Director, Systems Engineering

Title:

Director, Systems Engineering

Location:

Toronto, ON Job Type: Full-Time - Hybrid (3+ days/week in office) Travel Requirement:
Approximately 10% Position Type:
Net New Join the Future of Reliable Energy!

Are you ready to shape the future grid? Hydrostor, a leading energy storage, technology and infrastructure company dedicated to developing utility-scale, long-duration energy storage solutions, is seeking a Director, Systems Engineering to join our team in Toronto. We’re supporting the development of a more resilient electricity grid and invite you to be at the forefront of this work!

Our cutting-edge A-CAES technology is uniquely poised to revolutionize the energy landscape. Join us as we lead the way in shaping a reliable and secure energy future.

At Hydrostor, we're accelerating the transition to a clean energy future through our Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) technology. We're looking for a Director, Systems Engineering to establish and lead our Systems Engineering function, bringing structure, technical rigour, and scalability to the development and delivery of our projects and technology platform.

Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, you will define how requirements, interfaces, technical risks, configuration management, verification, and design decisions are managed across our organization. You'll work closely with engineering, project delivery, operations, supply chain, and external partners to ensure we're building the right solutions and creating a repeatable foundation for future growth.

This role is ideal for an experienced systems engineering leader who has built or matured systems engineering practices within complex technical environments. While energy industry experience is welcome, we are equally interested in candidates from industries such as aerospace, defence, rail, automotive, industrial automation, advanced manufacturing, nuclear, or other highly integrated engineering sectors.

• Build, lead, and continuously evolve Hydrostor's Systems Engineering function, establishing scalable processes, standards, and best practices that support both technology development and project execution.
• Develop and maintain frameworks for requirements management, technical integration, interface management, verification and validation, configuration management, and technical risk management.
• Partner closely with Engineering, Project Delivery, Operations, Asset Management, and Supply Chain teams to ensure systems engineering principles are embedded throughout the project lifecycle.
• Provide technical leadership across complex, multidisciplinary projects, ensuring alignment between stakeholder needs, technical requirements, design decisions, and operational objectives.
• Establish and oversee interface management practices across internal teams, external engineering partners, EPC/EPCM contractors, OEMs, and suppliers to support seamless project execution.
• Lead technical reviews and governance activities, helping teams evaluate design maturity, manage risk, and make informed engineering decisions throughout project and product development.
• Drive the development of verification and validation strategies to ensure systems perform as intended and meet business, operational, regulatory, and customer requirements.
• Support the transition from project-specific execution to a more standardized and repeatable product platform by promoting the reuse of requirements, technical knowledge, design standards, and lessons learned.
• Champion effective configuration and change management practices to maintain technical integrity across project, product, and operational environments.
• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing Systems Engineering team, fostering a collaborative culture focused on technical excellence, continuous improvement, and innovation.
• Act as a trusted advisor to the CTO and senior leadership team, providing guidance on technical strategy, risk, systems integration, and organizational capability development.
• Promote a practical, value-driven approach to systems engineering that balances rigor with agility and enables successful delivery of Hydrostor's advanced energy storage projects.

You are a strategic and hands-on engineering leader who thrives in complex environments where technology, projects, and people intersect. You understand how to connect technical disciplines, manage competing priorities, and create systems that enable successful project execution at scale.

You bring a practical approach to systems engineering, knowing when structure and rigor are needed and when flexibility is required. You enjoy building capabilities, influencing stakeholders, developing talent, and solving challenging technical problems that have a meaningful impact.

Most importantly, you're energized by the opportunity to help shape the future of long-duration energy storage and contribute to the growth of a company delivering innovative clean energy…