Commercial Design Engineer

GRID ALTERNATIVES•Los Angeles, CA

2d•Remote

About The Position

GRID Alternatives is a national leader in making clean, affordable solar power and solar jobs accessible to low-income communities and communities of color. GRID is an entrepreneurial, high-growth non-profit organization that provides direct solar installation and project development; clean mobility options; workforce training and service-learning opportunities; and low-income solar policy advocacy. Our Vision: a rapid, equitable transition to a world powered by renewable energy that benefits everyone. Our Mission: to build community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy. At GRID, we care about each other and know that each employee has a whole self that includes life outside of work. Our culture supports learning, growth and well-being of all of our team members. The Commercial Design Engineer is an individual contributor role within GRID Alternatives’ commercial build team, collaborating with the Director of Commercial Build and Engineering. This position plays an important role in delivering high-quality, code-compliant designs for multifamily and light commercial projects, with most systems in the 50 kW–500 kW range. Rooftop solar is the core scope of this role, with additional opportunities to work on carport solar, battery-enabled micro-grids, and EVSE infrastructure as GRID continues to diversify and expand its commercial portfolio. In this role, you’ll collaborate closely with other designers, construction coordinators, field supervisors, and development teams to support build development and project execution. You’ll contribute technical expertise throughout the project lifecycle while also helping improve design standards, tools, and processes as the program grows. This role is ideal for an experienced commercial solar designer who enjoys solving complex technical problems, working collaboratively across teams, and contributing to a thoughtful, purposeful organization.

Requirements

3+ years of experience designing grid-tied commercial and/or multifamily solar projects, including solar-plus-storage
Deep understanding of commercial PV system design, component selection, and production modeling
Strong proficiency in AutoCAD and Excel, with experience using tools such as Helioscope, Aurora, PV Watts, NREL SAM, PVsyst, or similar
Experience producing utility- and AHJ-ready plan sets, including calculations, details, and as-built documentation
Ability to clearly explain technical concepts and design decisions to a range of audiences
A collaborative working style that values shared problem-solving, consensus-building, and alignment across fields
Strong attention to detail and a quality-focused mentality
Ability to exercise sound technical judgment while working within established standards, processes, and decision frameworks
Curiosity and interest in improving tools, templates, and workflows
Openness to feedback from peers, construction teams, and managers
Interest in supporting junior designers as part of a collaborative team

Responsibilities

Produce complete design packages for utility and AHJ submittals for commercial solar and solar-plus-storage projects, generally ranging from 50 kW to 500 kW
Develop CAD layouts, electrical diagrams, stringing plans, calculations, elevations, details, and bills of materials based on project requirements
Serve as a technical resource within the commercial design team, assisting with design questions, code interpretation, and troubleshooting
Perform quality assurance reviews of colleagues’ work to ensure accuracy, constructability, and code compliance
Clearly communicate design intent, assumptions, and constraints to internal teams and external partners, including project managers, construction teams, utilities, and AHJs
Provide technical guidance to junior designers through reviews, feedback, and informal training
Contribute ideas and feedback on design standards, templates, tools, and workflows in partnership with the Commercial Director of Design and Engineering and peers
Coordinate with external engineering vendors as needed to support project delivery