ESS SKOn Chief Architect

extcsskbatteryam; Macon Township (MI); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

SKOn seeks a Chief Architect to lead energy storage software, controls, and EMS platform architecture. You will translate product strategy into scalable design, spanning EMS, PCS, BMS, edge and cloud, with a focus on high availability and security.

You will chair architecture reviews, mentor engineers, and collaborate with customers, product, and R&D to deliver reusable reference architectures and interfaces.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field related to engineering or systems.
• 12+ years of experience in complex software, controls, automation, energy, or industrial systems.
• Experience as a system architect or senior technical leader.
• Experience designing distributed, safety-critical, high-availability systems.
• Strong understanding of industrial control systems and real-time software.
• Experience defining interfaces across hardware, embedded controls, software, networking and cloud.
• Strong systems engineering capability and trade studies experience.
• Ability to translate complex concepts to engineers, executives, customers and partners.

Responsibilities

• Define and govern end-to-end architecture for energy storage software and EMS platform.
• Establish scalable architectures for multiple battery configurations and grid applications.
• Develop technical roadmap to evolve projects into repeatable products.
• Define interfaces across EMS, plant controls, PCS, BMS, edge, networking and cloud.
• Lead architecture reviews and guide major technical decisions.
• Mentor engineers and establish governance for design reviews.

Skills

Systems architecture

Real-time software

Industrial controls

Distributed systems

High availability

Leadership

Requirements decomposition

Technical communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer/Mechanical/Systems Engineering

Tools

Modbus

DNP3

IEC 61850

OPC UA

Job description

Chief Architect - Energy Storage Software & Controls

Position Summary

SKOn is seeking a Chief Architect to serve as the senior technical leader for its next generation energy storage software, controls, and energy management platform.

Reporting to the Head of EMS Engineering leader responsible for the software and controls organization, the Chief Architect will be the technical counterpart to the business and organizational leader, translating product strategy, customer requirements, and emerging market needs into a scalable technical architecture.

This role will define and govern the architecture spanning Energy Management Systems (EMS), site and plant controls, Power Conversion Systems (PCS), Battery Management Systems (BMS), networking, cloud and edge infrastructure, data platforms, cybersecurity, and external system integrations. The Chief Architect will play a central role in building a software and controls center of excellence capable of supporting utility-scale battery energy storage, grid-connected applications, and emerging high availability applications such as AI data centers and other mission-critical loads.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with strong systems thinking and can move comfortably between executive-level strategy, customer architecture discussions, engineering design reviews, and hands-on technical problem solving.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture & Technical Strategy

• Define and govern the end-to-end architecture for SK's energy storage software, controls, and EMS platform.
• Establish scalable architectures supporting multiple battery configurations, PCS platforms, grid applications, customer use cases, and deployment models.
• Develop the technical roadmap necessary to evolve from individual project solutions toward repeatable, configurable products and platforms.
• Define system boundaries and interfaces across EMS, plant controls, PCS, BMS, edge computing, networking, and cloud services, and third-party systems.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and guide build, buy, partner, and integration decisions.

Systems, Controls & Platform Architecture

• Lead architecture for complex multi-asset energy systems, including battery storage, renewable generation, grid interconnection, backup generation, and critical loads.
• Establish control hierarchies, operating modes, communications architecture, failover strategies, and system-level state management.
• Define architectures for high-availability and mission-critical applications, including data center and microgrid environments
• Develop reusable reference architectures, APIs, interface standards, software components, and configuration strategies
• Drive standardization and reuse to improve scalability, maintainability, and product quality

Technical Leadership

• Serve as the senior technical authority for the software and controls organization
• Chair or lead architecture reviews and major technical design decisions
• Provide technical leadership across controls, software, networking, cybersecurity, DevOps, systems engineering, and integration teams
• Mentor principal engineers, technical leaders, and architects while resolving complex cross-functional technical tradeoffs
• Establish engineering standards, architecture governance, and design-review process

Customer & Cross Functional Collaboration

• Participate in strategic customer discussions and early-stage solution architecture
• Partner with product management and business leaders to translate customer and market
• Collaborate with utilities, developers, hyperscalers, EPCs, technology partners, and suppliers on system architecture and integration requirements.
• Provide technical leadership during critical customer escalations and complex field issues
• Partner across SK's broader battery, power electronics, application engineering, service, data, and global R&D organizations.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 12+ years of experience developing complex software, controls, automation, energy, power-electronics, or industrial systems
• Significant experience serving as a system architect, chief engineer, principal engineer, distinguished engineer, or equivalent senior technical leader.
• Demonstrated experience architecting distributed, safety-critical, high-availability, or mission-critical systems
• Strong understanding of industrial control systems and real-time or near-real-time software
• Experience defining interfaces across hardware, embedded controls, application software, networking, and cloud systems
• Strong systems-engineering capability, including requirements decomposition, interface definition, failure-mode analysis, and system-level trade studies
• Experience taking complex technical systems from prototype or project-specific implementation into scalable products
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts effectively with engineers, senior executives, customers, and external partners

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with utility-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems, EMS, microgrid controllers, DERMS, SCADA, or related energy-control platforms.
• Knowledge of PCS/inverters, BMS architecture, and lithium-ion battery systems
• Knowledge of industrial communication protocols suchas Modbus, DNP3, IEC 61850, OPC UA, or equivalent technologies
• Experience with edge/cloud architectures, containerized software deployment, industrial cybersecurity, and high-availability systems.
• Experience with data-center electrical infrastructure or other mission-critical power applications
• Familiarity with AI/ML applications in energy optimization, predictive operations, controls, or asset management