Senior Lead Engineer — BESS Controls & Systems Architecture

Frontier Power USA; Waterbury (VT); On-site; USD 165,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Frontier Power USA is seeking a hands-on Engineering Lead to own the architecture, controls, and integration of utility-scale battery energy storage systems. You will develop an OEM-agnostic platform that integrates batteries, PCS, medium-voltage equipment, protection, EMS, and SCADA through a common controls and data architecture.

This role leads projects from requirements and sizing through testing, commissioning, and operational handoff, requiring travel ~20% to supplier and project sites.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or related field.
• Eight+ years in power systems engineering, including utility-scale BESS experience.
• Strong knowledge of battery systems, PCS/inverters, MV equipment, protection, EMS, SCADA, and plant controls.
• Experience integrating equipment from multiple OEMs and leading projects end to end.
• Understanding of grid-forming and grid-following controls and ride-through concepts.

Responsibilities

• Own BESS architecture from battery DC blocks through the MV interconnection.
• Define an OEM-agnostic integration and controls platform across BMS, PCS, plant controller, EMS, SCADA, protection, and communications.
• Translate project duty cycles and grid requirements into power, energy, controls, and performance specs.
• Define grid-following/grid-forming strategies, ride-through, islanding, and regulatory coordination.
• Lead supplier requirements, design reviews, FAT/SAT, commissioning, testing, and cross-vendor issue resolution.
• Own controls documentation, interface specs, sequences of operation, alarm philosophy, cybersecurity requirements, and validation plans.
• Support safety and code compliance (NFPA 855, UL 9540/9540A) and AHJ coordination.
• Develop reusable standards, test libraries, and engineering practices for multi-OEM deployments.

Skills

Electrical engineering

Power systems engineering

Controls engineering

BESS integration

Grid-forming/grid-following

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

PSCAD

EMT modeling tools

Job description

Frontier Power USA is seeking a hands-on Engineering Lead to own the architecture, controls, and integration of utility-scale battery energy storage systems. You will develop an OEM-agnostic platform that integrates batteries, PCS, medium-voltage equipment, protection, EMS, and SCADA through a common controls and data architecture.

This role leads projects from requirements and sizing through testing, commissioning, and operational handoff, requiring travel ~20% to supplier and project sites.