Optimization Software Engineer

Verrus, LLC; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Verrus, LLC is hiring an Optimization Software Engineer to build robust optimization software for data centers. You will bridge physical infrastructure with optimization models, designing systems that scale to thousands of assets and enable real-time decisions for power and thermal management.

The role requires 5+ years in distributed software, with strong Python and Go skills, and familiarity with MILP and containerized architectures (Docker, Argo).

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a software engineer or equivalent role with significant contributions to complex, distributed systems.
• Proficiency in Python for modeling and data analytics; Go for performance-critical components.
• Familiarity with RPC-based distributed architectures and containerization (Docker) and orchestration (Argo).

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with partners to design software interfaces with thousands of physical assets and integrate with core optimization logic.
• Implement and scale optimization algorithms and data pipelines for real-time power and thermal decisions.
• Develop tools to evaluate system performance and reliability for safe deployment of new controls.
• Design scalable software architectures to orchestrate energy market participation and fleet asset management.

Skills

Python

Go

MILP optimization

Distributed systems

Tools

Docker

Argo

RPC frameworks

Job description

Careers

Optimization Software Engineer

About Verrus

Data centers should be valuable assets to their customers, the grid, and the local community such that we are able to give customers what they want, where they want it, while cities and utilities are actively seeking us to build in their region.

Verrus is a developer of next generation, greenfield hyperscale data centers that flexibly leverage its onsite energy infrastructure (i.e. large scale BESS) through our proprietary technology. This allows Verrus to be a flexible resource to the grid, and provide grid services that facilitate interconnection and the effective procurement of power and carbon free energy, and balance traditional and variable uptime workloads (e.g., AI/ML). Verrus builds and capitalizes its turnkey data centers deeply integrated with energy resources, providing significant advantages over traditional designs.

Verrus is led by industry veterans with experience at the largest data center development companies as well as power & utilities, delivering GWs of data center capacity across four continents in their careers (representing billions of investment).

About Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners

Verrus is backed by Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP). With investment from Alphabet, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, and Stepstone Group, SIP is a leading infrastructure holding company propelling one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects of this era: modernizing the electric power grid while building the compute superstructure that drives the global economy. SIP invests in and develops breakthrough businesses and projects at the intersection of scalable, affordable, and resilient energy and digital systems.

Following years of research and in collaboration with the Verrus management team, SIP formed Verrus to design, build, and operate the world's most innovative data centers, leveraging unique technology to develop a scaled project portfolio that delivers significant financial, environmental, community, and innovation outcomes.

Optimization at Verrus

The optimization team is at the heart of Verrus technology-forward approach to designing data centers. We design, build, and deploy robust optimization software and models that operate our advanced infrastructure, achieving unrivaled efficiency and resilience in the industry. To do so, we work closely with teams across the organization: product, software infrastructure, control systems, electrical and mechanical engineering.

The role: building our optimization systems

You will be tackling our most critical optimization challenges, building the foundational software systems that enable our data centers to operate with unprecedented efficiency and intelligence. You will bridge the gap between physical infrastructure and high-level optimization models. To provide a few examples, an engineer in this role at Verrus will:

• Collaborate with our partners to design software systems that interact with thousands of physical assets (smart meters, thermal sensors, ...) and integrate with our core optimization logic
• Implement and scale optimization algorithms and associated data pipelines that drive real-time decisions for power and thermal management across our fleet
• Develop analytical tools and processes to evaluate system performance and reliability, ensuring the safe and effective deployment of new infrastructure controls
• Design and implement scalable software architectures that orchestrate energy market participation and fleet-wide asset management, ensuring high availability and system reliability.

We require at least 5 years of experience as a full-time software engineer or equivalent role with significant contributions to complex, distributed systems, ideally with exposure to physical infrastructure or optimization problems. We value versatility and depth in our engineering team. While we don't expect expertise in every area, the ideal candidate will have familiarity with a subset of our tech stack and domain:

• Proficiency in Python for modeling/data analytics, and Go for performance-critical components.
• Strong background in mathematical optimization, particularly MILP (Mixed-Integer Linear Programming) and Optimal Control theory.
• Experience with distributed system architecture, including RPC frameworks, containerization (Docker), and orchestration tools like Argo.

Our culture

Our engineering culture, like our datacenters, is designed for productivity and sustainability. Verrus is built on the belief that a small, talented, and highly-focused team can achieve orders of magnitude more impact than a large, diffused organization.

Our team consists of engineers who are lifelong learners, humble, and kind. We filter for these attributes because they create an environment where collaboration happens naturally. We combine this with deliberate written communication (proposals, design docs, ...) to gather feedback asynchronously across roles (software, product, operations, ...). This also helps us keep meetings low so you can concentrate on solving hard problems. We value systems thinking: the ability to look at our software, energy, and mechanical assets as one integrated ecosystem. We are looking for engineers who are excited by the challenge of bridging software logic with physical hardware constraints.

Your first few months at Verrus

We aim for you to be able to contribute from the get go, whether you have experience in the data center space or not. We will first scope out together a starter project that is aligned with your skillset, then pair you with a peer who will help you get up to speed and answer any questions.

Our software infrastructure is built on top of modern open source technologies. We use Python for modeling and data analytics, and Go/Rust for performance critical systems. We place a heavy emphasis on automation to keep everyone productive as we scale (environment setup, CIs, ...) - this also helps new team members quickly ramp up.

Compensation:

The annual base salary range for this position in California is $160,000-$200,000. Salary is only one part of Verrus comprehensive compensation package, which also includes a discretionary bonus, equity, general health benefits and paid time off. Compensation is determined by multiple factors, including market location, and may vary based on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

We are an equal opportunity employer. For us, this is more than legal boilerplate; it is reflective of a deeply held belief that our success depends on our willingness to recruit, hire, empower, compensate, reward, and promote the best and brightest individuals, of all backgrounds and characteristics.