Senior/Staff Power Systems Engineer, Grid Interconnection

Heron Power Inc.; Scotts Valley (CA); Presencial; USD 160.000 - 200.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Equity

Competitive compensation

Descripción de la vacante

Heron Power Inc. is seeking a power systems engineer to own grid interconnection for grid-forming inverters and SSTs across utility-scale PV, BESS, and large-load projects. You will move models from development to interconnection approval, tests, and field commissioning, partnering with controls and systems integration teams.

You will serve as the technical voice to utilities, ISOs, and developers, ensuring compliance with grid codes and facilitating device performance demonstrations on the grid.

Formación

• 5+ years of power systems engineering focused on inverter-based resource (IBR) interconnection.
• Track record from model development through interconnection approval to commissioning.
• Hands-on proficiency in PSCAD and at least two of PSS/E, PSLF, PowerFactory, TSAT.
• Knowledge of IEEE 2800, NERC PRC/MOD, and ISO/RTO processes.
• Strong grasp of grid-following and grid-forming control concepts and stability.

Responsabilidades

• Own grid interconnection models for grid-forming inverters and SST across major projects.
• Benchmark models and produce validation reports, parameter sheets, and guides.
• Support interconnection studies for PV, BESS, and large-load projects.
• Lead submittals, respond to study comments, and manage restudy processes with providers.
• Define commissioning plans, analyze field data, and support post-energization reviews.

Conocimientos

PSCAD

PSS/E

PSLF

PowerFactory

TSAT

Herramientas

PSCAD

PSS/E

PSLF

PowerFactory

TSAT

Descripción del empleo

What to Expect

Heron Power is a startup company building cutting-edge power electronics for the 21st-century grid. We aim to debottleneck the growth of electricity generation and consumption with scalable, innovative, and less costly hardware solutions, accelerating the electrification of everything.

Our first focus goal is to build better converters (inverters & rectifiers) to connect large-scale renewables, storage, and loads to the grid. Heron Power’s leadership team is made up of seasoned veterans who have designed and shipped gigawatts of power conversion products over the past decade.

We understand that no one individual knows everything. We will all learn a lot together and from each other. We strive to build a collaborative, enriching environment conducive to personal, technical, and career growth. You can expect to work in a dynamic and collaborative environment, driven by first principles engineering, solving difficult problems.

Job Overview

You will own the grid interconnection of Heron's grid-forming inverters and solid-state transformers (SST) across utility-scale PV, BESS, and large-load projects, carrying each from model development through interconnection studies, utility and ISO approval, and field commissioning. That means building and validating the models grid operators rely on, demonstrating compliance with grid codes and regulation requirements, and closing the loop between simulation, hardware test, and field performance. You will be Heron's technical voice with utilities, ISOs and RTOs, developers' interconnection teams, and customers, working hand in hand with the Controls and Systems Integration teams: they own the inverter platform, you own getting it connected to the grid. That credibility also makes you central to supporting the sales, designing Heron's power systems solutions and giving customers confidence in how our hardware performs on the grid.

How You Will Contribute

• Own Heron's inverter and plant models across RMS and EMT platforms (PSS/E, PSLF, PowerFactory, TSAT, and PSCAD), including user-defined models, WECC generic models and their grid-forming variants, and EMT models built from Heron's production controls.

• Benchmark models against one another and against controller hardware-in-the-loop, and produce the model validation reports, parameter sheets, and user guides that utilities and ISOs require.

• Support interconnection studies for PV, BESS, hybrid, and large-load projects.

• Guide developers through the interconnection process, including inverter technology changes on queued projects: prepare model submittals, respond to study comments and deficiency letters, and work through material modification and restudy reviews with transmission providers.

• Carry projects through energization: define plant controller (PPC) settings and coordination, write and run commissioning and model validation test plans, analyze field data and disturbance recordings, and support post-energization performance reviews.

What You Will Bring

We have a short list of must-have requirements. We prioritize a strong grip on first principles, hands-on skills, and a sense of initiative.

Must-Have Requirements

• 5+ years of power systems engineering focused on inverter-based resource (IBR) interconnection at an inverter OEM, developer, utility, ISO/RTO, or consulting firm.

• A track record of taking IBR projects from model development through interconnection approval and into commissioning, and owning the outcome at each step.

• Hands-on proficiency in PSCAD and at least two of PSS/E, PSLF, PowerFactory, and TSAT, including building, tuning, and debugging user-defined models.

• Working knowledge of IEEE 2800, NERC PRC and MOD standards, and FERC and ISO/RTO interconnection processes.

• Strong grasp of inverter control fundamentals: grid-following and grid-forming control, current limiting, PLL dynamics, and weak-grid and small-signal stability. You can explain why a model behaves the way it does, not just that it passes.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience with grid-forming inverter models and requirements, such as virtual synchronous machine (VSM) or droop-based controls.

• Real-code EMT model development, such as wrapping C or Fortran controller code as a PSCAD DLL using the IEEE/CIGRE DLL interface.

• Experience with utility-scale BESS or PV plants, including PPC tuning and grid-code compliance testing.

If you are passionate about the energy transition and enjoy working at the frontier of power electronics and grid integration, we would love to hear from you. Join us in accelerating the electrification of everything at Heron Power.

Heron Power provides competitive compensation (salary and equity) and benefits. The salary for this role ranges from $160,000 to $200,000 per year