Manager, Project Engineering

TAE Power Solutions•Foothill Ranch, CA

21d•$150,000 - $180,000•Remote

About The Position

TAE Power Solutions (TPS) is the electrification spin-off from TAE Technologies, a leader in nuclear fusion technology. The company is leveraging unique power management technology originally developed for nuclear fusion and applying it in adjacent industries including Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and DC Fast Charging for electric vehicles. About the Role The Manager, Project Engineering is accountable for technical execution during the delivery phase. This role ensures TPS deliverables are commissioned to TPS standards, meet customer requirements, and achieve customer acceptance. It leads technical milestones during execution, owns all external technical discussions with customers and vendors during project execution, and drives technical issue resolution to protect schedule and commissioning outcomes. After COD, this role provides first level technical review for issues that arise and ensures proper escalation and closure. The Manager, Project Engineering is also responsible for building, hiring, and developing a high-performing Project Engineering team.

Requirements

7+ year experience leading technical execution and commissioning for complex power or BESS
Strong interdisciplinary capability across electrical, controls, software integration, and system level troubleshooting
Demonstrated ability to lead technical milestones and drive issue closure across cross functional teams
Demonstrated experience owning customer and vendor technical discussions during execution, including driving alignment and closure
Experience at an EPC delivering turnkey BESS projects, with extensive field troubleshooting and commissioning issue resolution
Strong documentation discipline and ability to run structured triage and change control processes
Experience leading, hiring, and developing engineers, including building training and onboarding plans
Extensive experience with BoS for BESS projects, including AC and DC switchgear configuration and protection, with demonstrated value engineering and field execution impact
Strong communication skills for executive escalation and customer facing technical leadership
Experience building and improving commissioning standards, checklists, and repeatable execution playbooks

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with safety and certification context such as UL 9540A, UL 9540, NFPA 855, and related commissioning expectations

Responsibilities

Own the technical execution plan for each project from design handoff through commissioning, performance validation, and turnover
Lead technical milestones including site readiness, installation readiness, pre commissioning, SAT, performance testing, and acceptance readiness
Define and maintain clear milestone entry and exit criteria aligned to TPS commissioning standards and customer requirements
Own and lead all external technical discussions with customers and vendors during project execution, including design clarifications, interface alignment, commissioning planning, and issue resolution
Own technical responses and coordinate technical changes with a clear decision trail, documentation, and impact summary
Align technical commitments with PMO’s schedule governance and external reporting cadence while serving as the primary external technical owner during execution
Ensure commissioning procedures are executed consistently, safely, and to TPS standards provided by System Integration group, with complete evidence capture using TPS Control Console and Data Acquisition
Validate system performance against customer requirements and document results for acceptance and turnover
Drive punch list closure and readiness sign off before milestone transitions
Lead execution phase technical issue triage, root cause analysis, corrective action, and closure verification
Coordinate internal groups: Product, System Integration, PMO, and field resources to remove blockers quickly
Drive technical issue closure to protect schedule and commissioning outcomes, prioritizing by safety, schedule, and cost impact
Manage deviations and non-conformances, ensuring they are documented, approved, and do not compromise safety, certification assumptions, or warranty constraints
Provide clear escalation packages to leadership when decisions are required, including options, impacts, and recommended path
Partner closely with Product and System Integration groups to interpret customer requirements, define acceptance criteria, and prioritize defects discovered during execution
Partner closely with System Integration to apply baseline configurations, commissioning standards, and validated settings, and to resolve integration defects
Maintain a structured feedback loop to Product and System Integration including recurring issues, trend data, and recommended design or process improvements
Establish and maintain relationships with EPC firms to increase familiarity with TPS equipment, installation requirements, commissioning standards, and service model
Provide technical enablement to EPC partners through clear documentation, onboarding, and execution support so EPCs can deliver successful projects using TPS equipment for asset operators
Support EPC confidence and trust by driving predictable commissioning outcomes, rapid issue resolution, and consistent field standards, without taking on EPC scope ownership
Develop and maintain a network of qualified local contractors for scheduled maintenance and troubleshooting support, aligned to TPS safety and quality standards
Define contractor qualification criteria, onboarding requirements, and standard work expectations in coordination with Field Services, Quality, and Compliance
Capture and share partner performance feedback to improve execution outcomes and inform future project planning
Build long term EPC and local contractor relationships in key regions to improve execution efficiency and secure competitive construction and maintenance pricing for projects using TPS provided BESS, driven by partner familiarity and confidence in TPS product design and field standards
Develop and maintain TPS standard programs and documentation for installation, onsite commissioning, maintenance, safety, and training
Create and own standard work packages, including installation requirements, onsite commissioning procedures, checklists, test scripts, acceptance criteria, and evidence templates
Develop maintenance plans, service intervals, troubleshooting guides, and escalation playbooks aligned to warranty, compliance, and safety requirements
Build and maintain safety procedures for field work, including LOTO, arc flash, battery safety, and incident reporting expectations, in coordination with EHS and Compliance
Develop and deliver training materials for internal teams, EPCs, vendors, and local contractors, including onboarding content and competency checks
Maintain version control and change history for all field documentation, ensuring updates are communicated and adopted across projects
Use feedback from commissioning, field issues, and post COD issues to continuously improve programs, templates, and training
Provide technical leadership on BoS design and configuration for TPS deployments, including AC and DC switchgear, protection philosophy, coordination, and interface requirements
Lead value engineering on BoS to improve cost, lead time, and field serviceability without compromising safety or compliance
Maintain strong supplier relationships and escalation paths with major BoS suppliers, including switchgear and protection vendors, to support timely fulfilment and rapid response for unexpected events and urgent replacements
Partner with Supply Chain and Product Engineering to align specifications, alternates, and approved parts lists to reduce schedule risk and enable fast substitutions when needed
Build, hire, and lead a high performing Project Engineering team to support current and future deployments
Define role expectations, onboarding plans, and training paths for Project Engineers
Coach and develop team members through regular feedback, structured skill building, and clear performance expectations
Establish and maintain consistent team practices for documentation quality, customer and vendor engagement, and execution discipline
Ensure appropriate resourcing and coverage across active projects, commissioning periods, and post COD support needs