--- title: 'Power Electronics Controls Engineer, Energy Storage at Redwood Materials' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/power-electronics-controls-engineer-energy-storage-redwood-materials-san-cwdg8kcxebpf' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-19' --- # Power Electronics Controls Engineer, Energy Storage at Redwood Materials - **Company:** Redwood Materials - **Location:** San Francisco, CA - **Compensation:** $160k–$253k - **Posted:** 2025-12-16 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-19 - **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/redwoodmaterials/jobs/5737875004?gh_jid=5737875004 ## Job description ## About Redwood Materials Redwood Materials was founded in 2017 by JB Straubel, co-founder and former CTO of Tesla, on a simple but radical idea: the critical minerals powering the energy transition already exist. They just need to come back. Today Redwood is the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America — recovering, refining, and redeploying critical minerals from end-of-life batteries back into the supply chain. On the energy side, Redwood has deployed the largest second-life battery project in the world, delivering power to AI data centers in months rather than years using proprietary energy architecture engineered entirely in-house. The company is profitable, the market it operates in is projected to grow 20 to 50 times over the next decade, and Redwood is the only company with the supply chain, the technology, and the operational scale to lead it. The Redwood Vision: Modernizing the Grid Imagine being at the epicenter of the next great industrial shift. Just as the electric vehicle revolution redefined the car as a software-defined machine, Redwood Materials is redefining the global energy grid. We aren’t just managing batteries; we are building the "nervous system" for a circular energy economy. Our San Francisco R&D team is architecting the transition from static, hardware-heavy infrastructure to dynamic, software-controlled ecosystems. We are proving that a sustainable, 100% renewable grid isn't just a goal—it’s a technical reality powered by superior control intelligence. We are looking for the "architects of the electron" to help us make fossil-fuel peaker plants a thing of the past. Power Electronics Controls Engineer As a Power Electronics Controls Engineer, you will lead the design and implementation of the intelligent "brains" for our next-generation Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and mixed-asset energy sites. You will be responsible for the entire journey of our control systems—from white-space conceptualization and advanced modeling to real-world grid impact. Your work will ensure that recycled and new battery assets work in perfect harmony to stabilize the grid and optimize high-power conversion at an industrial scale. Responsibilities will Include: - Software-Defined Power: Design and optimize advanced control algorithms for high-power BESS, focusing on grid-forming, grid-following, and complex multi-asset energy site synchronization - High-Power Conversion Architecture: Develop bidirectional DC/DC and AC/DC control schemes for industrial-scale storage, ensuring peak efficiency, thermal stability, and safety across all operating modes - Digital Twin Development: Build high-fidelity "Digital Twins" of power stages and grid environments using PLECS and MATLAB/Simulink to predict system behavior under extreme transient and fault conditions - Virtual & Hardware Validation: Architect and lead comprehensive Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing environments (Opal-RT/Typhoon) to rigorously stress-test control firmware before deployment - Circular Asset Integration: Collaborate with battery and systems teams to implement control strategies that optimize the performance and longevity of mixed-asset arrays, including the integration of recycled battery chemistries - Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner closely with electrical, firmware, and thermal engineers to define the long-term roadmap for modern, resilient energy storage site controllers Desired Qualifications: - Educational Depth: MSc or PhD in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Power Electronics Control Systems. (MSc requires 3+ years of relevant industry experience; PhD preferred) - Topology Mastery: Deep theoretical and practical mastery of high-efficiency power conversion. You are an expert in resonant topologies (LLC, CLLC, DAB) and advanced multi-level architectures, specifically Flying Capacitor (FC) and Active Neutral Point Clamped (ANPC) - Control Theory Expertise: Proven ability to design robust closed-loop controllers (Bode, Nyquist, State-Space) and implement them effectively on digital signal processors (DSPs) or microcontrollers - Modern Toolchain: - Expert-level MATLAB/Simulink and PLECS for modeling and simulation - Strong proficiency in C for real-time embedded systems - Experience with Python for automation, scripting, and data analysis - Proactive Innovation: A self-driven attitude with the ability to navigate the ambiguity of a fast-paced R&D environment. You enjoy building the framework as much as you enjoy writing the code - Grid Standards: Familiarity with grid-interconnection codes (e.g., IEEE 1547, UL 1741) and their implications for controls development is highly desirable In accordance with California pay transparency laws, the salary range for this position is listed below. Actual compensation may vary based on a variety of factors, including experience, education, and skills. California Pay Range: $160,000—$252,500 USD The