--- title: 'Head of Hardware at Peak Energy' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-hardware-peak-energy-burlingame-vky0rsv4b83a' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-09' --- # Head of Hardware at Peak Energy - **Company:** Peak Energy - **Location:** Burlingame, CA - **Posted:** 2026-08-25 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09 - **Apply:** https://peakenergy.com/get-in-touch/careers/jobs?job_id=5221896007&gh_jid=5221896007 ## Job description Peak Energy Job Title:  Head of Hardware Location:  Burlingame, CA Department: ESS Engineering Reports To: CTO Position Type: Full-time ## About Peak Energy Peak Energy is the first American venture to advance globally proven Sodium-Ion battery systems as the storage standard for the new era of renewable energy on a resilient grid. Sodium-Ion is cheap, readily available and safe, making it the leading contender in a rapidly evolving market. Our leadership team is powered by decades of expertise in scaling gigawatt-level innovation at world-class companies such as Tesla, Northvolt, Apple, Powin, Enovix, Zipline, Solid Power, and Fluence. We are backed by strategic investment and product partners such as TDK Ventures and Eclipse Ventures. We are a team of engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, and partners driven by a shared ambition to set the new performance standard for renewable energy and grid resilience. ## About the Role - Head of Hardware Peak Energy is looking for a Head of Hardware to lead all aspects of hardware development for our ESS platform — including mechanical, structural, thermal, reliability, and test domains. It's the broadest scope on the engineering team. You'll set the direction and drive execution across subsystem design, integration, validation, and reliability, ensuring our hardware is safe, reliable, and ready for scale. You'll report to the CTO as one of the functional leaders on the engineering team, alongside Software, Programs, Cell, Systems, and Product. This is a role for a technical leader who wants to take a hardware product from prototype through production at scale. Peak is doing genuinely novel work, the world's first fully passive megawatt-hour-scale battery storage system, built on sodium iron pyrophosphate (NFPP) chemistry with no active cooling, no coolant loops, no fire suppression, and stackable modules. As we ramp toward Q1 2027 production at our Sacramento factory, this leader owns the hardware roadmap from B2 through the first year of commercial production. ## What You'll Do (Responsibilities) - Serve as the technical lead for all ESS hardware. - Lead system design and ensure successful integration across electrical, mechanical, structural, and thermal systems. - Define and maintain subsystem hardware requirements for HV/LV distribution, enclosures, interconnects, cooling, and protections. - Own the reliability function: design for reliability, DFMEA, accelerated life testing, and lifetime prediction for high-voltage electronics. - Own verification testing: mechanical reliability, thermal cycling, HV insulation, seismic and structural performance. - Oversee design-for-manufacturability and partner with Manufacturing Engineering and supply chain to scale production at our Sacramento factory. - Ensure compliance with the certification and safety standards that matter for grid-scale storage — UL 9540, IEC 62933, IEEE 693, NEC Article 706 — and represent Peak with certification bodies. - Partner with the Product, Software, Systems, and Cell functions to deliver tight end-to-end product integration. - Recruit, mentor, and grow a multidisciplinary hardware team spanning mechanical, structural, thermal, reliability, and test engineering. Own the team's technical bar and career growth. ## What You'll Bring (Qualifications) - 10+ years of hardware engineering experience with at least 5 years in leadership roles. - Proven track record of delivering high-voltage, high-power systems at scale — energy storage, utility-scale renewables, EV traction, or comparable large-scale industrial or automotive hardware. - Expertise across mechanical/structural design and thermal management, with strong working knowledge of HV/LV electrical systems, bussing, and protections. - Prior experience taking a hardware product from prototype through production ramp at scale. - Skilled with CAD (Siemens NX, SolidWorks, or CATIA) and analysis tools (FEA, CFD), plus hands-on prototyping and validation experience. - Strong understanding of certification and safety requirements for grid-scale storage or comparable high-reliability hardware. - Excellent communicator and team builder with the ability to align across