Director, Global Network & Systems Design - NSD

Fluence

About The Position

The Director, Global Network & Systems Design (NSD) provides global technical, organizational and strategic leadership for the design, architecture, testing and delivery of network and systems solutions supporting Fluence’s utility-scale energy storage portfolio. This role leads the Global NSD organization and is accountable for establishing the technical architecture, engineering requirements, global standards, and governance necessary to deliver secure, scalable, reliable, and repeatable solutions across Fluence’s global project portfolio. The Director leads a team of senior technical experts, including Principal Engineers and Architects, and provides technical direction across complex IT/OT environments spanning network infrastructure, cybersecurity, SCADA, controls, cloud connectivity, system architecture, testing, and validation. The Director partners closely with Product, Engineering, Cybersecurity, Project Delivery, Commissioning, Services, Sales, and regional Customer Success teams to translate customer, product, grid, and regional requirements into scalable global solutions. Global NSD retains technical ownership through from design through commissioning. Following commissioning, solutions transition to Services for 24x7 operational support, with Global NSD providing advanced technical escalation and leading redesign or architectural changes when required. In addition, Global NSD to support services fleet reliability and optimization process by providing documentation, developing training and supporting Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) development.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, Systems Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant experience.
12+ years of progressive experience in network engineering, systems architecture, IT/OT infrastructure, industrial controls, power systems, or a related technical field.
5+ years of leadership experience managing senior engineers, technical leaders, architects, or globally distributed engineering teams.
Demonstrated experience leading architecture and engineering for complex, mission-critical industrial, energy, or critical infrastructure environments.
Strong technical expertise in industrial networking and IT/OT architectures, including network design, segmentation, routing, switching, firewalls, secure remote connectivity, and resilient/high-availability architectures.
Strong understanding of industrial cybersecurity principles and their application within critical infrastructure environments.
Experience with SCADA, PLCs, plant controls, industrial communication protocols, and integration of control systems within complex operating environments.
Demonstrated experience establishing technical standards, reference architectures, engineering governance, and design-review processes across multiple projects or regions.
Experience leading technical delivery through design, implementation, testing, commissioning, and transition to operations.
Strong understanding of system verification, validation, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), and structured testing methodologies.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex technical escalations and make sound decisions where system availability, cybersecurity, safety, schedule, or customer commitments may be at risk.
Experience operating effectively within a complex global matrix organization across multiple geographies, cultures, and time zones.
Strong executive communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to translate complex technical issues into clear business implications, recommendations, and decisions.
Ability to travel internationally based on business and project requirements.
Legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout your employment, without the need for employer sponsorship. Fluence does not sponsor work visas for this position.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in a relevant engineering or technical discipline.
Experience with utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), renewable energy, power generation, transmission and distribution, or grid-connected infrastructure.
Experience designing or supporting networks within utility, power generation, substation, or other critical infrastructure environments.
Knowledge of applicable industrial cybersecurity frameworks and standards, including IEC 62443, NERC CIP, NIST, or comparable regional standards.
Relevant professional certifications in networking, cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, industrial control systems, or related disciplines.
Experience building or scaling a global engineering Center of Excellence or specialized technical organization.
Experience establishing global engineering standards while accommodating regional grid, regulatory, customer, and cybersecurity requirements.

Responsibilities

Lead the Global NSD organization, including Principal Engineers, Architects, and other senior technical resources supporting Fluence’s global project portfolio.
Establish and execute the long-term NSD technical strategy and roadmap in alignment with Fluence’s product strategy, Customer Success priorities, and business objectives.
Define clear technical ownership, decision rights, engineering governance, and escalation paths across the NSD lifecycle.
Build organizational capability and technical depth to support increasing project scale, complexity, and geographic expansion.
Develop senior technical talent and establish appropriate career pathways, succession planning, and capability development.
Establish resource and capacity planning practices that align specialized technical expertise with global project demand and business priorities.
Own and govern global reference architectures, engineering standards, design principles, and technical requirements across network and IT/OT infrastructure.
Establish standardized approaches for secure network architecture, cybersecurity, SCADA and controls integration, cloud connectivity, testing, and system validation.
Ensure global standards appropriately address customer requirements, grid codes, cybersecurity requirements, regulatory obligations, and regional technical standards.
Drive reuse and standardization while establishing appropriate governance for customer- or project-specific design deviations.
Establish engineering quality gates and technical design reviews throughout the project lifecycle.
Ensure architecture and engineering decisions support system reliability, maintainability, cybersecurity, scalability, and long-term serviceability.
Provide global technical oversight of NSD solutions from requirements definition and architecture through engineering, delivery, testing, and commissioning.
Ensure technical requirements and designs are sufficiently defined before execution and appropriately governed throughout delivery.
Partner with regional project and commissioning organizations to resolve complex technical issues affecting schedule, quality, system performance, or customer acceptance.
Establish clear technical readiness and acceptance criteria for transition from project commissioning to operational support.
Ensure effective technical handoff to Services, including required architecture, configuration, documentation, and support information.
Serve as the senior technical escalation point for complex network and systems issues requiring architectural decisions, redesign, or specialized engineering intervention.
Partner with Services to establish an effective process between Global NSD and the global 24x7 support organization.
Define escalation pathways and technical engagement models for issues requiring Global NSD expertise following operational handoff.
Lead or oversee network redesign and significant architectural changes arising from operational experience, customer requirements, product evolution, or cybersecurity needs.
Incorporate field and service experience into continuous improvement of global architectures, standards, engineering practices, and future project designs.
Partner across Product, Engineering, Cybersecurity, Services, Project Delivery, Commissioning, Sales, and regional Customer Success organizations.
Translate regional and customer-specific requirements into scalable global technical solutions while minimizing unnecessary customization.
Partner with Product and Engineering to identify recurring field requirements and influence product roadmap priorities.
Communicate complex technical risks, decisions, tradeoffs, and recommendations clearly to senior technical and business leadership.
Support critical customer and project engagements where senior technical leadership is required.