Manager, Systems Engineering - Renewable Energy

WSP; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 119,600 - 213,200; Full time

Job summary

WSP in San Diego, CA is seeking an experienced Manager, Systems Engineering - Renewable Energy to lead technical risk assessments, due diligence, and owner’s engineering for utility-scale solar, BESS, hybrid systems, and microgrids. You will guide performance modeling, technology evaluations, and bankability analyses across project lifecycles.

The role requires a strong background in engineering risk management, EPC contracts, and financing interactions, with travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Mechanical, 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.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical due diligence for solar PV, BESS, hybrid renewable, microgrid, and other energy projects.
• Perform independent assessment of design, technology, and execution plans.
• Identify and quantify technical, operational, commercial, and contractual risks throughout lifecycles.
• Develop risk registers and mitigation plans for developers, EPCs, lenders, investors, and asset owners.
• Review permits, equipment specs, 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 development, procurement, construction, commissioning, and operations.

Skills

Technical risk assessment

Bankability assessments

Owner's engineering

Due diligence

Risk management

Education

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

Master’s Degree in Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Tools

PVsyst

NREL SAM

Storlytics

Python

R programming

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.