disciplines. - Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field. ## Preferred Qualifications - Experience scaling hardware teams in startups or high-growth environments (10+ to 30+ engineers). - Familiarity with manufacturing processes for BESS enclosures, interconnects, and cooling systems. - Exposure to sodium-ion, lithium-ion, or other advanced battery technologies. - Prior experience partnering with contract manufacturers OR standing up in-house factory production. - Experience navigating certification bodies (UL, TÜV, Intertek) end-to-end on a shipping product. - Background in grid-scale energy storage, EV traction, or utility-scale renewables specifically. Peak Energy is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strongly encourage women, people of color, and individuals from underrepresented groups to apply. We value skills, potential, and perspective over specific credentials. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t look perfect on paper, we still want to hear from you. Our Core Values - Speed Through Focus - Move fast but understand why. Focus on the goal, don't sacrifice quality. - Mission Over Self - It's about the greater good; confident humility. Take ownership and accountability. - Face the Brutal Truth - Transparency, honesty, big picture curiosity. Fearless decision making. - Be a Good Person - Kindness, collaboration and teamwork. ## Compensation & Benefits The salary range for this role is $240,000-$290,000, with actual pay varying based on work location, experience, and skills. Our competitive benefits package includes: - Flexible time off - Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage - Strong 401(k) plan - Equity opportunities - Many great work perks Join us to thrive in a supportive environment while making a meaningful impact in the energy sector! At Peak Energy Technologies Inc., we believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace makes us a more capable, innovative, and competitive company. We welcome people who represent diversity in their backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and experiences. Peak Energy Technologies Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, aiming to reach our company’s full potential by cultivating an inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. ## About Peak Energy ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Peak Energy designs and deploys next-generation sodium-ion energy storage systems for grid-scale and AI data center applications, offering the world’s first fully passive, drop-in compatible battery storage solution. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series A – $55M raised in June 2024) - **Headquarters**: Burlingame, California, USA - **Founded**: 2023 - **Founders**: Landon Mossburg (CEO), Paul Durkee (CTO), Brandon Kelly (Chief Scientist) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Energy storage / Battery technology / Grid infrastructure - **Target customers**: Utilities, Independent Power Producers (IPPs), AI data center operators, grid operators (B2B, enterprise) - **Mission or purpose**: Deliver the lowest cost electron to the grid, enabling the next era of AI, electrification, and renewable power through abundant, reliable, and domestically manufactured energy storage. ## Products & Services - **Peak Passive Grid‑Scale Storage System**: A sodium‑ion battery energy storage system (BESS) designed for 20+ year life with zero scheduled maintenance, no augmentation, and passive thermal management. Drop‑in compatible with existing BESS installations, requiring no new installation crews or EMS integration playbooks. Achieves higher round‑trip efficiency (more power to GPUs) and lower total cost of ownership (claimed $75/kWh savings through minimal opex). Fully 48E ITC compliant. Deployed in partnership with nine of the largest U.S. IPPs and utilities. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total funding of **$65M** ($10M seed in October 2023, $55M Series A in June 2024) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Investors not publicly named; key partners include **GM** (partnership to scale next-gen energy storage), **Jupiter Power** (4.75 GWh contract signed November 2025), and nine of the largest IPPs/utilities in the U.S. - **Growth Signals**: - First grid‑scale sodium‑ion system deployed in Colorado (August 2025) – world’s first passively cooled system. - Over 10 months of operating deployments; 9‑customer pilot completed. - **6+ GWh contracted through 2030** (including 4.75 GWh with Jupiter Power). - Scaling plan: 5 deployments in 2026, 1 GWh in 2027; U.S. factory (4 GWh capacity) planned for Q1 2027 SOP. - Signed agreement to deploy MISO’s first sodium‑ion grid storage battery (March 