Senior Optimization Engineer - Power Markets & AI at Tierra

Tierra; United States; Remote; USD 150.000 - 185.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Equity

Health insurance (PPO)

401K with company contribution

Remote-friendly work environment

Co-working membership & home office-st

Zusammenfassung

Tierra is seeking an intellectually curious Optimization Engineer to advance its optimization software across multiple US power markets, focusing on day-ahead, intraday, and real-time opportunities for various energy assets. The role blends energy markets, AI, and software engineering to improve revenue and environmental impact.

You'll develop and deploy optimization models in Python, work with data scientists, and integrate robust methods under uncertainty, with remote-friendly, equity-backed

Qualifikationen

• 5+ years in energy industry or related engineering role with production software
• 3+ years Python development with LP/MIP/Convex optimization
• Experience with collaborative development and code reviews

Aufgaben

• Develop and refine optimization models for short-term battery dispatch and bidding in US power markets
• Monitor market prices and changes to identify optimization opportunities
• Collaborate with data scientists to refine bidding and algorithmic strategies
• Integrate probabilistic market forecasts into optimization workflows
• Promote software development best practices across the codebase
• Serve as power markets SME for external stakeholders
• Periodically work extended hours when appropriate

Kenntnisse

Python programming

Optimization

Power systems knowledge

Agile/lean

GitHub usage

SQL/databases

Ausbildung

Bachelor's degree in a quantitative field

Tools

GitHub

AWS (EC2, S3, RDS)

Jobbeschreibung

Senior Optimization Engineer - Power Markets & AI at Tierra — Remote

This Optimization Engineer role at Tierra sits at a compelling intersection of energy markets, AI, and software engineering — a niche that is rapidly growing in demand as grid-scale battery storage expands across the US.

Compensation is competitive. At $150K–$185K plus equity, this aligns with senior-to-staff software/optimization engineer benchmarks in the US energy-tech sector. Pure software engineering roles at this level in big tech typically pay more, but the equity upside at an early-stage energy startup and the niche market expertise gained can be highly valuable long-term.

Skills you'll build here are in high demand:

• Stochastic and robust optimization in production systems
• Battery dispatch and bidding strategy across multiple ISOs/RTOs
• Python-based optimization stacks (LP, MIP, Convex) at scale
• AI-integrated decision-making for physical energy assets

These skills are transferable to energy trading firms, grid operators, utilities, and other climate-tech startups — a sector experiencing strong hiring momentum driven by the energy transition.

Green flags: Startup founded by energy industry veterans (domain credibility), mission-driven focus, flexible work environment, clear equity participation, and a codebase-first culture with best practices (GitHub, agile, testing).

Watch for: The posting notes "periodically work extended hours and respond swiftly" — real-time market operations can create on-call pressure. The role is best suited for someone who thrives in high-stakes, time-sensitive environments rather than those seeking strict work-life separation. Early-stage startup risk is also a factor to weigh against the equity upside.

About the Company

Power markets are undergoing a generational transformation. Surging electricity demand, an evolving generation mix, and growing market complexity are fundamentally changing how energy is produced, traded, and managed.

Tierra is building an agentic power trading platform for physical energy assets. Our platform brings together market intelligence, forecasting, optimization, and AI-powered analysis to help energy teams make faster, smarter decisions without sacrificing transparency or control. We believe the future of energy trading lies in combining the speed and scale of artificial intelligence with the judgment and expertise of experienced human operators.

Founded by energy industry veterans, we're a team of engineers, data scientists, and market practitioners building the technology infrastructure for a new era of energy. Our ambition is to equip energy teams with the capabilities of a world-class trading desk and fundamentally redefine how physical energy assets are managed.

About the Role

We are looking for an intellectually curious Optimization Engineer to join our team. In this pivotal role, you will focus on developing and deploying solutions to advance our optimization software across multiple US power markets for a variety of asset types, with an emphasis on short-term opportunities in day-ahead, intraday, and real-time markets. Your work will directly enhance revenue performance while also delivering measurable environmental benefits that accelerate the energy transition.

