Data Center Substation/Utility Engineering - Electrical at Lambda

San Francisco, California, United States

Lambda Logo
$185,000 – $327,000Compensation
Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level
Full TimeJob Type
UnknownVisa
Data Centers, AI Infrastructure, Energy, Cloud ComputingIndustries

Requirements

  • Deep command of HV electrical systems (69kV–500kV), including substation designs (bus configurations, breaker schemes, transformer sizing, reactive compensation, protection systems, SCADA integration, grounding)
  • Strong understanding of large-scale diesel and natural gas generator plants (microgrid), including generator control systems, load sharing, load shedding, black start capabilities, transient response, dynamic stability, emissions systems (SCR, DEF, CO/NOx compliance), utility parallel operation, demand response, and curtailment strategies
  • Knowledge of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and renewable resource integration (solar, fuel cells)
  • Expertise in transmission interconnections, line tap arrangements, relay protection and control philosophies, metering schemes, revenue-quality instrumentation, insulation coordination, equipment BIL requirements, substation communication protocols (IEC 61850, DNP3, Modbus), arc-flash, fault current, and short-circuit design considerations
  • Experience with utility coordination, EPC oversight, regulatory compliance (NERC/FERC, state frameworks), and lifecycle management for mission-critical substations
  • Ability to establish and maintain relationships with utilities, ISOs/RTOs, and transmission owners; lead interconnection negotiations and technical discussions
  • Skills in load flow and stability studies, short circuit and protection coordination, transmission planning requirements, and interconnection application strategy

Responsibilities

  • Provide technical oversight and governance for all HV substation designs (69kV–500kV) and transmission systems; guide site selection with powered land and self-build infrastructure
  • Oversee design and performance criteria for generator systems, utility parallel operation, and related strategies
  • Determine technical standards for transmission interconnections, protection, metering, insulation, communication protocols, and fault considerations
  • Lead review and approval of major engineering deliverables (one-line diagrams, schematics, relay settings, coordination studies, switching/grounding/lightning plans)
  • Guide technical investigations and root-cause analysis for power system events, outages, and equipment failures
  • Establish and maintain relationships with utilities, ISOs/RTOs, and transmission owners; lead interconnection negotiations from feasibility through energization (including studies, coordination, planning, and milestone tracking)
  • Ensure program decisions align with utility standards, NERC/FERC requirements, and state regulatory frameworks
  • Direct execution of multiple HV substation and transmission projects, ensuring engineering integrity, equipment standardization, construction quality, and delivery safely, on time, and within budget
  • Oversee EPC contractor selection (behind the meter or traditional utility interconnection), factory acceptance

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

HV Substation Design69kV-500kV SystemsTransmission InterconnectionsGrid IntegrationProtection SystemsSCADAGroundingTransformer SizingReactive CompensationBus ConfigurationsBreaker SchemesBESSMicrogridEPC OversightUtility Coordination

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the salary range for this Data Center Substation/Utility Engineering position?

The salary range is $185K - $327K.

Is this role remote or hybrid, and what are the location preferences?

The position is hybrid and prefers presence in Lambda's Bay Area office locations, but is open to remote for the right candidate.

What key skills and expertise are required for this electrical engineering role?

The role requires deep expertise in HV substation designs (69kV–500kV), including bus configurations, breaker schemes, protection systems, SCADA integration, utility coordination, generator control systems, transmission interconnections, and relay protection.

What is the company culture like at Lambda?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What makes a strong candidate for this Data Center Substation/Utility Engineering role?

Strong candidates will have strategic, technical, and executive leadership in high-voltage substation, transmission, and power-generation programs, with deep command of HV electrical systems, utility coordination, EPC oversight, and experience in multi-site programs.

Lambda

Cloud-based GPU services for AI training

About Lambda

Lambda Labs provides cloud-based services for artificial intelligence (AI) training and inference, focusing on large language models and generative AI. Their main product, the AI Developer Cloud, utilizes NVIDIA's GH200 Grace Hopper™ Superchip to deliver efficient and cost-effective GPU resources. Customers can access on-demand and reserved cloud GPUs, which are essential for processing large datasets quickly, with pricing starting at $1.99 per hour for NVIDIA H100 instances. Lambda Labs serves AI developers and companies needing extensive GPU deployments, offering competitive pricing and infrastructure ownership options through their Lambda Echelon service. Additionally, they provide Lambda Stack, a software solution that simplifies the installation and management of AI-related tools for over 50,000 machine learning teams. The goal of Lambda Labs is to support AI development by providing accessible and efficient cloud GPU services.

San Jose, CaliforniaHeadquarters
2012Year Founded
$372.6MTotal Funding
DEBTCompany Stage
AI & Machine LearningIndustries
201-500Employees

Risks

Nebius' holistic cloud platform challenges Lambda's market share in AI infrastructure.
AWS's 896-core instance may draw customers seeking high-performance cloud solutions.
Existential crisis in Hermes 3 model raises concerns about Lambda's AI model reliability.

Differentiation

Lambda offers cost-effective Inference API for AI model deployment without infrastructure maintenance.
Nvidia HGX H100 and Quantum-2 InfiniBand Clusters enhance Lambda's AI model training capabilities.
Lambda's Hermes 3 collaboration showcases advanced AI model development expertise.

Upsides

Inference API launch attracts enterprises seeking low-cost AI deployment solutions.
Nvidia HGX H100 clusters provide competitive edge in high-performance AI computing.
Strong AI cloud service growth indicates rising demand for Lambda's GPU offerings.

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