Development Engineer

The Role

We are seeking a seasoned Development Engineer with direct experience designing, engineering, and developing the technical components of C&I microgrid and distributed energy resource projects. In this role, you will translate customer resiliency, cost, and sustainability goals into engineered microgrid solutions capable of operating in parallel with the utility and independently in island mode. You will conduct site investigations, negotiate with utilities, navigate AHJ requirements and procedures, and orchestrate a complex set of constraints into a project scope that Scale can contract, construct, and operate. 

You will collaborate with internal cross-functional team members within project deal teams, holding yourself to the highest standard of integrity from start to finish. This is not an entry-level design position: you will own the technical strategy for each assigned project, shaping customer solutions that integrate PV, BESS, controls, and generator assets into a complete microgrid or DER system.  

This role will report to our Senior Manager, Project & Development Engineering, and will be a hybrid role based out of our HQ in Ridgewood, NJ, or NYC offices.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Support Business Development throughout opportunity qualification and proposal development, providing the technical foundation for the customer-facing solution and stepping in for direct, technical customer conversations when needed.
• Perform desktop audits and onsite investigations to evaluate electrical and overall site conditions and translate findings into project-specific design constraints while also flagging discovered risks.
• Develop microgrid designs, including one-line diagrams, layouts, and bills of material, progressing from initial concept through contract-ready deliverables. Use production modeling tools to optimize solar, battery storage, and generator assets for performance, resiliency, and economic return.
• Support RFP responses and contract negotiations as the technical lead of the deal team.
• Own utility interconnection strategy.  Engage directly with utility personnel to distinguish requirements that are strictly necessary from those a utility initially assumes are required, challenging impact studies where appropriate to secure the most economical interconnection outcome.
• Lead internal and third-party produced detailed engineering deliverables including interconnection, issue for bid and issue for permit drawing sets, sequence of operations and network diagrams.  Oversee innovative custom switchgear designs that integrate Scale's proprietary microgrid control system to enable autonomous operation, specifying and integrating instrument transformers, metering and protective relays.
• Support the technical permitting process with authorities having jurisdiction throughout the Northeast, including both discretionary and ministerial approvals.
• Advise on major equipment selection for inverters, generators, and battery energy storage systems, balancing performance, cost, and schedule to inform procurement decisions.
• Serve as the overall technical owner of assigned projects, flagging risks and proposing engineered solutions backed by thorough desktop and on-site diligence.
• Proactively refine the internal tools and processes that keep results accurate and consistent as project volume scales.

The Ideal Candidate

• 4+ years of experience in the design, development, or construction of power generation, renewable energy, or utility-scale distributed energy resource projects, with a track record of measurable results.
• Comfort serving as the primary technical point of contact across business development, customers, utilities, and internal engineering and product teams, with the work ethic to manage several fast-moving projects at once.
• Working knowledge of low voltage and medium voltage electrical systems, typically 480V through 34.5kV, along with the switchgear, protection, and control equipment required to operate them safely.
• Working knowledge of utility distribution infrastructure, including transformers, reclosers, metering, line and substation protection, and SCADA, sufficient to design sound interconnection strategies and confidently question or challenge utility study assumptions.
• Understanding of onsite generation dynamics, including grid parallel and island mode operation, transition types, associated emissions considerations, and the complexities of DER control systems to meet specific operating and economic goals.
• Exposure to reciprocating engines or turbines in the 200 kW to 2000 kW range is a plus.
• Experience with property development or diligence platforms, such as Paces or Landgate, is a plus.
• Working knowledge of and experience with PV modeling tools such as Helioscope and PVsyst.
• Experience with AutoCAD, including the ability to build and maintain templates and automations that improve efficiency and consistency across the team.
• Familiarity with utilities and AHJs throughout the Northeast is strongly preferred.
• Confidence delivering a clear technical recommendation to internal and customer stakeholders even when no perfect option exists.
• BS in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a related field is required.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in power, or active progress toward one, is preferred.