Senior Electrical Engineer - Mission Critical Power Systems

Ameresco • Knoxville, TN

10d • $154,200 - $223,200 • Hybrid

About The Position

Ameresco is seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer to provide technical leadership for the development, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operation of large-scale power generation and electrical infrastructure projects serving mission-critical data center facilities. Projects may incorporate natural gas generation, renewable generation, fuel cells, battery energy storage systems, microgrids, utility interconnections, substations, and medium- and high-voltage electrical distribution systems. The role supports projects from early-stage due diligence and conceptual design through detailed engineering, construction, energization, and commercial operation.

The position may be based in a hybrid arrangement in Knoxville, Tennessee; Phoenix, Arizona; or Dallas, Texas. Occasional travel to customer locations, project sites, vendor facilities, and commissioning activities is required.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from an accredited college or university.
• At least 8 years of progressively responsible electrical engineering experience, including significant experience with power generation, substations, utility interconnection, industrial power systems, or mission-critical electrical infrastructure.
• Demonstrated experience developing and reviewing medium- and high-voltage electrical systems.
• Demonstrated experience with power-system studies, electrical equipment specifications, protection and control systems, and electrical design documentation.
• Ability to review confidential US security information.

Nice To Haves

• Current Professional Engineer license in Electrical Engineering.
• Experience supporting projects through development, design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operation.
• Ability to review and interpret one-line schematics, wiring diagrams, studies, specifications, construction drawings, and commissioning documentation.
• Working knowledge of applicable NFPA, IEEE, ANSI, NEMA, UL, National Electrical Code, utility, and jurisdictional requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical issues to customers, project leadership, vendors, contractors, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to manage multiple complex assignments, establish priorities, meet schedules, and collaborate with geographically distributed teams.
• Ability to travel to project sites, customer meetings, vendor facilities, and commissioning activities as required.
• Experience designing electrical infrastructure for hyperscale, colocation, or other mission-critical data center facilities.
• Experience with ETAP, SKM PowerTools, EasyPower, PSCAD, PSS/E, PowerFactory, ASPEN, or comparable electrical analysis software.
• Experience with large on-site power plants using reciprocating engines, combustion turbines, fuel cells, battery energy storage systems, or mixed generation assets.
• Experience with utility-scale or industrial substations operating at 69 kV and above.
• Experience with islanded power systems, microgrids, grid-forming resources, black-start systems, load shedding, generator dispatch, and restoration sequences.
• Experience integrating inverter-based resources with synchronous generation.
• Experience evaluating dynamic data center loads, including rapid load changes, block loading, uninterruptible power supply systems, and AI or high-performance-computing load profiles.
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, Revit, BIM, Bluebeam, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience with SCADA, energy management systems, microgrid controllers, plant controls, protective relays, metering, and industrial communications protocols.
• Experience preparing or reviewing utility interconnection applications and associated load-flow, short-circuit, protection, stability, and facility studies.
• Experience working within an EPC organization or an architectural and engineering consulting firm.
• Experience supervising engineers, managing consultants, and reviewing engineer-of-record deliverables.
• Familiarity with project cost estimating, equipment procurement, technical bid evaluations, construction schedules, and commercial risk assessment.
• Strong leadership, initiative, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills for complex, fast-paced, large-scale projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead electrical engineering activities for large-scale mission-critical data center power projects, including on-site generation and storage, substations, utility interconnections, microgrids, and medium- and high-voltage distribution systems.
• Develop and document the electrical basis of design based on customer requirements, anticipated data center load profiles, reliability objectives, utility requirements, project phasing, equipment capabilities, and contractual performance guarantees.
• Develop conceptual and preliminary electrical designs, including one-line diagrams, electrical site layouts, generation and distribution configurations, substations, collector systems, auxiliary power, station service, grounding, lightning protection, and protection, control, metering, and communications architectures.
• Establish design criteria for reliability, redundancy, availability, maintainability, system stability, fault-current capability, load acceptance, transient response, black-start capability, and phased load growth.
• Perform or oversee load-flow, short-circuit, protection-coordination, arc-flash, motor-starting, harmonic, grounding, cable-ampacity, transient-stability, reactive-power, voltage-control, and generator or inverter-resource integration studies.
• Develop technical requirements and procurement specifications for electrical balance-of-plant equipment, including substations, transformers, switchgear, generators, energy storage systems, protective relays, instrument transformers, conductors, bus systems, grounding systems, and auxiliary systems.
• Support technical evaluation of equipment availability, performance, delivery schedules, commercial exceptions, warranties, testing requirements, and long-term service considerations.
• Lead or support utility interconnection applications, system-impact studies, facility studies, interconnection agreements, and coordination with utilities, independent system operators, transmission providers, and authorities having jurisdiction.
• Review customer load data and transient load profiles to confirm proposed generation and storage systems can support steady-state and dynamic load conditions.
• Provide technical oversight and quality control of third-party engineers of record, including review of studies, calculations, drawings, specifications, equipment schedules, and issued-for-construction documents.
• Facilitate electrical design reviews, constructability reviews, hazard assessments, technical workshops, and customer presentations.
• Review commissioning procedures and test results for generators, transformers, switchgear, protective relays, controls, battery systems, and electrical balance-of-plant equipment.
• Perform other duties as required.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement plans
• Paid time off
• Potential eligibility for performance incentives, bonuses, commissions, or equity, depending on the role
• People-oriented insurance, investment, and incentive plans

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior