Technical Lead - Energy

KCI Technologies; Sparks Corner (MD); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

KCI Technologies, Inc. seeks a Technical Lead for the Behind-the-Meter Power Generation team in the United States. You will provide senior technical leadership, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, and deliver high-quality, safe project outcomes across brownfield and greenfield developments.

Focus areas include natural gas, hydrogen, solar, energy storage, microgrids, and data centers. You will mentor staff, manage studies, and develop sound technical recommendations while upholding safety and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering is required.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience.
• Proven project management experience with multiple projects delivered.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead project execution plans, technical workflows and discipline interfaces.
• Establish basis of design and document decisions throughout execution.
• Serve as SME to resolve complex engineering issues and escalate as needed.
• Conduct site visits, measurements, and data collection.
• Prepare design phases, calculations, drawings, specs and costs for approval.
• Ensure work complies with laws, codes, safety and quality procedures.
• Coordinate with clients, schedule milestones, and manage interfaces.

Skills

Power generation engineering

Electrical power system studies

Utility-scale experience

Life-assessment investigations

Microgrid engineering

Tech/financial analysis

Environmental compliance

Interconnection experience

Knowledge of generation tech

Generation concepts design

Brownfield/Greenfield delivery

Coordination & communication

Quality and safety emphasis

Education

Bachelor of Science in engineering

Master’s degree in engineering or MBA

Job description

Overview

As a Technical Lead supporting the Behind-the-Meter (BTM) Power Generation team, you will provide senior-level technical leadership while promoting collaboration, quality, safety, and successful project delivery. You will lead complex technical workstreams, manage engineering studies, coordinate multidisciplinary teams, and develop sound technical recommendations and project deliverables maintaining high standards of quality and safety. Projects may include brownfield and greenfield industrial, commercial, government, and data center developments. Generation sources may include natural gas, hydrogen, small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), diesel, solar, hydroelectric power, energy storage, and hybrid generation systems.

Join us as we Rise to the Challenge

At KCI, we’re building an enduring community that provides unparalleled value to our employee-owners. We make our mark designing and delivering our world-class solutions, so we invest deeply in supporting and developing our team. We reward integrity and commitment, and when we do well, you do well. Our employees have the freedom to innovate, unlimited growth, a voice that matters, a lifestyle that works, and skin in the game. Achievements are shared and celebrated. As a team, we are motivated to better ourselves, each other, and the world around us.

THE COMPANY

KCI Technologies, Inc. is a 100% employee-owned engineering, consulting and construction firm serving clients throughout the United States. KCI is recognized as an industry leader, employing cutting-edge technologies, management practices and strategic growth initiatives. Employee ownership fosters an entrepreneurial spirit, encourages technical expertise, and shapes strategic planning.

KCI is currently ranked #50 on Engineering News-Record’s list of the Top 500 design firms in the nation.

KCI BENEFITS INFORMATION

We offer a competitive compensation package, family friendly benefits, a collaborative working environment, and the training, mentoring and resources you need to advance in your career.

We understand that you have choices, and we know that together we will make a great team!

KCI is committed to building a diverse and inclusive staff, and we encourage women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and individuals with disabilities to apply.

KCI Technologies, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

Duties, Responsibilities & Other

Key Technical Skills Required:

• Power generation engineering, including conventional, renewable, distributed, and behind-the-meter generation systems.
• Electrical power system studies including load flow, short-circuit, protective device coordination, and reliability analyses.
• Utility-scale power plant experience across multiple project phases, including planning, design, operations, modernization, and construction support.
• Power plant and equipment life-assessment investigations, including condition assessments, remaining-life evaluations, performance reviews, and recommendations for repair, replacement, or modernization.
• Microgrid engineering, including distributed generation, energy storage, controls, islanding, load management, resiliency, and grid synchronization.
• Technical and financial analysis, including economic feasibility studies, capital and operating cost evaluations, lifecycle-cost analysis, technology comparisons, and return-on-investment assessments.
• Environmental compliance experience, including air emissions, water use and discharge, noise, fuel storage, environmental permitting, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Utility interconnection experience, including interconnection applications, feasibility and impact studies, utility coordination, technical requirements, protection schemes, and applicable tariffs and standards.
• Knowledge of power generation technologies and fuels, including natural gas, hydrogen, diesel, solar, hydroelectric power, small modular nuclear reactors, energy storage, and hybrid systems.
• Development and evaluation of generation concepts, equipment configurations, single-line diagrams, design criteria, specifications, and technical reports.
• Experience with brownfield and greenfield projects serving industrial, commercial, government, and data center facilities.
• Familiarity with applicable codes and standards, including IEEE, NFPA, NEC, NERC, FERC, and utility-specific requirements.
• Ability to evaluate plant reliability, resilience, efficiency, operability, constructability, maintainability, safety, and technical risk.
• Strong multidisciplinary coordination, technical problem-solving, client consultation, and written and verbal communication skills

