Director of Hardware Engineering

evolo; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

evolo is seeking a senior hardware engineering leader to own the entire ESS hardware platform, driving design, reliability, and manufacturability toward scalable production. You will collaborate with Electrical, Systems, Product, Software, and Manufacturing teams to define technical direction and build a high-caliber hardware organization.

The role combines hands-on engineering with leadership, equity, and strategic impact as the company scales its megawatt-scale battery storage technology for

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hardware engineering experience with at least 5 years in leadership roles.
• Proven track record delivering high-voltage, high-power systems at scale (battery storage, EV, or industrial hardware).
• Experience taking hardware products from prototype to production ramp.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of hardware development across the ESS platform.
• Define and maintain subsystem requirements for HV/LV distribution, enclosures, cooling, and protections.

Skills

Leadership

HV/HV design

Mechanical design

Thermal management

Prototyping

CAD

Education

B.S. in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering

M.S. or PhD (preferred)

Tools

Siemens NX

SolidWorks

CATIA

FEA/CFD tools

Job description

We are working with a fast-growing clean energy business that is building something genuinely ambitious: the first fully passive, megawatt-hour-scale battery storage system on the market.

This is not a standard management hire. We are looking for someone who wants to step into a pivotal leadership role, take ownership of hardware development across an entire ESS platform, and help shape what this function becomes as the company scales into commercial production. The right person will not just manage a team, they will help define the technical direction, raise the bar, and play a central role in the company's next stage of growth.

This is a leadership position with real scope, real influence, and real equity. If you want to be part of a company where you can make things happen, this is exactly that kind of role.

The business is advancing globally proven battery systems as the storage standard for a new era of renewable energy on a resilient grid, cheap, readily available and safe. It is backed by exceptional investors and led by a team with deep experience scaling gigawatt-level innovation at world-class companies.

What you'll be doing

You'll lead all aspects of hardware development across the company's ESS platform, working closely with Electrical, Systems, Product, Software, and Cell teams, and partnering with Manufacturing Engineering and supply chain to scale production.

You'll be responsible for:

• Serving as technical and managerial lead for all ESS hardware — mechanical, electrical, structural, thermal, reliability, and test.
• Leading system design and integration across electrical, mechanical, structural, and thermal domains.
• Defining and maintaining subsystem requirements for HV/LV distribution, enclosures, interconnects, cooling, and protections.
• Owning reliability: design for reliability, DFMEA, accelerated life testing, and lifetime prediction for high-voltage electronics.
• Owning verification testing: mechanical reliability, thermal cycling, HV insulation, seismic and structural performance.
• Driving design-for-manufacturability as the product moves into factory-scale production.
• Ensuring compliance with certification and safety standards for grid-scale storage (UL 9540, IEC 62933, IEEE 693, NEC Article 706), representing the company with certification bodies.
• Recruiting, mentoring, and growing a multidisciplinary hardware team, and owning its technical bar and career growth.

What we need

• 10+ years of hardware engineering experience, with at least 5 years in leadership roles.
• A proven track record delivering high-voltage, high-power systems at scale — energy storage, utility-scale renewables, EV traction, or comparable large-scale industrial/automotive hardware.
• Expertise across mechanical/structural design and thermal management, with strong working knowledge of HV/LV electrical systems, bussing, and protections.
• Prior experience taking a hardware product from prototype through production ramp at scale.
• Proficiency with CAD (Siemens NX, SolidWorks, or CATIA) and analysis tools (FEA, CFD), plus hands-on prototyping and validation experience.
• A Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.

Nice to have

• Experience scaling hardware teams in startups or high-growth environments (10+ to 30+ engineers).
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes for BESS enclosures, interconnects, and cooling systems.
• Exposure to sodium-ion, lithium-ion, or other advanced battery technologies.
• Prior experience partnering with contract manufacturers or standing up in-house factory production.
• Experience navigating certification bodies (UL, TÜV, Intertek) end-to-end on a shipping product.
• Background in grid-scale energy storage, EV traction, or utility-scale renewables specifically.

This is a chance to join a company where the role can grow with the business, where leadership is valued, and where your impact will be felt across the product and the organisation.

If that sounds like the kind of challenge you want, we'd love to speak with you.