Operations Engineer (Seattle)

Electric Era was founded to revolutionize the world's electric vehicle charging infrastructure. We have developed high performance and autonomous EV fast charging stations that can be deployed anywhere on the grid. We provide the necessary charging infrastructure innovation needed for the affordable and timely electrification of all transportation. We are accelerating the world into the Electric Era. Join us.

About the role

Reliable charging is one of the most important problems in the shift to electric vehicles. Drivers choose to go electric when they trust the charger at their next stop, and that trust is earned one session at a time. At Electric Era, we’re building the network that earns it. Our battery-backed DC fast charging stations are designed for industry-leading uptime and reliability, and the people who operate them make that design something drivers can count on.

As our Operations Engineer, you’ll be at the center of that work. You’ll own the health of a growing fleet of fast charging sites. That means diagnosing complex problems across power electronics, batteries, software and site electrical systems, directing field teams, and building the systems that keep them fixed.

This is a chance to build a maintenance organization from the ground up while writing the playbook for how a world-class charging network operates. You’ll work side by side with the Manager of Operations and Maintenance and partner closely with our engineering teams and equipment vendors. You’ll have the ownership to make real decisions and see their impact quickly.

We’re looking for someone who loves hard technical problems, takes full ownership of outcomes, and is excited to grow into a larger operations leadership role as the fleet expands.

What you'll do

• Develop, document and maintain the procedures, runbooks and standard work that govern corrective and preventive maintenance across DC fast charging equipment and battery energy storage systems
• Own the work order lifecycle from intake and triage through dispatch, execution, verification and closeout, keeping records complete and current
• Triage and diagnose offline chargers, degraded sites, connectivity faults and power quality issues remotely, resolving what can be resolved without a site visit
• Monitor fleet health and alerting, and help shape what alerts fire, what they mean, and how much of the response can be automated
• Build and maintain the preventive maintenance calendar, including firmware and hardware campaigns, seasonal work and batched site visits
• Plan parts and spares alongside supply chain so that scheduled work is not delayed waiting on material
• Coordinate third party service providers and OEM field service teams day to day, from dispatch through verification of completed work
• Track vendor response and repair performance against agreed windows, document shortfalls, and escalate with supporting evidence
• Prepare warranty and cost recovery claims with the documentation needed to support them
• Vet and qualify technicians and labor providers against defined standards, including licensing, NFPA 70E and site specific training
• Support safe field work in line with site safety plans, including lockout tagout, arc flash and energized work practices
• Investigate recurring failures through to root cause, and translate findings into procedure updates, spare part decisions, or engineering and firmware requests
• Forecast maintenance labor and parts spend, and raise variances against the O&M budget early
• Participate in the on-call rotation and respond to after hours escalations as needed (Some weekend work required)
• Perform other related duties, as assigned, for the purpose of ensuring an efficient and effective work environment

Qualifications

• Direct experience in maintenance, field service or operations
• A track record of developing maintenance procedures or standard work
• Comfort coordinating third party contractors and service vendors, including following up when response and repair commitments are at risk
• Working knowledge of vendor management strategies
• Day to day fluency with ticketing or work order systems such as Jira, Service Desk, Salesforce or a CMMS, along with the habit of keeping records accurate
• Strong written communication, since much of the work involves giving clear direction to people working hundreds of miles away
• Skill in communicating with internal and external stakeholders, including identifying and flagging risks early
• Project management background, with the scheduling and task tracking tools that go alongside it
• Valid driver's license and willingness to travel occasionally to sites

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building or improving a preventive maintenance program
• Experience managing physically remote assets, such as EV charging, energy storage, utility, telecom, industrial equipment or fleets
• Working familiarity with electrical systems, sufficient to read a schematic, understand a fault description, and hold a productive conversation with an electrician or an OEM engineer
• Knowledge of OSHA and NFPA 70E requirements, including lockout tagout, arc flash and job hazard analysis
• Familiarity with OCPP and charger communication protocols

Compensation & Benefits

• Estimated Compensation Range: $73,000-$109,000 (dependent upon experience)
• Additional Compensation: This position may also be eligible for incentive compensation, equity awards, or other compensation programs, subject to applicable plan terms.
• Benefits: Electric Era offers a comprehensive benefits package, which may include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability coverage, paid time off, paid holidays, parental leave, retirement benefits, and other company-sponsored programs, subject to plan terms and eligibility requirements.

Electric Era is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

This position is employment at-will. Either Electric Era or the employee may terminate employment at any time, for any reason, with or without cause or notice, except as required by law.

The job description above outlines primary duties and responsibilities but is not exhaustive. The Company reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties as business needs evolve.