Senior Performance Engineer

About this role

Are you ready to be part of a company that's not just talking about the future, but actively shaping it? Join The AES Corporation, the largest US-based global power company with a team of 8,300 employees across 12 countries.     AES has been  ranked #1 by BloombergNEF  in renewable energy sales to corporations in the US and Americas for five consecutive years, providing electricity for  millions of people worldwide.      We are proud to foster a strong workplace culture, earning prominent positions in Great Place to Work™ rankings across the markets where we operate. AES was also named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the 13th consecutive year in 2026, highlighting our dedication to integrity, transparency, and responsible business practices.   Our spirit of innovation continues to earn industry recognition. AES is the only seven-time winner of the Edison Electric Institute’s Edison Awards in the twenty-first century, a distinction honoring global leadership in advancing the electric power industry.    If you're ready to be part of a company that's not just adapting to change, but driving it, AES is the place for you. We're not just building a more sustainable future ,  we're powering it. Apply now and energize your career with a true leader in global energy. 

AES Clean Energy (CE) is seeking a Senior Performance Engineer to support the Hawaii O&M Engineering team by analyzing the performance characteristics of its rapidly growing portfolio of photovoltaic and battery storage projects (including DC-coupled and AC-coupled architectures) with microgrid functionality on the islands . The role directly supports projects that provide grid-forming operation, black-start capability, frequency/voltage regulation, and more.  This individual will play a pivotal role in ensuring that AES CE operates and maintains the portfolio to standards that exceed industry best-practice. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter and have the experience, ability, and interest in implementing programs and processes that will assure our operating practices achieve reliable, safe, and optimal generation.

At AES, we raise the quality of life around the world by changing the way energy works. Everyone makes an impact every day in our small, global teams. Apply here to start an extraordinary career today.

AES’s mission is to improve lives by accelerating a safer and greener energy future.  We are a global, agile, cohesive organization with an employee engagement level akin to a startup company.  AES businesses throughout the world are often recognized as great places to work.  Our people share a passion to help meet the world’s current and increasing energy needs, while providing communities and countries the opportunity for economic growth due to the availability of reliable, affordable electric power.

 A day in the life of a Hawaii-based AES CE Senior Performance Engineer will include, but is not limited to: Analyzing operational performance and trends of solar plus storage sites. Remotely investigating site performance and reviewing system design to investigate lost energy root causes. Leading coordination with Operations and Engineering teams to share insights of portfolio performance to inform maintenance priorities. Facilitating major site repairs and performance tests in accordance with production and capacity commitments. Investigating performance of microgrid functionality, including grid-forming and islanding testing and operations. Development of system models that represent the facility performance and functionality The Senior Performance Engineer supports a larger operations team and serves as the subject matter expert for technical and engineering matters related to the overall performance of photovoltaic plants and grid-scale battery storage systems. Excellent communication, task management, and planning skills needed, in addition to technical breadth.

While performance analysis is the primary qualification, the role will require the review of information related to all practical elements of photovoltaic and battery system design. The successful applicant, while not an expert, will be comfortable with high-level review of all elements of practical system design.

The position may include up to 10-15% travel to project locations and partner offices.

Key Responsibilities

Operations • Lead the transition from projects under construction to operating assets • Troubleshoot systems in operation and review system performance data to identify performance problems • Perform or review capacity, microgrid/islanding and performance ratio tests for projects in operation • Review production estimates and meteorological data sources for accuracy by comparing to operational data • Measure fleet performance against established KPI metrics and compare actual to forecasted performance • Produce monthly/quarterly/annual performance reports, inclusive of a detailed variance analysis. • Seek and evaluate proposals for analysis services and consultants where needed • Lead coordination of grid event analysis and impact to performance of on-site equipment • Analyze high-speed performance data to evaluate grid support compliance • Perform Job Safety Assessments and Safety Walks to identify job-site hazards

Collaboration • Collaborate with Operations and Engineering teams to identify underperformance and recommend improvements • Lead coordination of performance related Root-Cause Analyses • “Close the loop” between Operations and Engineering by recording and communicating issues that can be mitigated through better design • Utilize technology such as drones, thermal imaging and advanced analytics to reduce field labor and improve operational performance

Growth and Leadership • Participate in AES CE’s growth planning process by contributing to process improvement task forces and other strategic planning activities • Improve and develop processes for the execution of safe, quality and high-performance project

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