Software Engineer, Microgrid Controls Validation Engineer

Software Engineer, Microgrid Controls Validation Engineer

We’re a team of friends bound together by a mission to preserve our planet for future generations through innovative energy solutions and modern infrastructure. In December 2025, Google announced an agreement to acquire Intersect, to enable more data center and generation capacity to come online faster while accelerating energy development and innovation. After close, we’ll continue doing exactly what we were built to do - develop, construct, and operate the most ambitious power and data infrastructure in the country. Intersect’s operations will remain separate from Alphabet and Google under the Intersect brand. We’re on an aggressive growth trajectory and looking for people hungry to tackle the largest energy challenges on the planet.

Location & Team Gatherings

Intersect has been a fully flexible workplace since its founding in 2016. We’ve been very intentional about the way we do things. We are not work-from-home, hybrid, or in-office - we are any and all of those options! Deepening social connections and offering shared experiences is a cornerstone of the way we work. We connect as a team at our Team Week experiences four times a year and at our recently established Hub locations - SF Bay Area, NYC Metro Area, NY; Denver, CO; Houston, TX; Calgary, AB; and Toronto, ON. We are currently looking for candidates located within 60 miles of any of the listed hubs to foster more in-person connections while maintaining our flexible remote culture.

About This Role

As part of Intersect’s Microgrid Engineering team, you’ll define and implement the validation framework that ensures microgrid control software performs safely and reliably before it reaches the field. This role focuses on building simulation environments, validation tools, and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing that verify controls code across real-world operating conditions. Working closely with controls engineers, power systems engineers, utilities, and external partners, you’ll help ensure microgrid systems meet performance, compliance, and reliability expectations at scale.

Team Overview

This team plays a critical role in advancing Intersect’s mission to accelerate the clean energy transition, designing and operating systems that deliver reliable power at massive scale. The Microgrid Engineering team works across software, hardware, operations, and external stakeholders to validate complex systems under realistic conditions, ensuring safety, performance, and long-term operability. Joining this team offers hands-on exposure to advanced validation techniques and large-scale energy systems while contributing to work that has real-world impact.

What You’ll Do

• Develop software validation tools and simulation frameworks that exercise control algorithms across a full range of operating conditions, including failure modes, communication delays, and equipment faults.
• Define requirements and approaches for using real-time simulators for Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing.
• Automate test execution to create reproducible validation workflows and reporting tools.
• Design verification metrics that demonstrate control performance, safety, and compliance.
• Collaborate with engineering teams, utilities, and external stakeholders to define test cases and performance requirements.
• Validate both steady-state behavior and abnormal operating scenarios.
• Support analysis of field operating data to refine simulation models and identify edge cases.
• Integrate field learnings back into regression test suites to continuously improve validation coverage.
• Maintain a well-structured repository of validation assets, test artifacts, and documentation.
• Ensure clear version control, traceability, and repeatability across validation workflows.

What You’ll Bring

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 3–7+ years of experience in real-time system validation, embedded software testing, or SIL/HIL simulation.
• Ability to design automated test pipelines and verification metrics for real-time or embedded systems.
• Experience with simulation tools such as Simulink or Modelica and real-time simulators, including SIL, HIL, or comparable validation methods.
• Proficiency in industrial control and embedded languages such as C++, IEC 61131-3 Structured Text, SEL RTAC logic, CODESYS, Lua, Rust, or C.
• Experience with modern development practices including version control and automated validation workflows.
• Familiarity with utility grid interconnection and market requirements, particularly in ERCOT.
• A collaborative work style and the ability to work effectively with cross-functional technical teams.
• Strong attention to detail and a mindset focused on safety, quality, and system reliability.

Total Rewards

At Intersect, we care about your well-being, growth, and balance. Here’s how we support you:

• Total Compensation: USD$185,000 - $195,000 (total compensation includes base salary + bonus)
• Health & wellness: 100% premium coverage for you and your dependents on medical, dental, and vision
• Time to recharge: Unlimited PTO, plus two company-wide breaks (Fourth of July & end of year)
• Family support: Up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, plus 6 additional weeks for birth parents; access to family planning and family care support through Carrot and Maven
• Mental health: Free access to Spring Health, including 5 free therapy and psychiatry sessions, plus a Headspace account for mindfulness and meditation through our physical health vendor, Wellhub+
• Perks & extras: $150 monthly food stipend, $150 monthly reimbursement for cell phone and internet, pet insurance allowance, full home office setup, free access to UrbanSitter with $625 in quarterly company-paid credits, ActiveHero, and One Medical

Ready to apply your validation expertise to systems that power critical infrastructure at scale? Apply now and help ensure microgrid controls are tested, proven, and ready for real-world deployment.

Intersect maintains a work environment free from discrimination, one where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. All employees share in the responsibility for fulfilling Intersect's commitment to equal employment opportunity. Intersect does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by and consistent with applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. We adhere to these principles in all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, benefits, social and recreational programs, and discipline. We sometimes use AI-powered note taking tools during interviews to support our team. They're used only for documentation and don't replace human judgment.

Key skills/competency

• Microgrid Controls
• Validation Engineering
• Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) Simulation
• Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) Simulation
• Automated Testing
• Real-time Systems
• Embedded Software
• C++ Programming
• Simulink / Modelica
• Power Systems Engineering