Principal Application Engineer - Utility Scale Grid Integration and Modeling

Purpose of the position

• The Principal Application Engineer’s primary responsibility is serving as a technical specialist for grid integration and modeling of utility-scale solar and energy storage solutions. The role interacts regularly with consultants, developers, utilities, IPPs, system operators, etc., providing a wide range of technical information required to support grid interconnection applications, simulation modeling and grid integration studies using SMA solar and storage solutions.

Primary duties / responsibilities

• Serve as a senior technical specialist for grid integration and modeling support of utility-scale solar and energy storage solutions, assisting customers with technical questions via telephone, e-mail, and/or face-to-face meetings.

• Assist customers in the project design process, reviewing requirements, making recommendations of the most suitable SMA products and solutions, and delivery of the appropriate models for each project.

• Maintain and update the suite of different models and versions across different software platforms available for customers in North America.

• Support customers in understanding model functionalities, configuring model parameter settings and running simulation cases to test dynamic model behavior against the product's design specifications.

• Assist customers in understanding inverter control modes and plant-level controls, as well as their interactions in different applications (solar, storage, hybrid configurations), providing support during model validation tests, model benchmarking, and interconnection studies.

• Understand the impacts of inverter-based resources on grid stability and propose solutions within the SMA portfolio to address potential challenges.

• Serves as a liaison between the SMA sales team in North America and the technical team at SMA headquarters in Germany.

• Cooperate with the SMA modeling team in Germany responsible for model development and respective modeling documentation, providing feedback about potential bugs, requests of new functionalities, new modeling requirements under discussion, modeling trends in North America, etc.

• Participate in industry discussions about modeling and grid code requirements with NERC, ISOs, TSOs, utilities, etc., identifying opportunities to collaborate and influence SMA technologies and capabilities.

• Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices related to grid modeling and inverter-based resource integration.

• Create and deliver internal and external technical training, particularly supporting sales while meeting with existing customers and potential new clients.

• Conducts competitor analysis & provides technical argumentation to successfully compete against the analyzed products/solutions.

• Attends industry conferences and trade shows, as necessary.

• Cross-collaborate internally with sales, product management, engineering, and service teams.

• Other duties as may be required or assigned.

Required training (type / duration / field / additional training)

• A bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field from an accredited college or university is necessary; a master’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field from an accredited college or university is desired; a Ph.D. in electrical engineering or a related field from an accredited college or university would be a strong plus.

Required relevant professional experience (type / duration)

• Minimum 7 to 10 years of experience in the utility-scale renewable energy industry (solar and energy storage). Minimum 10 years of experience with modeling of inverter-based generation using simulation tools such as PSS/E, TSAT, PSCAD/EMTDC, Aspen OneLiner, MatLab, etc. Experience conducting power system studies (power flow, transient stability, electromagnetic transient, short-circuit, etc.) is a plus. Advanced experience in PSS/E is a plus. Experience with hardware-in-the-loop platform such as RTDS/GTSOC is a plus.

Other specialized skills

• In-depth knowledge of utility-scale solar and battery storage power plant design is required.

• In-depth knowledge of power electronics converters, transformers, MV switchgear, and protection systems is required.

• Knowledge of PVSyst or similar photovoltaic system modeling tools is desired.

• Knowledge of grid-forming technology and battery storage solutions are desired.

• Sound knowledge of the US energy sector including applicable norms, standards, and regulations is strongly desired.

• Knowledge of NERC standards and IEEE standards (IEEE2800 and IEEE1547) and grid code requirements in different ISOs/TSOs (ERCOT, CAISO, NY-ISO, ISO-NE, MISO, PJM, SPP etc.) is required.

• Proficiency in the English language, both written and verbal, is required.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook) is required.

• Attention to detail, high level of accuracy, and excellent organizational skills are required.

• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills are required.

• Ability to analyze and solve complex problems.

• Ability to perform in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple projects in parallel.

• Highly customer and success oriented.

• Ability to work individually as well as part of a team.

• This position may require periodic domestic travel as well as international travel to the company’s headquarters in Germany.

The compensation range for this position is $129,000 - $165,000 annually.