Technical Program Manager, Power Systems

Job Description Program Manager, Power Systems

Role summary

The Program Manager, Power Systems owns delivery of our power conversion programs from concept to certified, field-ready products. You will run schedule, budget, scope and risk for power conversion systems (PCS), bidirectional inverters and DC-DC converters used in utility-scale solar PV and battery energy storage (BESS).

Key responsibilities

Program delivery

Lead power electronics projects through a stage-gate process: requirements, design, prototype, design validation (DVT), certification, production validation (PVT), and launch.

Build and maintain integrated master schedules, work breakdown structures and resource plans across hardware, firmware and test.

Own project budgets, including NRE, prototype builds, test equipment and certification fees; report variance monthly.

Run design reviews and gate reviews with clear entry and exit criteria.

Technical coordination

Translate customer, grid-code and site requirements into a controlled requirements baseline with traceability to test.

Coordinate interfaces with BESS container, battery/BMS, EMS/SCADA and plant controller teams.

Manage engineering change requests and configuration control across hardware and firmware releases.

Certification and compliance

Plan and track certification programs with NRTLs and test labs (e.g. UL, TÜV, Intertek, CSA).

Coordinate grid-compliance and interconnection testing, including model validation for utility studies.

Suppliers and manufacturing

Manage key suppliers and contract manufacturers for power modules (IGBT/SiC), magnetics, cooling and enclosures.

Track long-lead components and drive design-for-manufacture and production readiness.

Risk, quality and communication

Maintain risk and issue registers; lead DFMEA follow-up and root-cause investigations for test and field failures.

Report status, risks and decisions to engineering leadership and customer stakeholders.

Required qualifications

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a closely related field.

5+ years in hardware product development, including 3+ years managing power electronics projects (inverters, PCS, converters, drives or chargers).

Delivered at least one power electronics product from development through certification and production launch.

Working knowledge of power converter topologies, semiconductor devices, thermal management and control fundamentals, enough to judge technical trade-offs and schedule risk.

Experience managing budgets above $2M and cross-functional teams of 10+ engineers.

Proficiency with scheduling tools (MS Project, Smartsheet or Primavera) and issue trackers (Jira or equivalent).

Preferred qualifications

Master's degree in electrical engineering or an MBA.

PMP, PgMP or equivalent certification; experience with hybrid stage-gate and agile methods for hardware/firmware teams.

Direct experience with utility-scale solar inverters or BESS PCS (1 MW+ class, 1,500 VDC systems).

Familiarity with key standards and grid codes: UL 1741 (incl. SB), UL 62109, IEC 62109-1/-2, UL 9540 system integration, IEEE 1547-2018, IEEE 1547.1, IEEE 2800-2022, NERC reliability guidelines

Experience supporting interconnection model validation (PSS/E, PSLF, PSCAD) with utilities or ISOs.

Background in grid-forming inverter programs or wide-bandgap (SiC) product development.

Skills and competencies

Technical credibility: holds design reviews with power electronics, firmware and controls engineers, mechanical, and test engineers.

Schedule discipline: builds realistic plans around prototype cycles, lab slots and certification lead times.

Risk judgment: spots technical and supply risks early and forces decisions rather than tracking them passively.

Supplier leadership: negotiates scope, cost and delivery with component vendors, CMs and test labs.

Communication: writes clear status reports and presents trade-offs to executives and customers.

Benefits and Perks:

Competitive Compensation Package

Health Insurance: We offer 100% coverage of employee and 75% of dependent premiums under a Gold-level PPO plan. Dental & Vision Insurance: 50% of employee premiums are covered.

Retirement Plan: A 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match.

Additional Information:

Minimum salary of $210,000 to maximum salary of $260,000 + equity + benefits.

The range provided is 1AP’s reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount will be based on job-related and non-discriminatory factors such as location, experience, training, skills, and abilities. Consult with your Recruiter during the initial call to determine a more targeted range based on these job-related factors.

About 1st Avenue Power:

At 1st Avenue Power, we are on a mission to deliver simple, fast-to-deploy, customer-centric and intelligent power systems leveraging the abundance of solar to provide inexpensive and reliable clean energy to global customers from data centers to energy starved communities around the world. We envision a future where every community, business, and nation thrives on the limitless potential of clean energy, united in a shared commitment to a sustainable and equitable world.

You will be working with Dr. Tom Buttgenbach, one of the most successful clean energy technology innovators and entrepreneurs who has been a driving force in making solar-based energy solutions the cheapest and most reliable energy option. Tom founded and led Avantus (formerly known as “8minute Solar Energy“), to become one of the largest and most profitable solar and energy storage companies in the United States and the largest in California, including delivering over 17% of Los Angeles’ power.

When Tom sold his interest in Avantus’ development business to KKR in mid-2024, it had delivered over $1 billion in profit and secured over $10 Billion in power purchase agreements and project financings with a pipeline of over 30 GW of solar and 90 GWh of energy storage, capable of powering the homes of more than 20 million Americans day and night.

Tom’s family office investment firm, 1st Avenue Capital, is building teams for the next generation of advanced solar power system architecture and AI to aggressively drive down the cost of and equitable access to clean and reliable energy.[1] 1st Avenue’s advanced large scale power systems are addressing the increasing inadequacy of the grid to meet the massively growing power demands of the digital economy, while its intelligent distributed solar utilities are leapfrogging the grid to provide equitable access to inexpensive, clean and reliable power to underserved communities around the world.

1AI Energy, the employing entity for 1st Avenue Power, and 1st Avenue Power are committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee based on race (inclusive of traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, religion, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding), age, veteran or military status, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, reproductive decision-making, or any other legally recognized protected class under federal, state, or local law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.. Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on 1AI Energy or 1st Avenue Power. Please inform the company's personnel representative if you need assistance completing an application or to otherwise participate in the application process.

Join our team and make a real difference in the world.

[1: Additionally, 1st Avenue is in the business of acquiring projects where there has been a final notice-to-proceed or financial close.]

California Pay Range$210,000—$260,000 USD