BESS Electrical Development Engineer, Senior or Staff

About Redwood Materials

Redwood Materials was founded in 2017 by JB Straubel, co-founder and former CTO of Tesla, on a simple but radical idea: the critical minerals powering the energy transition already exist. They just need to come back. Today Redwood is the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America — recovering, refining, and redeploying critical minerals from end-of-life batteries back into the supply chain. On the energy side, Redwood has deployed the largest second-life battery project in the world, delivering power to AI data centers in months rather than years using proprietary energy architecture engineered entirely in-house. The company is profitable, the market it operates in is projected to grow 20 to 50 times over the next decade, and Redwood is the only company with the supply chain, the technology, and the operational scale to lead it.

Position Summary

Redwood Materials is deploying large-scale battery energy storage systems that power data centers and the nation's grid. Founded by Tesla co-founder and former CTO JB Straubel, Redwood closed a $425M Series E in January 2026 and was named to Fast Company's 50 Most Innovative Companies for 2026. Redwood’s energy storage business is scaling fast - we built North America's largest microgrid (63 MWh) for AI infrastructure company Crusoe, signed a partnership with GM to deploy stationary storage using both new and second-life EV batteries, and are now bringing that same battery energy storage system to Rivian's Normal, Illinois manufacturing plant.

The Senior or Staff BESS Electrical Development Engineer will join as an early member of a new engineering team working on our Battery Energy Storage System product line, specializing in BESS projects at the initiation and concept phases. This role owns the electrical and controls foundation of Redwood’s energy storage projects before detailed design and construction begin turning early, ambiguous electrical and controls inputs into a buildable concept, a defensible AC/DC design basis, and a clear interconnection and permitting path. You support active customer pursuits alongside the Business Development and Product teams - screening interconnection viability, developing preliminary single line diagrams, assessing communications network viability for Redwood’s control systems, and hardening the electrical scope and cost basis behind proposals - then hand a gap-closed electrical package to the detailed design team and its Electrical Engineer of Record. The work rewards people who move fast without sacrificing the depth that sets projects up to succeed.

Responsibilities will include:

• Lead the electrical and controls front-end scope for assigned early-phase pursuits, coordinating across Business Development, the Product team, and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) engineering and project controls, and serving as Business Development's electrical technical support for scope, cost, schedule, and contract exhibits.
• Build scalable electrical scoping practices that mature over time—codifying standardized, reusable architectures while thoughtfully applying custom engineering on a per-project basis.
• Develop concept and preliminary electrical designs - site layouts, single-line diagrams, and controls network architecture - integrating the Product Team's system architecture, inverter/PCS and MV transformer configuration, and DC block arrangement with site constraints.
• Perform screening-level power system studies such as load flow, short circuit, and protective device coordination to size major equipment, set voltage classes and ratings, and define the study scope for detailed design.
• Support early utility and ISO/RTO interconnection strategy — identifying viable pathways and timelines from site location, front-/behind-the-meter need, point of interconnection, and applicable requirements — and translate it into the design basis.
• Establish the electrical code and standards basis (NEC 705/706, IEEE 1547, UL 9540/9540A, NFPA 855) and document the compliance framework for detailed design, coordinating fire/life-safety and DC-system requirements and developing alternative means and methods (AM&M) or performance-based design options.
• Drive the electrical information-request checklist to closure — product configuration and cutsheets, utility interconnection inputs, and AHJ/regulatory requirements — assigning owners, tracking status, and surfacing scope ambiguities and long-lead items such as MV transformers and switchgear.
• Establish the electrical Basis of Design and design criteria — AC/DC architecture, MV collection, grounding and bonding, protection and coordination, metering, and auxiliary/balance-of-plant power — to the level needed to define scope and hand off to detailed design.

Desired Qualifications:

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering from an ABET-accredited program (M.S. a plus), or equivalent demonstrated ability.
• 5+ years (Senior), 8+ years (Staff) in battery energy storage, solar, or microgrid projects, including front-end and conceptual design and owner's engineering for utility-scale projects.
• PE License (Electrical) preferred.
• Deep understanding of grid-scale energy storage and electrical balance-of-plant equipment (inverters/PCS, MV transformers, switchgear, DC combiners, collection systems, grounding, protection) and of AC/DC power conversion and medium/high-voltage systems.
• Strong knowledge of BESS electrical design, utility and ISO/RTO interconnection requirements, and utility-scale execution, with the ability to develop preliminary single-line diagrams and screening-level studies.
• Familiarity with relevant codes and standards (NEC 705/706, IEEE 1547, UL 9540/9540A/1973/1741, NFPA 855, IEC) and the ability to translate them into design criteria and a Basis of Design.
• Proficiency in design and analysis tools (AutoCAD, Bluebeam, ETAP or SKM) and the ability to produce concept layouts and technical exhibits quickly. Revit experience is a plus.
• Project management and/or EPC experience — coordinating multi-disciplinary scopes within A/E or design engineering firms — a plus.
• Excellent attention to detail and quality decision-making, with the ability to prioritize and execute tasks in parallel.
• Strong communication skills — verbal, written, and through drawings — able to collaborate across disciplines and interface confidently with executives.
• Thrive under pressure and in ambiguous environments.

In accordance with California pay transparency laws, the salary range for this position is listed below. Actual compensation may vary based on a variety of factors, including experience, education, and skills. 

California Pay Range:

$160,000—$252,000 USD

The position is full-time. Compensation will be commensurate with experience.

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