Director, Grid Strategy – Utility Planning

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Illinois, +4 more states.

📋 Description

• Collaborate with utility planning and engineering teams to discover and promote opportunities for enhancing hosting capacity on constrained circuits.

• Cultivate robust relationships across utility planning, asset management, engineering, operations, regulatory, and innovation teams.

• Create technically sound, data-informed proposals that synchronize distributed energy deployment with utility reliability and planning goals.

• Identify, develop, and push forward opportunities in DERMS, dynamic hosting capacity, flexible interconnection, non-wire alternatives, and other grid modernization pilot projects.

• Examine hosting-capacity maps, load forecasts, infrastructure plans, capital programs, and system planning studies to guide market and siting strategy.

• Analyze integrated distribution plans, integrated resource plans, long-range transmission plans, and other utility planning documents.

• Keep track of feeder and substation constraints, system upgrade initiatives, load growth, electrification trends, and planned utility investments.

• Pinpoint circuits and substations where targeted operational changes, grid technologies, or infrastructure investments could enhance additional DER capacity.

• Offer strategic recommendations for integrating distributed solar and battery energy storage systems within utility distribution networks.

• Assess how operational requirements, export controls, tariffs, system limitations, and utility planning assumptions impact DER deployment.

• Assist in interpreting feasibility studies, system impact studies, facility studies, and relevant utility planning data.

• Contribute to the point-of-interconnection strategy and system integration considerations.

• Monitor emerging grid technologies, such as ADMS, DERMS, advanced inverters, digital twins, VPPs, microgrids, and grid-enhancing technologies.

• Engage in utility working groups, regulatory forums, industry organizations, and technical conferences focused on grid modernization and DER integration.

• Aid development, interconnection, policy, and New Markets teams with early-stage grid intelligence and utility planning insights.

• Translate utility planning information into concise recommendations for leadership and cross-functional teams.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or a related area.

• 10–20+ years of experience in electric utility planning, transmission or distribution engineering, grid modernization, or DER integration.

• Profound understanding of utility planning methodologies, system constraints, reliability, infrastructure development, and capital planning.

• Experience with distributed energy resources, renewable energy, battery energy storage, or advanced grid technologies.

• Strong knowledge of utility planning studies, hosting capacity analysis, interconnection impacts, and grid modernization initiatives.

• Proven ability to influence utility stakeholders and promote new technical or operational methodologies.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the capacity to convert complex grid issues into actionable business recommendations.

• Experience within a major electric utility, ISO/RTO, grid consulting firm, or a related energy organization is highly preferred.

• Familiarity with PJM, NYISO, CAISO, ERCOT, MISO, or other significant U.S. power markets is preferred.

• Experience with advancing DERMS, dynamic hosting capacity, flexible interconnection, non-wire alternatives, or related pilot projects is preferred.

• A Professional Engineer license or an advanced degree in power systems, energy policy, or a related field is preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• Training / Professional development opportunities

• 401(k) with 4% company match

• Summer Fridays

• Flexible remote/hybrid work options

• Paid parental leave

• Team lunches, events, and stocked kitchens

• Modern, collaborative office spaces in Asbury Park, New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Baltimore

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage

• Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance