Manager, Systems Engineering - Renewable Energy

WSP in the U.S.; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP USA is seeking an experienced Manager, Systems Engineering – Renewable Energy for roles in San Diego, Denver, or Houston. You will lead technical due diligence, owner’s engineering, performance modeling, and bankability assessments for solar, BESS, and hybrid projects.

The ideal candidate has over 10 years in renewable energy engineering, strong financing knowledge, and the ability to leverage AI-driven tools for project risk management and decision support.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Energy Systems Engineering or related field.
• 10+ years in renewable energy engineering, technical advisory, or owner's engineering.
• Experience supporting utility-scale solar PV, BESS, wind, and hybrid projects.
• Experience performing lender’s technical due diligence and bankability assessments.
• Experience through development, construction, commissioning, and operations.
• Strong understanding of project financing, EPC contracting, and risk management.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical due diligence for solar PV, BESS, hybrid renewables, and related projects.
• Assess design, technology choices, engineering assumptions, and execution plans.
• Identify and quantify technical, operational, commercial, and contractual risks.
• Develop risk registers and mitigation plans for stakeholders.
• Review permits, equipment specs, EPC/OM contracts, and performance guarantees.
• Evaluate bankability and financing readiness from an engineering view.
• Prepare lender-required independent engineering reports and advisory reports.
• Act as technical lead and owner's representative through project lifecycle.
• Validate EPC contractor designs and technical deliverables.
• Review drawings, studies, calculations, and equipment specs.
• Monitor construction progress and identify risks.
• Support FAT, SAT, and commissioning activities.
• Develop energy yield assessments and production forecasts.
• Verify contractor models and assumptions.
• Support revenue-risk assessments and merchant exposure analysis.
• Analyze dispatch strategies and revenue optimization.
• Assess BESS technology selection, degradation, and lifecycle performance.
• Review battery warranties and long-term operational risks.
• Perform independent verification of system sizing and modeling.
• Develop data-driven risk identification and asset monitoring methods.
• Build Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to streamline reviews.
• Utilize ML/AI for risk identification and decision support.
• Develop automated engineering assessment tools and digital transformation initiatives.

Skills

Renewable energy engineering

Owner's engineering

Technical advisory

Bankability assessments

Lender's due diligence

RAG architecture

Python

ML / AI analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering / Mechanical Engineering / Energy Systems Engineering

Master’s degree in Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Tools

PVsyst

NREL SAM

Storlytics

Job description

We are seeking an experienced Manager, Systems Engineering – Renewable Energy in San Diego, CA (also considering Houston, TX and Denver, CO). This role requires deep expertise in identifying, quantifying, and mitigating technical, performance, operational, financial, and execution risks associated with renewable energy projects. The candidate will lead technical due diligence, owner's engineering services, performance modeling, technology evaluations, and project bankability assessments while leveraging advanced analytical tools, data science, and AI-driven decision-support solutions.

Job Description

The following describes the responsibilities and expectations for this position.

Your Impact

• Lead technical due diligence for solar PV, BESS, hybrid renewable, microgrid (BTM data centers/green hydrogen), and other emerging energy infrastructure projects.
• Perform independent assessment of project design, technology selection, engineering assumptions, and execution plans.
• Identify and quantify technical, operational, commercial, and contractual risks throughout project lifecycles.
• Develop risk registers and mitigation plans for developers, EPC contractors, lenders, investors, and asset owners.
• Review project permits, equipment specifications, EPC agreements, O&M contracts, and performance guarantees.
• Evaluate project bankability and financing readiness from an engineering perspective.
• Prepare lender‑required independent engineering reports and technical advisory reports.
• Serve as technical lead and owner's representative during project development, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operations.
• Evaluate and validate EPC contractor designs and technical deliverables.
• Review engineering drawings, studies, calculations, and equipment specifications.
• Monitor construction progress and identify execution risks.
• Support factory acceptance tests (FAT), site acceptance tests (SAT), and commissioning activities.
• Develop and validate energy yield assessments and production forecasts.
• Perform independent checks of contractor‑provided models and assumptions.
• Support revenue‑risk assessments and merchant exposure analysis. Analyze dispatch strategies and revenue optimization assumptions.
• Assess BESS technology selection, degradation, augmentation strategies, and lifecycle performance.
• Review battery warranties, performance guarantees, and long‑term operating risks.
• Perform independent verification of system sizing and operational modeling.
• Develop data‑driven methodologies for project risk identification and asset performance monitoring.
• Build Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions to streamline technical reviews, engineering knowledge management, and project intelligence workflows.
• Utilize machine learning, AI, and predictive analytics to identify project and operational risks.
• Develop automated engineering assessment and due diligence tools.
• Support digital transformation initiatives within renewable energy advisory services.
• Exercise responsible and ethical decision‑making regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.
• Perform additional responsibilities as required by business needs.

Who You Are

The ideal candidate is flexible, collaborative, and committed to delivering high‑quality engineering solutions in a fast‑paced environment.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Systems Engineering, or a related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in renewable energy engineering, technical advisory, owner's engineering, or independent engineering roles.
• Experience supporting utility‑scale solar PV, BESS, wind, and hybrid projects.
• Proven experience performing lender’s technical due diligence and bankability assessments.
• Experience supporting projects through development, construction, commissioning, and operations.
• Strong understanding of project financing, EPC contracting, and project risk management.
• Proven track record of upholding workplace safety and ability to abide by WSP’s health, safety, and drug/alcohol and harassment policies.
• Must be flexible to a variety of schedules to meet business needs and able to prioritize responsibilities and quickly adapt to change in a pressure work environment.
• Occasional travel may be required depending on project‑specific requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Engineering.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Renewable Energy Modeling
  • PVsyst
  • NREL System Advisor Model (SAM)
• Battery Energy Storage Analytics
  • Storlytics
• Programming & Data Analytics
  • Python
  • R Programming
• Retrieval‑Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture development.
• Large Language Model (LLM) integration.

Benefits

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career, including medical, dental, vision, disability, and life coverage; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation; paid parental leave; and paid time off for bereavement, voting, and attendance at naturalization proceedings.

EEO Statement

WSP USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer Race/Age/Color/Religion/Sex/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin/Disability or Protected Veteran Status. The selected candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.