Sr. Engineer, Optimization Engineering

About Avantus

Avantus develops, owns and operates utility-scale clean energy projects across California and the Desert Southwest. Our development pipeline of solar with integrated storage will generate enough dispatchable power to serve more than 10 million Americans, day and night. Backed by strategic investment from KKR and EIG, and building on more than a decade of industry leadership, Avantus is growing its position as an independent power producer, delivering affordable, reliable clean energy solutions to meet America’s growing energy demand.

Senior Optimization Engineer will demonstrate industry knowledge, superior communication skills, and detail-oriented organizational skills. This role is critical to support projects from early-stage development through mid- and late-stage off‑taker and financing diligence. The person in this role will support production, design, and cost optimization throughout the full development process.

• Prospecting/Siting — Assess early-stage design trade-offs for site specific and regional guidance (considering factors such as DC/AC loading, GCR, equipment, land cost, expected COD year, etc.)
• PPA Bid/Competitiveness — Identify and model site‑specific conditions such as meteorological data, soiling, shading and other onsite conditions that may impact design and production; perform P50, P90, P99 and hedge type production assessments; lead cross‑functional design optimization efforts targeting the lowest LCOE; review technical requirements of PPA to guide negotiation and project risks; identify production and design levers to quantify risk and opportunities on project development and profitability;
  
  lead technical bid preparation and ensure team deliverables meet bid requirements; help assess PV+S design and dispatch optimization that meets off‑taker needs.
• Project Optimization Efforts — Perform due diligence on new technology with suppliers, EPCs and IEs to understand bankability, performance and design impacts; work on LCOE initiatives around design configuration, land utilization and equipment; present results of project design and cost optimization efforts to project stakeholders.
• EPC RFP and Value Engineering — Present key project specifications to EPC partners for detailed design process; guide and collaborate with the contractor to find site and EPC specific optimized design; review and negotiate technical exhibits such as capacity testing and technical commissioning (with the support of OEs); support commissioning and performance testing activities by reviewing data from EPCs and coordinating with IEs.
• Technical Diligence Through Project Financing — Provide technical and performance support through IE diligence and project financing; lead production reviews and coordinate on design, equipment and production topics to maximize project valuation.

• Strong PV production modeling experience (PVsyst, SAM, and/or pvlib, etc.)
• Basic energy storage modeling experience
• Comprehensive knowledge of solar and storage technology and components
• Commercially minded engineer focused on optimization for LCOE
• Ability to quantify risk and opportunities around unknowns in design and technology
• Basic understanding of the full solar development process
• Basic understanding of renewable project finance process
  
  Understanding of typical solar and storage PPA and market structures
• Thrives in a cross‑functional environment, able to guide discussion and identify dependencies between design, production, cost, land use, LCOE
• Data analysis experience in Excel (familiarity with Python also)
• Bachelor of Science in STEM
• 3+ years of experience in project or optimization engineering
• 3+ years of experience with renewable energy and solar development

Pay Range $138,089—$145,000 USD

Avantus offers competitive compensation with an excellent benefits package, including 401(k) matching, comprehensive medical and dental plan options, and flexible PTO.

We are an equal‑opportunity employer.