Sr. Project Development Engineer, Data Center Power Systems, Tesla Energy

Tesla is leading the world's transition to sustainable energy through innovative energy storage solutions and renewable integration atan unprecedentedscale. As a Senior Project Development Engineer, you will be at the forefront of designing next-generation power infrastructure for mission-critical facilities.You'llwork on preliminary MV distribution concepts that integrate traditional reliability with cutting-edgerenewable energy and battery storage solutions.

This role sits at the critical intersection of early-stage project development and technical feasibility-where your work directly influences multi-million-dollarproposals andsetthe foundation for reliable, sustainable data center operations.You'llcollaborate with cross-functional teams including sales, project engineering, construction, and customer technical teams to translate complex power requirements into actionable, reliable preliminary designs.

This position is based in either Austin, Texas, or Palo Alto, California, with potential travel to project sites and customer facilities (~20-30%).

• Develop Preliminary MV Distribution Concepts:Create high-level one-line diagrams for data center electrical systems,establishingthe backbone architecture for mission-critical power delivery
• Design Redundancy Strategies:Plan andvalidateN+1, 2N, and other redundancy configurations to ensure 99.999% uptime targets are achievable within project constraints
• Integrate Renewables & Energy Storage:Develop hybrid PV/BESS tie-in options at the MV level,optimizingfor grid independence, cost savings, and sustainability goals
• Power Density Planning:Estimate power density requirements and develop scalable electrical distribution strategies that accommodate current and future rack-level loads
• UPS & Generator Coordination:Design preliminary integration schemes for uninterruptible power supplies and backup generation systems to ensure seamless power continuity
• Preliminary Analysis & Modeling:Utilize ETAP,EasyPower, or similar tools to perform load flow studies, short-circuit analysis, and arc flash assessments during the conceptual phase
• Grid Integration Studies:Evaluate utility interconnection requirements, renewable energy integration feasibility, and preliminary protection coordination schemes
• Support Proposal Development:Partner with business development and sales teams to create technically sound, cost-effective power supply solutions for early-stage customer engagementswhileidentifyingtechnical risks anddeveloping mitigation strategiesbefore contractual commitments areestablished
• Standards Compliance:Ensure all preliminary designs align with NEC, IEEE standards, and customer-specific mission-critical design criteria
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:Work closely with mechanical, civil, controls, and software engineering teams to ensure holistic system integrationwhile preparing designand technical specificationsfor deployment

• Degree inElectricalEngineering or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of experience in pre-construction or early-stage project development for mission-critical facilities (data centers, hyperscale facilities, colocation centers, or similar)
• Strong knowledge of NEC (National Electrical Code), IEEE standards (IEEE 1547, 3002, 493, etc.), and industry best practices for mission-critical electrical systemsincluding Uptime InstituteTier Classifications
• Proficiencywith electrical analysis software such as ETAP,EasyPower, SKMPowerTools, or equivalent for preliminary power system studies
• Experience designing conceptual redundancy architectures (N+1, 2N, 2(N+1), distributed redundant configurations)
• Working understanding of MV switchgear, transformers, UPS systems, and generator configurations for data center applications
• Experience with grid interconnection studies and preliminary renewable energy integration (PV, BESS, or hybrid systems)
• Excellent technical communicationskillsto present complex concepts to non-technical stakeholders and customers
• Proven ability to work in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with competing priorities