Manager, Systems Engineering – Renewable Energy

WSP USA; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 111,000 - 213,000; Full time

Job summary

WSP USA seeks an experienced Manager, Systems Engineering – Renewable Energy to lead technical risk assessments for utility-scale projects in the US. You will drive owner’s engineering services, performance modeling, and bankability analysis across solar, BESS, hybrid systems, and microgrids.

The role requires deep expertise in technical risk, due diligence, and project lifecycle management, with a focus on data-driven decision support and AI-enabled project reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• 10 years of renewable energy engineering or advisory experience.
• Experience supporting utility-scale solar PV, BESS, wind, and hybrids.
• 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.
• Compliance with safety policies and flexible scheduling.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical due diligence for solar PV, BESS, hybrid renewables and microgrids.
• Perform independent assessment of design, technology choice, and execution plans.
• Identify and quantify technical, operational, commercial and contractual risks.
• Develop risk registers and mitigation plans for multiple stakeholders.
• Review permits, equipment specs, EPC and O&M contracts, performance guarantees.
• Evaluate project bankability and financing readiness from an engineering view.
• Prepare lender-required independent engineering and technical advisory reports.
• Serve as technical lead and owner’s representative during development, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operations.
• Evaluate EPC designs and technical deliverables; review drawings and calculations.
• Monitor construction progress and identify execution risks.
• Support FAT, SAT and commissioning activities; validate energy yields and forecasts.
• Perform independent checks of contractor models and assumptions.
• Support revenue-risk assessments and merchant exposure analyses; assess dispatch and revenue optimization.
• Assess BESS technology, degradation, augmentation strategies, and lifecycle performance.
• Review warranties, performance guarantees, and long-term operating risks.
• Verify system sizing and operational modeling; develop data-driven risk methodologies.
• Develop Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) solutions for project reviews and knowledge management.
• Utilize ML/AI for risk identification and predictive analytics.

Skills

Technical risk

Due diligence

Owner’s engineer

Financial risk

Project management

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Master’s degree preferred

Professional Engineer license (PE) preferred

Tools

PVsyst

SAM

Storlytics

Python

R

RAG architecture

LLM integration

Job description

This Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced Manager, Systems Engineering – Renewable Energy in San Diego, CA to lead technical risk assessments and mitigation strategies across utility-scale renewable energy, battery energy storage systems (BESS), hybrid generation, microgrid (BTM data centers/ green hydrogen), and emerging distributed energy projects. The following locations will also be considered: 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.

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

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Systems Engineering, or 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

WSP Benefits:

WSP provides a comprehensive suite of benefits focused on a providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. These benefits include coverage related to medical, dental, vision, disability, and life; retirement savings; paid sick leave; paid vacation (or other personal time); paid parental leave; and paid time off for purposes of bereavement, voting, and/or attendance at naturalization proceedings.

Compensation:

Expected Salary (all locations): $119,600 – $213,200

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and offer for this position, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

Expected Salary (Colorado only): $111,200- $186,100

WSP USA is providing the compensation range that the company in good faith believes it might pay and/or offer for this position within the state of Colorado, based on the successful applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities in addition to internal equity and specific geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s sex or other status protected by local, state, and/or federal law.

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About WSP

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world’s leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper.

www.wsp.com

WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career.

At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?

WSP USA (and all of its U.S. companies) 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.