position is full-time. Compensation will be commensurate with experience. We collect personal information (PI) from you in connection with your application for employment with Redwood Materials, including the following categories of PI: identifiers, personal records, professional or employment information, and inferences drawn from your PI. We collect your PI for our purposes, including performing services and operations related to your potential employment. If you have additional privacy-related questions, please contact us at privacy@redwoodmaterials.com. ## About Redwood Materials ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Redwood Materials recycles lithium-ion batteries to recover critical minerals and deploys large-scale energy storage systems, building a domestic circular supply chain for batteries. - **Entity Type**: Private (Late-stage; Series E closed at $425M in October 2025) - **Headquarters**: Carson City, Nevada, USA (with campuses in Northern Nevada, South Carolina, and an R&D center in San Francisco) - **Founded**: 2017 - **Founders**: JB Straubel (former Tesla CTO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Battery recycling, critical materials production, and energy storage - **Target customers**: B2B – automotive OEMs, data center operators, utilities, and grid-scale energy storage buyers - **Mission/purpose**: “Securing U.S. critical materials. Powering America’s energy future.” – building a resilient domestic supply chain for batteries and enabling the energy transition. ## Products & Services - **Critical Materials Production**: Recovers lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper from end-of-life batteries (recycling) and produces cathode active material at scale. [redwoodmaterials.com](https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/) - **Redwood Energy**: Designs, integrates, and deploys large-scale energy storage systems (BESS) for data centers and the grid, using both new and repurposed batteries. [redwoodmaterials.com](https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/) - **Battery Bin**: Consumer-facing recycling program launched in December 2025 to collect end-of-life batteries. [redwoodmaterials.com/about/](https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/about/) ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: ~$6 billion (as of October 2025, per Wikipedia) - **Key Metric**: Total funding raised >$1.4B (over $1B in 2023 plus $425M Series E in 2025). Annual revenue not publicly disclosed. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Partners include Volkswagen Group of America, Panasonic, GM/Ultium Cells, Volvo, Amazon, Toyota, Southern Company, BMW of North America, Crusoe, Lime, Caterpillar, Isuzu. [redwoodmaterials.com](https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/) - **Growth Signals**: - Opened South Carolina recycling campus (2025) and SF R&D center (2025) - Launched Redwood Energy storage division (2025) - Expanded into Europe (2022) - Recognized as Fast Company’s World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies (2024, 2026) and Time100 Climate (2024) - Active job postings: 79 (as of mid-2026), with monthly growth of +83.7% [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/redwood-materials) ## Competitive Advantages - **Technology moat**: Recovers >95% of metals (nickel, cobalt, lithium, copper) from end-of-life batteries, creating a low-cost domestic source of critical materials. - **Vertical integration**: Combines recycling, refining, cathode production, and energy storage deployment under one roof. - **Strategic partnerships**: Deep relationships with nearly every major automotive OEM and energy companies, ensuring feedstock and offtake. - **First-mover in U.S. battery circularity**: One of the largest domestic sources of critical minerals, reducing reliance on foreign supply chains. ## Strategic Focus - Scale domestic battery material production and energy storage manufacturing to meet U.S. grid and EV demand. - Expand Redwood Energy as a standalone business unit for utility and data center storage. - Grow consumer recycling programs (Battery Bin) and deepen partnerships with automakers and energy companies. - Continue R&D in advanced battery chemistries and recycling processes at the San Francisco innovation center. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-driven culture**: Employees are motivated by building a resilient U.S. energy future and solving climate challenges. - **Pioneering environment**: Described as “pioneers, innovators, and collaborators” working on chemistry, materials science, automation, and advanced equipment design. [redwoodmaterials.com/join/](https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/join/) - **Locations**: Multiple campuses – Tahoe (Northern Nevada), Carolina (South Carolina), and downtown San Francisco R&D center. - **Growth opportunities**: Rapid scaling with 79+ open roles across engineering, operations, EPC, software, and business functions. Top talent sources include Tesla (207 alumni), Panasonic, Rivian, and Chewy. - **Work style**: Hybrid/office presence expected at campuses; culture emphasizes making difficult decisions and implementing design constraints to drive impact. ## Sources 1. [redwoodmaterials.com](https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/) 2. [redwoodmaterials.com/about/](https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/about/) 3. [redwoodmaterials.com/join/](https://www.redwoodmaterials.com/join/) 4. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/redwood-materials) 5. 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