---
title: 'Staff BESS Electrical Design Engineer, EPC at Redwood Materials'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-bess-electrical-design-engineer-epc-redwood-materials-san-francisco-xpq1na7tbmyd'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-14'
---

# Staff BESS Electrical Design Engineer, EPC at Redwood Materials

- **Company:** Redwood Materials
- **Location:** San Francisco California, United States
- **Compensation:** $190k–$253k
- **Posted:** 2026-05-08
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-14
- **Apply:** https://boards.greenhouse.io/redwoodmaterials/jobs/5992294004?gh_jid=5992294004

## Job description

## About Redwood Materials

Redwood is localizing a global battery supply chain that seamlessly integrates recovery, reuse, and recycling — keeping critical minerals in circulation and driving the energy transition. Founded in 2017, we’re delivering low-cost and large-scale energy storage and producing battery materials in the U.S. for the first time, all from batteries we already have.

Staff BESS Electrical Design Engineer, EPC

Redwood Materials is seeking a Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Electrical Engineer to join our EPC team. This role is central to the design of scalable, high-performance energy storage infrastructure for utility-scale and distributed applications. Our mission is to build a sustainable circular economy for lithium-ion batteries by transforming recycled materials into high-quality inputs for new batteries.

Responsibilities will include:

- Lead electrical engineering efforts for utility scale lithium-ion BESS projects from concept (system sizing, layout) through construction.
- Interface with utilities and ISO/RTOs to support interconnection studies/submittals, permitting, and compliance for new renewable and BESS projects.
- Serve as the internal subject matter expert (SME) for technical challenges related to BESS.
- Design AC and DC electrical systems for BESS using medium voltage transformers, inverters, DC combiners, energy managers, and battery modules. Specify and procure long-lead AC equipment.
- Develop schematic diagrams, single-line diagrams, wiring schematics, raceway plans, grounding plans, and protection strategies for AC and DC systems.
- Specify and evaluate components such as circuit breakers, contactors, fuses, disconnects, emergency power off (EPO), and metering devices.
- Coordinate with civil, structural, fire & life safety, SCADA/telecom, geotechnical, and DC system design teams to produce complete IFC packages and technical specifications.
- Ensure designs comply with applicable codes and standards such as NEC 705, NEC 706, IEEE 1547, UL 9540, NFPA 855, and local amendments. Lead code reviews and provide summary to internal teams.
- Integration of BESS with grid infrastructure and other renewable and traditional energy sources.
- Perform power system studies for short circuit, load flow, arc flash, and protective device coordination for AC and DC systems.
- Serve as the Electrical Engineer of Record for assigned projects.
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of BESS technologies, codes, and industry trends.
- Lead R&D efforts to perform feasibility analysis of using medium voltage DC distribution system for integrating BESS with other sources.
- Provide CA support for RFIs, submittal reviews, change orders, and site inspections.
- Coordinate with internal stakeholders and external consultants to track scope, schedule, and budget.
- Prepare engineering cost estimates and project schedules in collaboration with project controls at various design milestones.
- Perform QA/QC reviews of electrical designs and mentor junior engineers.
- Contribute to internal design standards, templates, and best practices.
- Manage project workload and ensure timely delivery of engineering documents.
- Support strategic initiatives related to grid integration, renewable energy, and energy storage.

Desired Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from ABET accredited program.
- Licensed Professional Engineer in Nevada or eligible for reciprocity. Must get their PE in Nevada and South Carolina within 2 months of start date.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in solar, energy storage, or microgrid sectors, with at least 3 years focused on BESS design and deployment.
- Proven expertise in interconnection and regulatory compliance for BESS systems.
- SME in knowledge of NEC 705, NEC 706, IEEE 1547, UL 9540, and NFPA 855.
- Advanced proficiency in:
- Microgrid and hybrid power systems modeling tools using HOMER or similar
- Power system modeling using ETAP, SKM, or similar
- AutoCAD/Revit, Navisworks, Bluebeam, Microsoft Office
- Preferred proficiency in:
- Transmission-level load flow and stability using PSSE and PSLF
- Electromagnetic Transient Simulations using PSCAD, EMTC or similar
- SEL Relay Settings using SEL AcSELerator or equivalent
- Design of HVDC systems and converter station
- Strong understanding of energy storage use-cases including peak shaving, load shifting, demand response, and frequency response.
- Highly motivated, proactive, and detail oriented.
- Ability to communicate effectively through verbal, written, and visual formats.

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: $190,000—$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. [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redwood_Materials)

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