Principal Engineer, Development

Principal Engineer, Development

Orenda is on a mission to make the grid more efficient with renewable energy projects and proprietary asset management technology. We develop, build, own and operate battery energy storage projects in dense urban environments to bridge the gap between renewables and electricity consumption.

We are a dynamic, NYC-based company at the forefront of a new industry. We are seeking highly motivated and incredibly talented individuals who wish to contribute to our important mission.

Orenda's Project Execution Division owns the full delivery pipeline for our battery energy storage projects — carrying each project from early development through design, permitting, procurement, and construction, and into long-term asset management and operations. The division is organized into specialized departments that hand work off in a disciplined, repeatable sequence as we scale across New York City.

The Development department leads the late-stage development of each project, driving the detailed engineering and permitting work required to move a project from initial approval to construction-ready. It operates through three coordinated functions that work in lockstep: engineering (technical standards and design integrity), project management (schedule, coordination, and delivery to Notice to Proceed), and permitting (agency strategy and expediting).

As Principal Engineer, you serve as Orenda's owner's engineer: you set and continuously raise the engineering standard for our NYC portfolio and direct the engineering partners who execute detailed design, rather than producing all design work in-house. You author the specifications that guide our engineering partners and equipment selection, ensure every design complies with those standards and applicable codes, and serve as the senior technical resource for the team.

You lead through technical standards, design review, and mentorship.

You provide technical direction to our engineering partners and internal team, ensuring designs meet Orenda's standards while keeping projects on schedule. You report to the Director of Development.

This role is ideal for: a deeply technical engineer who leads by setting clear standards, developing the capability of the team, and enabling others to deliver high-quality work.

• Own and maintain Orenda's engineering standards and technical specifications governing the design, equipment selection, and construction of our NYC energy storage portfolio, in compliance with all applicable codes and AHJ and utility requirements.
• Author the technical specifications that guide our engineering partners and equipment selection; derive site-specific technical requirements and recommend equipment line-ups.
• Ensure design compliance — review our engineering partners' design sets for adherence to Orenda standards and consistency across engineering trades, and identify technical risks early in the design process.
• Serve as the team's senior technical resource, providing responsive support and resolving technical escalations for project management, permitting, and procurement.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to our engineering partners and internal staff, developing the team's capability to deliver work that meets Orenda's standards.
• Coordinate with Orenda's in-house Energy Management System (EMS) team to integrate SCADA and controls requirements into project designs and ensure field systems align with our platform.
• Support procurement with technical evaluation of OEM capabilities and product fitness, and review equipment submittals.
• Incorporate feedback from the Construction and Asset Management teams to continuously improve our design standards and specifications, closing the loop between field and operational performance and design.
• Provide technical oversight during commissioning to ensure assets are built and operate as intended.
• Support new product development — as Orenda deploys new technologies or enters new markets, provide engineering evaluation of technical feasibility and adapt our standards and specifications to the new requirements.
• Document and share good engineering…