[Hiring] Principal SME, Utility & Grid Infrastructure @Vantage Data Centers

Role Description

This role can be based remotely anywhere in the US. Vantage is looking for a Principal SME, Utility & Grid Infrastructure, to help provide technical expertise and partner with the Energy Strategy team to enable implementation of power delivery across utility-facing and grid-connected infrastructure. This is a senior technical-authority SME role for someone who combines deep expertise in utility engagement, transmission and distribution systems, grid interconnection, substations, power quality, and regulatory considerations with the ability to work cross-functionally across complex, scaled environments.

• Be the technical authority for utility engagement, grid interconnection, transmission and distribution infrastructure, substations, power quality, utility tariffs, regulatory considerations, and grid-connected Energy Hub architectures within Product Engineering.
• Be responsible for the integrity, usability, and evolution of utility service technical standards, reference architectures, risk assessment frameworks, and decision criteria that improve scalable grid integration across global markets.
• Partner with regional leads on utility and grid strategy on commercial project implementation, including infrastructure readiness reviews, long-range site planning, cross-functional technical alignment, and feedback loops that improve future platform strategy.
• Serve as the technical partner to the Energy Strategy team by identifying utility-interface constraints, defining engineering requirements, validating study assumptions, and recommending practical mitigations that improve infrastructure readiness and support faster, lower-risk power delivery in target markets.
• Reduce technical, interconnection, delivery, and operational risk through clear standards and early engagement.
• Establish scalable technical frameworks, reference architectures, and decision criteria for Product Engineering.
• Improve cross-functional alignment between Product Strategy, Product Engineering, Development, Energy, Construction, Operations, and regional delivery teams.
• Influence future platform strategy through practical, technically grounded recommendations.
• Advance utility readiness, improve reliability, reduce interconnection risk, and inform long-term energy infrastructure strategy.
• Partner with Energy Strategy lead and develop utility engagement frameworks and best practices across multiple regions and utility providers.
• Provide technical input on utility tariffs, rate structures, regulatory considerations, and power procurement strategies.
• Support utility capacity assessments, infrastructure readiness reviews, and long-range site planning.
• Lead evaluation of transmission and distribution infrastructure requirements for large-scale data center developments.
• Assist in defining grid interconnection strategies, create technical standards, and risk assessment frameworks.
• Advise project teams on utility service configurations, reliability considerations, and capacity expansion planning.
• Establish product-level standards for utility substations and grid-connected power systems.
• Guide development of reference designs for medium-voltage and high-voltage utility interfaces.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and infrastructure approaches that improve scalability, resilience, and delivery certainty.
• Provide expertise on power quality, harmonics, voltage regulation, reactive power management, and system stability.
• Collaborate with electrical engineering teams to develop performance requirements and mitigation strategies.
• Support resolution of complex utility and grid integration challenges during design, delivery, and operations.
• Define grid-connected Energy Hub architectures supporting future energy strategies.
• Assess integration opportunities involving utility-scale generation, storage, and grid services.
• Support roadmap initiatives that enhance flexibility, capacity availability, and system reliability.
• Handle additional duties as assigned by management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in utility systems, transmission and distribution infrastructure, grid interconnection, or power system engineering.
• Deep knowledge of utility operations, grid planning, and substation design.
• Experience working directly with utilities, ISOs, RTOs, regulatory organizations, or large-load interconnection processes.
• Strong understanding of power quality, electrical reliability, grid stability, and large-scale power delivery requirements and transient modeling.
• Clear executive-level communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into practical business decisions.
• Travel required is expected to be up to 15% but may increase over time as the business evolves.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Experience supporting hyperscale data centers, industrial power systems, or large energy infrastructure programs.
• Familiarity with regional utility regulatory environments and energy market structures.
• Experience operating across multiple geographic regions and utility jurisdictions.
• Demonstrated ability to establish standards, reference architecture, and technical governance frameworks.

Physical Demands and Special Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop or kneel; talk and hear.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Additional Details

• Salary Range: $160,000 - $179,000 Base + Bonus (this range is based on Colorado market data and may vary in other locations).
• This position is eligible for company benefits including but not limited to medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and AD&D, short and long-term disability coverage, paid time off, employee assistance, participation in a 401k program that includes company match, and many other additional voluntary benefits.
• Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including your qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience and may fall outside of the range shown.