Manager, Systems Engineering - Renewable Energy

WSP in the U.S.; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement savings plan

Paid time off

Job summary

WSP USA is seeking an experienced Manager, Systems Engineering – Renewable Energy in San Diego, CA with scope across Houston, TX and Denver, CO. You will lead due diligence, owner's engineering, performance modeling, and bankability assessments for solar, BESS, and hybrid projects, leveraging advanced analytics and AI-enabled decision-support.

The role requires strong technical leadership, risk management, and experience across project lifecycles from development through operations, with a focus

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Systems Engineering, or related discipline.
• 10+ years in renewable energy engineering, technical advisory, or owner's engineering.
• Experience with 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 phases.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical due diligence for solar PV, BESS, hybrid renewables, and related projects.
• Evaluate project design, technology choices, and execution plans.
• Identify risks across technical, operational, commercial, and contractual areas.
• Develop risk registers and mitigation plans for stakeholders.
• Review EPC contracts, O&M agreements, and performance guarantees.
• Prepare independent engineering reports for lenders and clients.
• Serve as technical lead and owner's representative through all project stages.
• Validate contractor designs and engineering deliverables.
• Support energy yield assessments and production forecasts.
• Develop data-driven methods for risk identification and asset monitoring.

Skills

Renewable energy modeling

Due diligence

Engineering leadership

Risk assessment

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Mechanical/Energy Systems

Tools

PVsyst

SAM

Storlytics

Python

R

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.