System Integration Manager

About the Role

The System Integration Manager owns the end-to-end integration of power electronics subsystems — inverters, DC/DC converters, battery management systems, controllers, and protection equipment — into complete, field-ready renewable energy systems. This role sits at the intersection of electrical, hardware, controls, mechanical, and software engineering, translating subsystem-level designs into a system that works reliably together, passes certification, and performs in the field. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience bringing power electronics hardware through system-level validation, and is comfortable being the person who catches integration problems before they become field failures.

Responsibilities

• System Architecture & Integration
  • Own the system-level integration across power electronics, battery, controls, and mechanical/thermal subsystems for BESS and PV/hybrid products.
  • Define interface control documents between subsystem teams — electrical interconnects, communication protocols (CAN, Modbus, RS-485), control signal timing, and grounding/bonding schemes.
  • Identify and resolve cross-domain design conflicts (e.g., thermal derating impacts on power electronics placement, EMI/EMC interactions between converters and BMS communication).
  • Lead root-cause investigations when subsystems that pass individual qualification fail at system level.
• Verification & Validation
  • Develop and execute system-level test plans: power-up sequencing, fault injection, grid-fault ride-through, protection coordination, and communication/control loop validation.
  • Coordinate factory acceptance testing (FAT) and site acceptance testing (SAT) for containerized BESS and PV systems.
  • Work with the safety/certification team to ensure system designs support UL 9540, UL 9540A, UL 1741, and UL 1973 pathways, and that integration choices don't compromise certification scope.
  • Maintain traceability between requirements, interface specs, and test evidence for design reviews and customer/lender due diligence.
• Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Act as the technical integration point of contact across mechanical/thermal, electrical/power electronics, BMS/firmware, and safety/certification teams.
  • Support new product introduction (NPI) by flagging integration risk early in the design cycle, not just at system test.
  • Mentor integration engineers and test technicians; build out test infrastructure and documentation standards as the team scales.

Requirements

• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls, or equivalent experience with a focus on Power Systems, Control Theory, and software-defined controls.
• 5+ years of experience building EMS, PPC, or plant-level controls for utility-scale solar, storage, hybrid, or wind power plants.
• Deep working knowledge of utility and industrial communication protocols: DNP3, IEC 61850, Modbus TCP/RTU, SunSpec, MESA-ESS, IEEE 2030.5, OPC UA, CAN — including hands-on protocol mapping, point list design, and debugging (Wireshark, protocol analyzers, simulators).
• Hands-on experience with SEL RTAC, Codesys, and MATLAB / Simulink for model-based control development.
• Experience with industrial HMIs and historians (Ignition, AVEVA/Wonderware, Canary, OSIsoft PI) is a strong plus.
• Strong understanding of grid-following and grid-forming inverter control, droop response, virtual inertia, and the trade-offs between them at plant scale.
• Familiarity with IEEE 1547-2018, IEEE 2800, UL 1741 SB/SC, IEEE 519, FERC Order 2023, and applicable NERC reliability standards.
• Proven ability to author concept of operations documents, sequence diagrams, state machines, and control narratives that engineering, operations, and external stakeholders can all build against.
• Proficiency in Python (or similar) for tooling, point list automation, and SCADA data analysis.
• Fluency with AI-assisted development — daily use of LLM coding assistants and agentic workflows to accelerate control code, test harnesses, point list generation, protocol parsing, and documentation. Working knowledge of applying ML/AI to operational data (forecasting, anomaly detection, optimization) is a strong plus.
• Strong understanding of LV/MV power plant architecture — transformers, switchgear, BOP, metering, and protection coordination at the plant level.
• Experience supporting commissioning, FAT/SAT, and grid-code witness testing in the field.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to translate between control engineers, power engineers, software developers, and utility/ISO counterparts.
• Self-driven, with the grit to solve ambiguous, cross-disciplinary plant-level problems in a fast-paced, clean-slate environment.

Nice to Have

• Hands-on experience with the complete lifecycle of utility-scale renewable energy power plant development.
• Experience with industrial communication protocols such as Modbus TCP, CAN, and Ethernet.
• Proven ability to perform failure analysis (FMEA) at both system and subsystem levels.

About the Tech Stack

• Languages: Python, Go, C/C++
• Frameworks: MATLAB, Typhoon HIL, RTDS, Opal-RT, SIL frameworks, CI/CD pipelines automation
• Infrastructure: High-voltage DC systems (up to 1500V), PV emulators, battery simulators, and Electrical Design architectures
• Tools: Git, Jira, Power Analyzers, Oscilloscopes, and Logic Analyzers

Benefits

• Health Insurance: 100% coverage of employee premiums under a Gold-level PPO plan.
• Dental & Vision Insurance: 50% of employee premiums are covered.
• Retirement Plan: A 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match.

Pay

Minimum salary of $120,000 to maximum salary of $205,000 + equity + benefits. The range provided is 1AP’s reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount will be based on job-related and non-discriminatory factors such as location, experience, training, skills, and abilities. California Pay Range: $205,000 USD - $250,000 USD.

About 1st Avenue Power

At 1st Avenue Power, we are on a mission to deliver simple, fast-to-deploy, customer-centric and intelligent power systems leveraging the abundance of solar to provide inexpensive and reliable clean energy to global customers from data centers to energy starved communities around the world. We envision a future where every community, business, and nation thrives on the limitless potential of clean energy, united in a shared commitment to a sustainable and equitable world.

You will be working with Dr. Tom Buttgenbach, one of the most successful clean energy technology innovators and entrepreneurs who has been a driving force in making solar-based energy solutions the cheapest and most reliable energy option. Tom founded and led Avantus (formerly known as “8minute Solar Energy“), to become one of the largest and most profitable solar and energy storage companies in the United States and the largest in California, including delivering over 17% of Los Angeles’ power. When Tom sold his interest in Avantus’ development business to KKR in mid-2024, it had delivered over $1 billion in profit and secured over $10 Billion in power purchase agreements and project financings with a pipeline of over 30 GW of solar and 90 GWh of energy storage, capable of powering the homes of more than 20 million Americans day and night.

Tom’s family office investment firm, 1st Avenue Capital, is building teams for the next generation of advanced solar power system architecture and AI to aggressively drive down the cost of and equitable access to clean and reliable energy. 1st Avenue’s advanced large scale power systems are addressing the increasing inadequacy of the grid to meet the massively growing power demands of the digital economy, while its intelligent distributed solar utilities are leapfrogging the grid to provide equitable access to inexpensive, clean and reliable power to underserved communities around the world.