Sr. Manager, Engineering

SK Battery America, Inc.; Troy (MI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

SK Battery America, Inc. seeks a Sr. Manager, Application & Systems Engineering to lead and scale the energy storage engineering team in the US.

You will bridge customers, vendors, and the company, delivering technical sales support, optimizing system designs, and guiding contract negotiations. The role starts as a high-impact individual contributor with a clear path to leadership as the business grows. You will oversee design of utility-scale BESS solutions (EMS, PCS, grid interfaces), support

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in engineering or related field.
• 7–10+ years in technical/engineering capacity with BESS utility-scale experience.
• Strong knowledge of BESS design, EMS/PCS, MV transformers and system integration.
• Familiar with ISO markets like ISO-NE, NYPA, ERCOT, CAISO.
• Knowledge of NFPA 855, NFPA 68/68, UL 9540, NEC/IFC/IBC safety standards.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office; Power BI knowledge is a plus.
• PE license is a plus.
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, negotiation, and multi-project management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and architecture of utility-scale BESS solutions, including EMS, PCS and system integration.
• Serve as technical authority for SK On energy storage solutions and customer engagements.
• Lead pre-contract technical efforts and vendor coordination for RFPs.
• Support FAT testing at SK On and vendor facilities and validate system performance.
• Develop testing methodologies, use cases, and reporting for BESS communications.
• Provide technical training to field personnel and internal stakeholders.
• Initially contribute as a senior individual contributor, growing into management.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Negotiation

Problem-solving

Project management

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in engineering

Tools

Microsoft Office

Power BI

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