2026). ## Competitive Advantages - **Lowest total cost of ownership** – passive cooling eliminates fan/chiller failures, no scheduled maintenance, no augmentation, reducing opex significantly. - **Sodium‑ion chemistry** – uses abundant, domestically available materials, reducing supply chain risk and improving safety. - **Drop‑in compatibility** – works with existing BESS infrastructure, lowering adoption barriers for utilities and IPPs. - **Vertically integrated U.S. manufacturing** – from cell to delivered project, strengthening domestic supply chain and creating jobs. - **Proven reliability** – 99.999% uptime target; operating deployments since mid‑2025. ## Strategic Focus - **Scale up manufacturing** – build a 4 GWh U.S. factory (2027) and expand deployment pipeline toward 1 GWh/year. - **Target AI data centers** – collapse 4‑7 year interconnect queues by providing immediate, reliable power for GPU clusters (claims 441 trillion additional tokens/year over 20‑year project life). - **Long‑term integration** – eventually move into generation, transmission, and distribution (phase 3 strategy post‑2028). - **Deepen utility/IPP partnerships** – continue signing long‑term offtake contracts (already 6+ GWh through 2030). ## Why Work Here - **Culture & values**: “Be a good Person” is a core value; emphasis on purpose‑driven work, solving foundational energy problems, and moving fast with real‑world impact. - **Benefits**: Comprehensive medical/dental/vision, 401(k) with company match, flexible PTO, generous parental leave, employer‑paid life/disability/income protection, mental health & wellness programs, free lunches, pet‑friendly offices, free EV charging (Burlingame office), cell phone reimbursement, commuter benefits. - **Locations**: Offices in Burlingame (CA) and Denver (CO); hybrid/remote policy not explicitly stated but on‑site presence expected for engineering and manufacturing roles. - **Growth trajectory**: Headcount has doubled over the past year; company is in rapid scaling phase (from pilot to commercial deployments). Open roles include engineering, manufacturing, finance, and sales (27+ positions listed on Greenhouse and LinkedIn as of mid‑2026). - **Team**: Core team assembled from Tesla, Northvolt, Enovix, Lyft, Uber, Solid Power; strong technical depth in battery and energy systems. ## Sources 1. [peakenergy.com – About](https://peakenergy.com/company/about) 2. [peakenergy.com – Careers](https://peakenergy.com/get-in-touch/careers) 3. [LinkedIn – Peak Energy](https://www.linkedin.com/company/peakenergytech) 4. [CB Insights – Peak Energy](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/peak-energy-2) 5. [PR Newswire – Peak Signs 4.75 GWh Contract with Jupiter Power (Nov 2025)](https://peakenergy.com/) 6. [PR Newswire – Peak Signs Agreement to Deploy MISO’s First Sodium-Ion Grid Storage Battery (Mar 2026)](https://peakenergy.com/) 7. [Bloomberg – Peak Energy Secures $55 Million (Mar 2026)](https://peakenergy.com/) ## Other roles at Peak Energy - [IT System Administrator (Sacramento)](https://feeny.ai/job/it-system-administrator-sacramento-peak-energy-sacramento-8y3eabpgvbh1) — Sacramento, CA - [IT System Administrator (Burlingame)](https://feeny.ai/job/it-system-administrator-burlingame-peak-energy-burlingame-5ezksf45kry1) — Burlingame, CA - [Global Supply Chain Management Intern (Spring 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/global-supply-chain-management-intern-spring-2027-peak-energy-burlingame-k2bxw183zta1) — Burlingame, CA - [Senior Sales Director](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-sales-director-peak-energy-burlingame-ca-or-broomfield-5wvmnkv7feet) — Burlingame CA OR Broomfield, CO - [Automation Engineer Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/automation-engineer-intern-peak-energy-burlingame-bk4p845y9zx3) — Burlingame, CA - [Senior Cell Validation & Reliability Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-cell-validation-reliability-engineer-peak-energy-burlingame-3qmqm5rpdw0v) — Burlingame, CA - [Controls & Automation Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/controls-automation-engineer-peak-energy-burlingame-1ga3nxje5qxa) — Burlingame, CA - [Sales Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/sales-engineer-peak-energy-burlingame-california-or-broomfield-zthqmvwhwjse) — Burlingame California OR Broomfield, CO - [Manufacturing Equipment Engineering Intern](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-equipment-engineering-intern-peak-energy-burlingame-byqwk3yhj5df) — Burlingame, CA - [Executive Assistant & Events Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/executive-assistant-events-lead-peak-energy-burlingame-gx5zxxg98kpd) — Burlingame, CA