Lighting & Controls Solutions Specialist

Willdan Performance Engineering partners with public and private sector clients to deliver energy efficiency, decarbonization, and infrastructure modernization solutions. Our multidisciplinary teams integrate engineering, design, technology, and implementation to produce measurable performance outcomes. This role offers the opportunity to serve as a technical leader within Willdan's growing lighting and controls practice, contributing to high-impact projects while mentoring staff and advancing design excellence across the organization.

Willdan Performance Engineering is seeking a Lighting & Controls Solution Specialist to provide advanced technical expertise in lighting systems, networked lighting controls, and building automation system (BAS) integration. This position is designed for a highly experienced technical contributor who can immediately support project delivery, guide design development, mentor junior engineers, and serve as a trusted internal resource across performance engineering teams.

This is not a personnel management role, but requires leadership presence, mentorship capability, and strong cross‑functional collaboration. Success in this position includes delivering accurate, defensible lighting and controls designs; leading high‑quality field audits with rigorous QA/QC processes; developing practical procurement and deployment strategies; providing effective mentorship and technical leadership; producing high‑quality documentation and estimates; and fostering strong collaboration across internal teams and external partners.

• Lighting Design & Engineering
  • Lead and support development of interior and exterior lighting designs for retrofit and new construction projects.
  • Develop, review, and validate photometric analyses, lighting calculations, and performance models.
  • Support fixture selection, lumen packages, optics, and application strategies aligned with IES guidance and energy codes.
  • Review audit findings and existing conditions to inform defensible retrofit solutions.
• Field Audit Leadership & Deployment
  • Lead and conduct on‑site lighting and controls audits across a variety of facility types, including municipal, commercial, and institutional environments.
  • Develop and standardize audit deployment strategies, including field data collection protocols, scope sequencing, and resource allocation planning.
  • Establish and implement QA/QC processes for audit deliverables, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and defensibility of field data and energy savings assumptions.
  • Train and supervise field staff conducting lighting audits, providing technical oversight and quality review of collected data.
  • Regional and occasional national travel required to support field audit activities and client engagements; overnight travel expected.
• Controls & Networked Systems
  • Design and specify lighting control systems including Networked Lighting Control Systems (NLCs), standalone controls, room‑based controls, sensor strategies, and day lighting integration.
  • Support integration of lighting controls with Building Automation Systems (BAS), BACnet or equivalent protocols, and demand response/load management strategies.
  • Contribute to commissioning approaches and functional performance validation.
• Technical Leadership & Mentorship
  • Provide technical mentorship and guidance to junior engineers and designers.
  • Serve as subject matter resource for internal project teams.
  • Support skill development in lighting calculations, controls design, and system application.
  • Participate in design reviews, standards development, and quality assurance efforts.
• Estimating & Technical Documentation
  • Develop and review project estimates including equipment, controls, and labor assumptions.
  • Prepare basis‑of‑design (BoD) narratives and technical scopes.
  • Support preparation and review of drawings, specifications, and submittals.
  • Contribute to energy savings calculations and incentive documentation.
• Cross‑Disciplinary Collaboration
  • Support performance engineering teams across HVAC, electrification, and building systems.
  • Ensure lighting and controls solutions integrate effectively into holistic facility performance…