Client and Project Management:

• Support Energy Market leadership in developing and maintaining strong client relationships by monitoring project performance, identifying emerging client needs, and pursuing follow-on opportunities.
• Assist with work-in-progress (WIP) and accounts receivable (AR) tracking, including invoice status, outstanding balances, and required follow-up.
• Identify and communicate prospective client and project leads to leadership to support Discipline growth.
• Serve as Quality Manager on select projects, ensuring compliance with applicable quality procedures and project-specific requirements.
• Serve as Project Manager on select projects, with responsibilities that include:
  • Manage project scope, schedule, budget, staffing, quality, and deliverables.
  • Deliver projects on time and within budget while fully meeting the agreed-upon scope and client expectations.
  • Meet with clients at least monthly to review project progress, upcoming milestones, risks, decisions, and action items.
  • Manage projects within established corporate requirements and approved project budget parameters.
  • Prepare and submit monthly progress reports, invoices, and supporting documentation.
  • Monitor project financial performance and initiate corrective action when schedule or budget variances arise.
  • Develop and implement project-specific safety plans.
  • Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local safety requirements, as well as corporate and client-specific safety procedures.

Training, Development, and Compliance:

• Comply with all KCI policies and procedures.
• Ensure projects fulfill Quality Management System (QMS) requirements.
• Maintain technical proficiency through continuing education in power generation, microgrids, utility interconnection, power-system studies, and emerging energy technologies.
• Maintain applicable professional licenses and certifications and fulfill all continuing-education requirements.
• Complete required corporate, client, safety, ethics, cybersecurity, and regulatory training within established timeframes.
• Mentor technical staff, share lessons learned, and support internal training and professional-development initiatives.
• Ensure work complies with applicable laws, codes, industry standards, environmental requirements, and corporate quality and safety procedures.

Financial Management and Reporting:

• Develop assigned contracts with scope and fees for supervisor review and signature of authorized Energy Market staff.
• Develop and maintain project budgets, labor plans, billing schedules, and financial forecasts for assigned projects. Should be able to recognize areas where tasks can be done concurrently to optimize schedule.
• Achieve or exceed budgeted individual utilization target (85% typical).
• Deliver all projects on time and within budget while fully meeting the scope.
• Prepare inter-practice work agreements (IPWA) and/or outside subcontracts as required.
• Set-up new opportunities and provide weekly new opportunity data to supervisor and business development team.
• Search for ways to improve efficiency while lowering project cost.

Project Execution and Technical Oversight:

• Develop project execution plans defining technical workflows, deliverable requirements, review milestones, decision points, and discipline interfaces.
• Establish and maintain the project basis of design, ensuring that technical decisions, assumptions, deviations, and revisions are documented throughout execution.
• Serve as subject matter expert (SME) for assigned projects, resolving complex engineering issues and escalating matters requiring broader leadership or client direction.
• Conduct site visits and gather data, including measurements, sketches, notes, and photographs as needed.
• Prepare required phases of design including applicable calculations, drawings, specifications and cost estimates for approval.
• Read and interpret technical documents required for project execution.
• Manage discipline interfaces through interface registers, responsibility matrices, and documented handoffs to prevent scope gaps, overlaps, and conflicting design requirements.
• Establish verification and validation requirements, including independent technical reviews, interdisciplinary checks, and closure of review comments.
• Monitor the maturity and integration of engineering deliverables, ensuring that design inputs and outputs remain coordinated across disciplines.
• Confirm engineering and documentation readiness for procurement, construction, system turnover, startup, and commissioning

* Essential Duties and Responsibilities are the basic job functions that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Qualifications

Education and/or Work Experience Required:

• Bachelor of Science Degree in engineering
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience.
• Proven experience in planning, organizing, estimating, scheduling and monitoring engineering projects.
• Proven experience in project management roles, with a track record of successful project delivery.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively interact with clients, team members, and stakeholders.
• Knowledge of industry standards and best practices related to construction management, quality assurance, and safety protocols.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify issues and implement effective solutions in a fast-paced environment.

Education and/or Work Experience Preferred:

• Master’s Degree in engineering or MBA

Certificates, licenses, and/or Registrations Required:

• Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.)
• Successful completion of the KCI PM Training and Contract Training (for current employees) or ability to complete within six months (for new hires.)