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xAI is seeking a Lead Engineer for Battery Storage to design, build, operate, and maintain electrical infrastructure for AI training campuses. You will own the battery energy storage system (BESS) as a complete power plant, responsible for architecture, sizing, controls, safety, and grid-forming behavior that enables the campus to handle compute step loads and generation contingencies.
Key responsibilities include:
- Architecting the storage fleet: pack-to-MV-transformer grouping, string composition, medium-voltage topology, protection schemes, and physical layout per NFPA 855
- Translating compute duty cycles (step loads, training-job ramps, utilization patterns) into power and energy requirements
- Designing inverter control strategy: grid-forming vs. grid-following modes, droop, virtual inertia, fault-current contribution, and coordination with generation systems
- Specifying plant controller and energy management system (EMS) functionality: dispatch, state-of-charge management, peak shaving, spinning-reserve emulation, islanding, and black-start capability
- Developing the fire and life-safety case: UL 9540/9540A compliance, thermal runaway propagation analysis, deflagration venting, water supply, emergency response, and authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) engagement
- Managing OEM relationships: technical requirements, factory testing, performance guarantees, degradation and augmentation planning
- Building and leading the Battery Storage team: directing Design, Commissioning, Operations/Build, Network, Civil, and Program Manager functions as the team grows
Required qualifications: Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related discipline; 8+ years in power systems engineering; 4+ years on utility-scale or large commercial/industrial battery energy storage systems.
Preferred: Experience sizing storage against real duty cycles; knowledge of NFPA 855, UL 9540/9540A, IEEE 1547, IEEE 2800; utility-scale BESS fleet experience; deep understanding of grid-forming inverter control; PSCAD or EMT modeling experience; PE license or active pursuit; experience building engineering teams from first hire.
The role requires hands-on work in all environments, extended hours/weekends during construction and energization, 24/7 on-call support, and up to 25% travel for factory testing and vendor engagement. This is a full-time, on-site position in Memphis, TN.
