Sr. Manager or Director , Storage Engineering

ABOUT AVANTUS

Avantus develops, owns and operates utility-scale clean energy projects across California and the Desert Southwest. Our development pipeline of solar with integrated storage will generate enough dispatchable power to serve more than 10 million Americans, day and night. Backed by strategic investment from KKR and EIG, and building on more than a decade of industry leadership, Avantus is growing its position as an independent power producer, delivering affordable, reliable clean energy solutions to meet America’s growing energy demand.

ABOUT THE POSITION

We are seeking a highly motivated and organized candidate for a Sr. Manager or Director, Storage Engineering position. The successful candidate will demonstrate sound industry knowledge, superior communications, and detail-oriented organizational skills. This role reports to the Head of Storage Engineering.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Lead internal and external cross-functional team to ensure comprehensive scope coverage of BESS execution to fit offtake, M&A buyer, and any other project needs.
• Partner with key battery suppliers, EPC contractors, power plant controller providers, and inverter suppliers to estimate component cost and performance for battery energy storage systems for inclusion in PV+S projects
• Collaborate with battery suppliers, BESS contractors and BESS integrator partners to build investor confidence in new technology or suppliers and push down the Levelized Cost of Storage
• Own, write and negotiate clear and strong technical contracts for the BESS EPC contractors and BESS suppliers to deliver on our PPA obligations at the lowest cost and the least risk
• Specify controls and SCADA capabilities of the BESS and power plant for integration with onsite PV, interconnection facilities and utility operations
• Collaborate with Avantus PV design SMEs to co-optimize design of storage facility with the solar PV component of the projects
• Help prepare BESS Suppliers and EPC RFPs and technical requirements, work with internal teams to hand off contracted BESS suppliers and EPC contractors to ensure and manage proper engineering, construction, schedule, commissioning, and operation of assigned PV+S projects
• Work with project engineering team to support design, engineering and technical matters in dealing with project external engineering groups such as engineer of records, owners engineering, fire safety consultants and independent engineering  
• Review BESS technical deliverables to ensure technical needs and correct designs are met
• Lead the collaboration between BESS suppliers, BESS contractors and their consultants to assist AHJ BESS permitting process  

REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Energy storage development, design, and integration experience: 7-10 years for Director; 5-7 years for Senior Manager
• Deep expertise in utility-scale BESS technology, including equipment selection, system design, integration, and controls, from development through long-term operations
• Strong knowledge of BESS subsystem performance and degradation (battery, PCS/inverter, thermal management, BMS/EMS), including battery storage performance modeling, augmentation planning, and the impact on availability, round-trip efficiency, and capacity over the asset life
• Experience with utility-scale battery supply, EPC, and long-term service agreements from the owner or buyer perspective, including negotiation, administration, and enforcement of performance guarantees, warranties, and remedies (availability, capacity, RTE, degradation, liquidated damages)
• Ability to support technical diligence for lenders, tax equity investors, and independent engineers, and to align performance terms with offtake and financing requirements
• In-depth knowledge of BESS safety and permitting processes, including NFPA, CFC, and UL certification
• Background in utility or market operations, including generator and battery dispatch and storage control strategies
• Familiarity with FERC, NERC, and CAISO/ERCOT requirements as they apply to interconnection, operations, and compliance is a plus
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to work across engineering, legal, procurement, finance, and operations teams
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time
• Bachelor of Science in a STEM field, preferably electrical or mechanical engineering

NICE TO HAVES

• Preferably graduate degree in STEM or PE in power system engineering    

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