About Redwood Materials
Redwood Materials was founded in 2017 by JB Straubel, co-founder and former CTO of Tesla, on a simple but radical idea: the critical minerals powering the energy transition already exist. They just need to come back. Today Redwood is the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America — recovering, refining, and redeploying critical minerals from end-of-life batteries back into the supply chain. On the energy side, Redwood has deployed the largest second-life battery project in the world, delivering power to AI data centers in months rather than years using proprietary energy architecture engineered entirely in-house. The company is profitable, the market it operates in is projected to grow 20 to 50 times over the next decade, and Redwood is the only company with the supply chain, the technology, and the operational scale to lead it.
Imagine being at the epicenter of the next great industrial shift. Just as the electric vehicle revolution redefined the car as a software-defined machine, Redwood Materials is redefining the global energy grid. We aren’t just managing batteries; we are building the "nervous system" for a circular energy economy.
Our San Francisco R&D team is architecting the transition from static, hardware-heavy infrastructure to dynamic, software-controlled ecosystems. We are proving that a sustainable, 100% renewable grid isn't just a goal—it’s a technical reality powered by superior control intelligence. We are looking for the "architects of the electron" to help us make fossil-fuel peaker plants a thing of the past.
Power Electronics Controls Engineer
As a Power Electronics Controls Engineer, you will lead the design and implementation of the intelligent "brains" for our next-generation Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and mixed-asset energy sites. You will be responsible for the entire journey of our control systems—from white-space conceptualization and advanced modeling to real-world grid impact. Your work will ensure that recycled and new battery assets work in perfect harmony to stabilize the grid and optimize high-power conversion at an industrial scale.
Responsibilities will Include:
- Software-Defined Power: Design and optimize advanced control algorithms for high-power BESS, focusing on grid-forming, grid-following, and complex multi-asset energy site synchronization
- High-Power Conversion Architecture: Develop bidirectional DC/DC and AC/DC control schemes for industrial-scale storage, ensuring peak efficiency, thermal stability, and safety across all operating modes
- Digital Twin Development: Build high-fidelity "Digital Twins" of power stages and grid environments using PLECS and MATLAB/Simulink to predict system behavior under extreme transient and fault conditions
- Virtual & Hardware Validation: Architect and lead comprehensive Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing environments (Opal-RT/Typhoon) to rigorously stress-test control firmware before deployment
- Circular Asset Integration: Collaborate with battery and systems teams to implement control strategies that optimize the performance and longevity of mixed-asset arrays, including the integration of recycled battery chemistries
- Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner closely with electrical, firmware, and thermal engineers to define the long-term roadmap for modern, resilient energy storage site controllers
Desired Qualifications:
- Educational Depth: MSc or PhD in Electrical Engineering with a specialization in Power Electronics Control Systems. (MSc requires 3+ years of relevant industry experience; PhD preferred)
- Topology Mastery: Deep theoretical and practical mastery of high-efficiency power conversion. You are an expert in resonant topologies (LLC, CLLC, DAB) and advanced multi-level architectures, specifically Flying Capacitor (FC) and Active Neutral Point Clamped (ANPC)
- Control Theory Expertise: Proven ability to design robust closed-loop controllers (Bode, Nyquist, State-Space) and implement them effectively on digital signal processors (DSPs) or microcontrollers
- Modern Toolchain:
- Expert-level MATLAB/Simulink and PLECS for modeling and simulation
- Strong proficiency in C for real-time embedded systems
- Experience with Python for automation, scripting, and data analysis
- Proactive Innovation: A self-driven attitude with the ability to navigate the ambiguity of a fast-paced R&D environment. You enjoy building the framework as much as you enjoy writing the code
- Grid Standards: Familiarity with grid-interconnection codes (e.g., IEEE 1547, UL 1741) and their implications for controls development is highly desirable
In accordance with California pay transparency laws, the salary range for this position is listed below. Actual compensation may vary based on a variety of factors, including experience, education, and skills.
The position is full-time. Compensation will be commensurate with experience.
We collect personal information (PI) from you in connection with your application for employment with Redwood Materials, including the following categories of PI: identifiers, personal records, professional or employment information, and inferences drawn from your PI. We collect your PI for our purposes, including performing services and operations related to your potential employment. If you have additional privacy-related questions, please contact us at [email protected].
Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
