Energy Storage Communications Engineer

ESS is seeking an Energy Storage Communications Engineer in Oregon City, OR, to develop and implement communication interfaces for battery energy storage systems (BESS). The role involves managing control signals between energy assets, ensuring reliability and compliance with protocols. Key responsibilities include designing communication architectures, collaborating with integration teams, and supporting cybersecurity practices. Candidates should have a degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering and experience in energy systems integration.
Catalyzing a cleaner future.

At ESS (NYSE: GWH), our mission is to accelerate global decarbonization by providing safe, sustainable, long-duration energy storage that powers people, communities, and businesses with clean, renewable energy anytime and anywhere it's needed. As more renewable energy is added to the grid, long- duration energy storage is essential to providing the reliability and resiliency we need when the sun is not shining, and the wind is not blowing.

Our technology uses earth-abundant iron, salt, and water to deliver environmentally safe solutions capable of providing up to 12 hours of flexible energy capacity for commercial and utility-scale energy storage applications. Established in 2011, ESS Inc. enables project developers, independent power producers, utilities, and other large energy users to deploy reliable, sustainable long-duration energy storage solutions. For more information visit

is seeking a hands-on Energy Storage Communications Engineer to own the development and implementation of the communication interface subsystem responsible for translating and managing control and monitoring signals between our BESSs and third-party energy assets, including site controllers, solar/wind inverters, SCADA systems, and utility EMS platforms. This role bridges the digital communication layer between heterogeneous energy systems and our storage technology, ensuring high reliability, protocol compliance, and low-latency performance in real-world grid environments.

Key Responsibilities:

Own the architecture, design, and implementation of the BESS communication gateway subsystem.

Develop and maintain protocol translation logic between our native system protocols and external standards (e.g., CAN, PCAN, RTU-serial, TCP/IP, ethernet, Modbus, DNP3, IEC 61850, Sun Spec, OPC UA, IEEE 2030.5).Work with inverter vendors, solar/wind developers, and SCADA/EMS teams to ensure end-to-end communication interoperability.

Collaborate closely with BESS controls, software, and system integration teams to ensure tight synchronization between internal control logic and external site commands.

Design fail-safe communication architectures, including watchdogs, fallback states, and redundant links to meet grid reliability requirements.

Support the creation and enforcement of cybersecurity best practices in communication interfaces.

Troubleshoot real-time system integration issues during commissioning and

in the development of commissioning tools, diagnostics, and logging utilities related to communication performance.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.

Experience working in energy systems integration, preferably in battery energy storage, inverter development, or grid-tied renewable power systems.

Strong understanding of power system communication protocols: CAN, PCAN, RTU-serial, TCP/IP, ethernet, Modbus (RTU/TCP), DNP3, IEC 61850, OPC UA, Sun Spec, IEEE 2030.5.Experience implementing protocol translation on embedded platforms or industrial PCs using Python, C/C++, or IEC (e.g., Structured Text).Familiarity with site-level controls and supervisory systems (EMS, SCADA, or DERMS).Practical experience with commissioning tools such as packet sniffers, protocol analyzers, or serial bus monitors.

Familiarity with power system controls and telemetry signals (active/reactive power, frequency response, volt-var control, etc.).Working knowledge of cybersecurity principles for industrial communication (TLS, secure key exchange, firewall configuration).

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with renewable energy plant integration (PV + BESS or wind + BESS).

Experience with protocol gateway platforms (e.g., HMS Anybus, Moxa, Kepware, or custom Linux gateways).Knowledge of regulatory requirements or grid interconnection standards (e.g., IEEE 1547, CA Rule 21, FERC 841).

Experience with remote diagnostics, over-the-air updates, or edge computing for industrial assets.

Benefits of

addition to the value of working with and helping grow a global reaching clean technology, ESS offers Company assisted medical, dental and vision, 401k with Company match, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), a generous PTO accrual, and 8 paid holidays.

As an equal opportunity employer, we are open to considering every qualified candidate who is eligible and legally authorized to work in the United States on a full or part-time basis, without a need for sponsorship.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.

Duties , responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.#LI-RA1