Principal EPC Engineer - Power & Energy Systems Architect

Principal EPC Engineer — Power & Energy Systems Architect

Location: Odessa, TX, Hayward–Pleasanton, CA (hybrid, with site travel)

Reports to: CEO / VP Infrastructure

Type: Full-time

Position Summary

STN is seeking a Principal EPC Engineer to serve as the single technical authority for all engineering, procurement, and construction of power and energy systems across our AI/GPU data center campuses. This is a hands‑on architect role: you own the electrical one‑line from utility interconnection through the rack, and you architect on‑site generation and storage. You will lead high‑voltage and medium‑voltage distribution design and the behind‑the‑meter gas microgrid that keeps our compute load resilient. You are the person who signs off that the power system is buildable, code‑compliant, and bankable.

Core Responsibilities

• Own utility interconnection design and coordination (ERCOT/TSP), including the point‑of‑interconnection, main step‑up transformer, and HV switchyard architecture.
• Architect substation and HV switchgear layouts, protection & relaying schemes, grounding, and arc‑flash studies.
• Direct interconnection studies, SCADA/telemetry requirements, and compliance with NERC/ERCOT and applicable interconnection agreements.

• Design the MV collection network — feeders, switchgear, ring‑bus or radial topology, and MV‑to‑LV transformation to the data hall.
• Coordinate protective device settings, selectivity, and fault‑current studies across the MV distribution.
• Integrate MV distribution with BESS PCS tie‑ins and generation step‑up so storage, generation, and utility power operate as one coordinated system.

• Architect the behind‑the‑meter gas microgrid: aeroderivative gas turbines (e.g., TM2500 / LM6000‑class), fuel supply and conditioning, and synchronization/paralleling with utility and BESS.
• Design microgrid controls and islanding/black‑start logic, load‑shedding, and seamless transfer between grid‑connected and islanded operation.
• Own emissions and combustor strategy (SAC + SCR vs. DLE), water/NOx balance, and TCEQ air‑permitting coordination.
• Integrate LFP BESS as the bridging/resilience layer (not traditional UPS) and coordinate the row‑level transient layer with bulk storage.

• Serve as design authority across all EPC packages — set standards, review and stamp deliverables, and hold EPC contractors and OEMs to spec.
• Own the electrical scope of RFPs, vendor/EPC selection, and technical evaluation of quotes (pricing, warranty, DoD/performance terms, reference history).
• Drive value engineering, LCOE modeling inputs, long‑lead procurement planning (turbines, transformers, switchgear, BESS), and critical‑path management.
• Interface with permitting, AHJs, insurers, and lenders' independent engineers to keep designs bankable and code‑compliant.

Required Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering (or related); PE license strongly preferred (TX PE or ability to obtain).
• 10+ years in EPC of power systems for data centers, utilities, industrial, or large‑scale generation.
• Demonstrated ownership of HV interconnection AND MV distribution design on projects at the tens‑to‑hundreds‑of‑MW scale.
• Direct experience architecting on‑site generation and/or microgrids — gas turbine paralleling, synchronization, and islanding.
• Fluency with NEC, IEEE, NERC, and ERCOT interconnection requirements; power‑system studies (load flow, short circuit, arc flash, protection coordination).
• Experience integrating BESS at grid scale and coordinating storage with generation and utility supply.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hyperscale / AI data center power design experience (liquid‑cooled, high‑density racks).
• ERCOT market and TCEQ air‑permitting familiarity.
• Hands‑on with tools such as ETAP, SKM, or PSS/E; SCADA/EMS and microgrid controls.
• Track record standing up a discipline or serving as sole senior authority on a fast‑moving development program.

What Success Looks Like (First 12 Months)

• Own and defend the full electrical one‑line for the Odessa campus from POI to rack.
• Deliver a permit‑ready, bankable design for HV interconnection, MV distribution, and the gas microgrid.
• Establish STN's EPC engineering standards and vendor‑evaluation framework so future sites scale off a repeatable playbook.

Compensation

Odessa, TX: $150,000-$180,000/yr., DOE

Pleasanton, CA: $160,000-$200,000/yr., DOE

Benefits

• Health Coverage – Medical, Dental & Vision
• FSA Health and Dependent Care available
• 401(k) Plan
• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Observed Holidays Paid
• Cell Phone Allowance
• Collaborative, growth‑driven culture

Candidates must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. We are unable to provide sponsorship at this time.

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and reference verification. All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full‑time basis.