What You'll Do

• Develop and refine optimization models for short-term battery dispatch and bidding in multiple wholesale power markets (e.g., CAISO, ERCOT, MISO, ISONE, NYISO, PJM, SPP)
• Monitor market prices, operating conditions, and rule changes to identify optimization opportunities and translate market observations into improvements to bidding and dispatch strategies
• Work with data scientists and optimization engineers to identify performance improvement opportunities and refine bidding and algorithmic strategies to enhance revenue and environmental performance
• Enhance methods for handling decision‑making under uncertainty (e.g., robust/stochastic optimization) and integrate probabilistic market forecasts into optimization workflows
• Explore and apply developments in optimization methods that can deliver practical improvements to short-term bidding and dispatch
• Promote and implement software development best practices across the optimization codebase, including testing, deployment, and monitoring
• Act as a power markets subject matter expert for external stakeholders
• Ability to periodically work extended hours and respond swiftly when appropriate

Requirements

What You Bring (Required)

• Deep understanding of power systems and wholesale power market mechanisms
• Bachelor's degree in a related quantitative field (e.g., computer science, operations research, engineering, mathematics, physics, power systems, etc.) or equivalent practical experience
• 5+ years of post-undergraduate experience in the energy industry or a related engineering role, with hands‑on experience building and deploying production software
• 3+ years of experience writing software in Python, and utilizing Linear Programming, MIP, and Convex Optimization, preferably in optimizing the dispatch of energy assets
• Experience with collaborative software development best practices, including version tracking and code reviews using GitHub
• Experience working in an agile/lean environment
• Experience using relational and/or columnar databases and using SQL or other query languages

What You Bring (Preferred)

• 3+ years of experience optimizing the operation of grid‑scale battery projects in multiple US power markets
• Advanced degree (Master's or PhD) in a related quantitative field
• Experience with tradeoffs between speed, performance, and scalability in optimization
• Experience with robust/stochastic optimization and decision‑making under uncertainty
• Experience with optimization across a portfolio of grid‑connected devices
• Experience with leading and mentoring technical team members
• Experience using AWS resources (EC2, S3, RDS)

What You Offer

• Entrepreneurial: You're personally invested in fulfilling our mission and growing the business. You're constantly thinking outside‑the‑box and proposing new ideas that may influence our broader strategy and product roadmap.
• Commando Mindset: You aren't afraid to parachute into a metaphorical jungle, build systems from scratch, and define solutions to complex problems. You're an independent self‑starter that is adaptable to change.
• Team‑Oriented: You recognize the whole is greater than the sum‑of‑its‑parts and work well with others. You are coachable and willing to invest in others.
• Data‑Driven: You believe in hypothesis testing, iterative experimentation, and incremental delivery. You value underpinning conclusions with empirical evidence over unsubstantiated claims.
• Pay: Competitive salary ($150,000–$185,000) plus equity
• Benefits: Health insurance (PPO) and a 401K with a 3% company contribution
• Flexible Work Environment: Co‑working membership & home office stipend
• Development: Potential for professional advancement through growth in role & responsibility
• Mission: The opportunity to shape the future of power markets at a mission‑driven startup

Is this Optimization Engineer role fully remote? Yes — Tierra provides a co‑working membership and home office stipend, indicating remote‑friendly work. The role is US‑focused, so candidates must be able to overlap with US power market operating hours.

What is the salary range for this position? The role offers a competitive base salary of $150,000–$185,000 per year, plus equity, health insurance (PPO), and a 401K with a 3% company contribution.

Which power markets does this role focus on? The role covers multiple US wholesale power markets including CAISO, ERCOT, MISO, ISONE, NYISO, PJM, and SPP, with an emphasis on day‑ahead, intraday, and real‑time market optimization.

What technical background is required for this role? Candidates need 5+ years of energy industry experience, 3+ years of Python development, and hands‑on experience with Linear Programming, MIP, and Convex Optimization. A bachelor's degree in a quantitative field is required; an advanced degree is preferred.

Does this role require on‑call availability? Yes — the job description notes the ability to periodically work extended hours and respond swiftly when appropriate, reflecting the real‑time nature of power market operations.