Senior Director, Chief Architect Power & Grid (Nashville)

For this U.S. based position, the expected compensation range is $200,000 – $300,000 per year, which includes base pay and short-term incentive.

Schneider Electric offers an opportunity as Chief Solution Architect for Power & Grid, responsible for leading solutions that modernize North America’s grid with advanced hardware, software, and services.

Mission

Lead the end-to-end hardware and software solution strategy, advise customers on grid automation and digital platforms, and shape Schneider Electric’s product and platform strategy with a focus on the North American market.

Essential Functions / Responsibilities

• Technical and Strategic Leadership:
  • Define and lead the end-to-end HW/SW solution strategy for modernizing the grid across transmission, distribution, DER integration, and behind‑the-meter solutions.
  • Provide consulting advisory for advancing Schneider Electric’s grid automation, digital platforms, and data strategies into customers’ strategic roadmaps.
  • Shape product and platform strategy through thought leadership and engagement with Business Units, R&D teams, and portfolio companies.
  • Drive architectural consistency across solutions including grid automation, digital substations, ADMS/DMS, DERMS, OMS, microgrids, and data/analytics platforms.
  • Provide technical advisory regarding data models, interoperability standards (CIM, IEC 61850, IEEE standards), and edge‑to‑cloud integration.
• Customer Engagement:
  • Establish and enhance structured Voice of the Customer programs to identify emerging needs, capability gaps, and modernization drivers.
  • Lead strategic workshops with utilities, IPPs, developers, and utilities to translate operational objectives into solution roadmaps.
  • Produce scenario‑based architectures reflecting EV adoption, extreme‑weather resilience, Grid Edge digitalization, distribution automation expansion, etc.
  • Serve as an executive‑level technical advisor during key pursuits, shaping value propositions and solution constructs.
• Internal Collaboration:
  • Coordinate across R&D, sales, solution architects, and Lines of Business to align development roadmaps with North American market requirements.
  • Implement a structured intake process for customer requirements and strategic market intelligence.
  • Ensure solutions are architected for interoperability, scalability, grid resiliency, and lifecycle flexibility across hardware, software, and services.
  • Champion simplification and unification of Schneider Electric’s grid portfolio where cross‑LoB alignment is critical.
• Partnerships:
  • Identify and pursue new opportunities to collaborate with key partners and customers aligned with strategic Power & Grid objectives.
  • Lead and prioritize initiatives central to the unique value proposition and overall strategy and vision of the NAM Power & Grid Segment.
• Industry Participation:
  • Represent Schneider Electric in key industry groups to influence positioning and establish thought leadership.
  • Stay abreast of emerging topics and research pertinent to grid innovation and share insights with internal teams.
• Team Development:
  • Build and lead a small team of an industry principal and a solution architect, scaling as demand and growth dictate.
  • Foster a culture of innovation and collaboration within the team to drive success in delivering customer‑focused solutions.

Qualifications & Competencies

• Education & Experience:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, Computer Engineering, or equivalent experience.
  • 15+ years of experience in electric utility operations (generation, T&D), grid automation & control systems, DER integration, microgrids, distributed energy ecosystems, digital transformation, OT, and data platforms.
• Technical Competencies:
  • Deep understanding of electrical distribution, transmission, protection, automation, SCADA, ADMS/DMS, DERMS, microgrids, and grid‑edge technologies.
  • Expertise with industry standards and architectures (CIM, IEC 61850, IEEE 1547, NIST cybersecurity, interoperability frameworks, grid data models).
  • Demonstrated success architecting complex, multi‑layered power and grid solutions across hardware, software, analytics, and services.
  • Ability to interpret complex RFPs/RFQs and craft high‑impact, customer‑centric solution strategies.
• Leadership & Business Skills:
  • Proven experience influencing product roadmaps and guiding executive‑level decision‑making.
  • Strong ability to communicate the big picture and contextualize Schneider Electric’s value in the broader energy landscape.
  • History of leading matrixed, cross‑functional teams and managing large, strategic customer engagements.
  • Strong presentation, facilitation, and storytelling capabilities.
• Other Requirements:
  • Ability to travel within North America as needed.

Schneider Electric is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities in the areas of recruiting, hiring, training, transferring, and promoting all qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, color, gender, disability, national origin, ancestry, age, military status, sexual orientation, marital status or any other legally protected characteristic or conduct.