Sr. Manager, Engineering

SK Battery America; Troy (MI); On-site; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

SK Battery America seeks a Sr. Manager, Application & Systems Engineering to drive engineering leadership for utility-scale BESS and data center energy solutions in the US.

Initially an individual contributor, you will transition to build and oversee the engineering team as the business scales, bridging customers, vendors, and internal teams. You will lead system design, EMS/PCS integration, and technical contract management while supporting pre-sales and RFP efforts, ensuring technical

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering (electrical, mechanical, or CS) or related field.
• 7-10+ years in technical/engineering capacity with BESS utility-scale experience.
• Strong knowledge of BESS design and integration (EMS, PCS, MV transformers, substations).
• Familiar with power electronics, SCADA, interconnection processes (ISO-NE, NYPA, ERCOT, CAISO).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office; Power BI knowledge is a plus; PE license is a plus.
• Demonstrated leadership, negotiation, and problem-solving skills; multitask capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and architecture of utility-scale BESS solutions and system integration.
• Serve as technical authority in customer engagements and pre-contract efforts.
• Coordinate with vendors on RFPs for PCS, EMS, and system components.
• Support FAT at facilities and validate system performance pre-deployment.
• Drive technical proposal management with system designs and BOMs.
• Negotiate technical contractual exhibits and manage LTSA terms.

Skills

BESS design

System integration

Technical leadership

Contract negotiations

Pre-sales support

Power electronics

SCADA

Communication

Education

Bachelor's or master's in engineering

Tools

Power BI

Microsoft Office

Job description

Role Summary

As we continue to expand our footprint in both utility-scale BESS and emerging power solutions for data center infrastructure, we are seeking an experienced Sr. Manager, Application & Systems Engineering to join our growing Energy Storage team in the US. Starting as a high-impact individual contributor, this role is designed to transition into a leadership position, eventually overseeing the systems & application engineering team as the company, project scope, and requirements grow. Serving as a bridge between the company, its customers, and vendors, the Sr. Manager ensures technical excellence throughout pre-sales activities to contract execution. Core responsibilities include delivering hands-on technical sales support, optimizing system designs to enhance profitability and reduce risk, and leading technical contract negotiations. This role will be reporting to the Director of System Integration & Application engineering (technical leadership) at SK On ESS US Team.

Key Responsibilities – Engineering Leadership

• Lead the design and architecture of utility-scale BESS solutions, including battery systems, EMS, PCS, and related system integration.
• Serve as a technical authority for SK On energy storage solutions and customer-facing technical engagements
• Lead pre-contract technical efforts and coordination with vendors supporting RFP activities for PCS, EMS, and other system components
• Support Factory Acceptance Testing at SK On and vendor facilities and validate system performance prior to deployment
• Support the development of testing methodologies, use cases, and reporting for BESS communication with utility grid and dispatch controllers
• Provide technical leadership throughout commissioning, troubleshooting, and lifecycle support.
• Deliver technical training to field personnel and internal stakeholders
• Initially serve as a senior individual contributor, stepping into a managerial role to build and oversee the engineering team as the business scales.
• Perform additional duties as assigned

Sales & Technical SME Support

• Partner with commercial and sales teams to develop technically competitive solutions and address complex customer requirements
• Participate in customer meetings and technical presentations to ensure alignment on solution requirements
• Develop and maintain sales engineering and quotation tools to improve accuracy, consistency, and efficiency
• Create and maintain technical presentations, documentation, and collateral highlighting SK On's BESS capabilities and technical differentiators.

Technical Proposal Management

• Participate and drive optimal system designs and bills of materials incorporating SK battery technology, PCS, EMS, and MV Transformer package
• Generate high-value documentation, including single line diagrams (SLDs), preliminary site layouts, performance guarantee and availability requirements, and scope of work documents
• Drive Value Engineering through cost reduction efforts with vendors and system optimization sizing analysis
• Support comprehensive technical responses to RFPs for integrators, IPPs, developers, and/or utilities

Technical Contract Management

• Support negotiations and development of technical contract exhibits related to commissioning, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT), and other system-delivery requirements
• Define and support performance, capacity, and availability guarantees and associated risk mitigtation strategies
• Collaborate closely with internal engineering, project management, and legal teams to align contract terms with project requirements and industry best practices
• Manage and negotiate technical contractual exhibits for Long-Term Service Agreements (LTSA), such as those covering Capacity Gurantees, Round Trip Efficiency, and Availability Guarantees
• Collaborate, maintain and negotiate product technical specifications and related contractual documentation with SK On's Korean engineering team

Qualifications

• A bachelor's or master's degree in engineering (electrical, mechanical, or computer science) or a related field
• A minimum of 7-10+ years in technical and engineering capacity. Must have strong experience within the BESS industry, focusing on utility-scale projects or direct experience in energy storage system design and project management. Experience supporting the technical execution of major utility-scale project contracts is highly desirable
• Strong knowledge of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), including how the cells, batteries, and modules are designed and integrated. Skilled in designing entire systems, such as Power Conversion Systems, medium voltage transformers, substations, and Gen-Tie connections.
• Well-versed in power electronics, SCADA systems grid requirements, and utility/interconnection processes. Familiar with requirements and compliance processes for major markets like ISO-NE, NYPA, ERCOT, and CAISO
• Familiarity with safety standards including NFPA 855, NFPA 68/68, UL 9540, UL9540A, and electrical safety standards such as NEC, IFC/IBC. Familiarity with plant system standards such as IEEE2800 and IEEEP2800.2 is a plus
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; experience with data-analysis or visualization tools such as Power BI is a plus.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license is a plus
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, with an ability to manage multipl project simultaeniously