control requirements into design
• Contribute to completeness and bankability of BESS designs across development, construction, and asset operations
• Lead technical workstreams for proposals, project diligence, M&A of development pipelines, and supplier qualification
• Interface with inverter / BMS / EMS technology partners and remain current on grid-forming inverter trends, codes, and compliance pathways
• Prepare technical exhibits and design inputs for EPC contracts and procurement packages
• Develop and execute RFOs / RFPs for ESS equipment; oversee technical evaluation and award
• Conduct technical due diligence on technology partners and project opportunities
• Report on design maturity, risk, gaps, and readiness to executive leadership and investment partners
• Establish and enforce engineering standards, design QA / QC, and process controls
• Drive digital tools and process improvements to shorten design cycles and reduce error risk
• Hire, manage, and mentor a growing engineering team; build scalable delivery capability
• Support general management functions that elevate operational maturity of the organization
• B.S. in Electrical, Mechanical, or related engineering discipline (advanced degree a plus)
• 5+ years professional engineering experience in utility-scale BESS or inverter-based renewable generation
• Demonstrated technical ownership of BESS plant design and optimization
• Working knowledge of grid interconnection processes (PJM / MISO preferred) and utility protection / controls interfaces
• Knowledge of NEC, IEEE, NFPA, UL, and applicable utility standards
• Proven ability to lead multi-stakeholder, multi-discipline engineering efforts at scale
• Demonstrated people‑leadership — coaching, delegation, and team growth
• Excellent written & verbal communication; ability to brief executives and work tightly with project finance

Seniority level

Director

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Engineering and Project Management

Industries

Services for Renewable Energy and Semiconductor Manufacturing

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