Renewable Senior Performance Engineer

Sargent & Lundy•Chicago, IL

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Sargent & Lundy's Consulting group is seeking a senior performance engineer with experience performing solar PV energy yield assessments on utility-scale solar projects. The candidate will specialize in solar PV and battery energy storage performance modeling, with opportunities to expand expertise across CSP, wind, geothermal, simple- and combined-cycle gas, RICE, and fuel cell projects. This role involves building client-facing experience with utilities, developers, IPPs, and data center developers on complex, high-visibility consulting engagements. The position requires a hybrid work schedule, with 3 days per week in the office.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a science discipline such as chemistry, physics, materials science, or a related field.
Comprehensive understanding of solar resource assessment and energy yield prediction methodology.
10+ years of experience in the energy industry.
Experience in design of utility-scale solar projects OR Previous experience as a renewable energy consultant OR Experience performing renewable due diligence services OR Experience performing uncertainty and statistical data analysis.
Proficiency working with data analysis tools.
Familiarity with renewable energy project execution and finance.
Experience with statistical modeling and data analytics.
Excellent verbal/written communication skills.
Experience in writing technical reports and proposals.
Solid interpersonal skills and ability to work with and guide others.
Project planning and leadership skills.
Willingness or ability to lead others who use modern tools.

Nice To Haves

Experience with PVsyst and Excel-based post-processing tools.
Knowledge of NEC, IEEE, UL, and IEC standards related to solar design and performance.
Familiarity with inverter/load ratio strategies, bifacial gain considerations, and soiling/loss estimation.
Experience with CSP, wind, geothermal, simple- and combined-cycle gas, RICE, and fuel cell projects.
Experience with Python, MATLAB, or advanced Excel for automation.
Additional learning, such as a minor, certificate, or other experience in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Software Engineering, or related fields that enables effective oversight of automation and agentic AI-enabled engineering workflows.

Responsibilities

Perform solar resource assessments considering both satellite-based and ground-based data.
Analyze operational production and performance data and climatic data from solar projects.
Lead and mentor a team of performance engineers responsible for modeling, design review, and technical optimization across solar, wind, and battery energy storage projects.
Conduct long-term solar PV energy production assessments using PVsyst and Excel-based post-processing tools.
Primarily focus on utility-scale solar assessments but support work across all scales including residential, commercial, and industrial.
Predict energy production.
Perform uncertainty analysis to determine probabilities of exceedance (e.g., P90, P95, P99).
Conduct statistical uncertainty analyses, clipping adjusted degradation analysis.
Participate in energy yield assessment process improvement initiatives and process validation.
Write technical due diligence reports and communicate results to clients and key stakeholders including developers and financiers.
Incorporate appropriate PV modeling assumptions and inputs into simulation.
Communicate with clients to answer technical questions with regard to solar resource and energy yield.
Support S&L’s independent engineering and technical due diligence services for project financing or asset acquisition of new solar projects.
Evaluate solar equipment selections / technologies.
Evaluate project execution plans from EPC contractors.
Review project contracts including PPA, EPC, and O&M agreements.
Review project CAPEX, OPEX, and performance parameters in financial models.
Prepare and review engineering deliverables such as reports, studies, and calculations.
Collaborate with teammates to define project execution plans.
Monitor project schedules and budgets.
Support multiple projects simultaneously while ensuring a high quality standard is met.
Interface with clients to understand requests and confirm successful project execution.
Prepare proposals for new business development opportunities.
Travel occasionally to visit project locations and client offices.
Lead others in taking engineering problems from issue to solution by setting expectations for using data and modern tools such as automation and AI to improve workflows, reduce rework, and deliver cost-effective designs.
Direct automation and process-improvement work, for example, how teams automate calculations, summarize technical documents, or generate design documentation and guiding when and how AI or agentic AI tools are used while ensuring results are checked.
Oversee engineers who program or script (e.g., Python, MATLAB, advanced Excel) to automate engineering tasks, with review of automated outputs.