At SMA America, we believe in Energy that Changes. Since 1981, SMA has been developing innovative solar technology with a purpose -- making the installation, operation, and maintenance of photovoltaic power plants simpler, more reliable, safer and more cost effective. In the meantime, we’ve also been collecting awards as a great place to work, providing growth opportunities to our employees, and challenging conventional thought.

Purpose of the position
  • The Senior 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. The ideal candidate will combine education, industry experience, a deep understanding of inverter-based resources, and strong background in simulation modelling.

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 5 to 7 years of experience in the utility-scale renewable energy industry (solar and energy storage). Minimum 5 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 $104,000 - $150,000 annually. 

Our EEO Policy 

We are an equal opportunity employer and we make our employment decisions on the basis of merit and without regard to one’s race, color, creed, sex (includes gender, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), gender identity, religion, marital status, age (over 40), national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability (includes HIV/Aids), medical condition (cancer, genetic characteristics), veteran’s status, sexual orientation, or any other consideration made unlawful by law.

In accordance with applicable law protecting qualified individuals with known disabilities, SMA will attempt to reasonably accommodate qualified applicants with known disabilities, unless doing so would create an undue hardship on SMA. Any qualified applicant with a disability who believes he or she requires an accommodation in order to perform the essential functions of the job for which he or she is applying should identify the accommodation(s) needed in the application.

Our Privacy Policy

During your job application or recruitment process with us: (a) SMA may collect your personal information directly from you, such as when you submit your application and resume on our online portal or when you have job interviews with us. We may also obtain your personal information from third parties, including but not limited to your former employers, background or employment check service providers or third-party recruiters; and, (b) SMA may use or process applicants' personal information for relevant purposes including but not limited to general communications with you, identity verification, background or employment checks, determination of eligibility, and making hiring decisions. For successful job applicants who become SMA’s staff, we may retain and integrate your personal information collected during the recruitment process into your records at SMA. For unsuccessful job applicants, [SMA may retain your application for internal records or for future recruitment purposes].

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights regarding your personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended including by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, and its implementing regulations (the “CCPA”). This Company Personnel and Covered Individuals Privacy Notice for California Residents issued by SMA is applicable to you and explains your CCPA rights and our collection, use or disclosure of your personal information.

If you have any question regarding our privacy policy, please contact us at US_DataPrivacy@sma-america.com

 

 

 

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