Optimal Control Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Location: San Francisco, CA (Remote/Hybrid Available)

What is Verse? 

The race to AI has become the race to power. Every breakthrough in artificial intelligence depends on one thing: access to electricity. But across the country, aging grid infrastructure and years-long interconnection queues are slowing the deployment of the data centers that will power the next generation of innovation. Solving this challenge isn't just about energy-it's about unlocking the future of AI.

At Verse, we're building the energy intelligence platform for the AI economy. Our software helps the world's largest energy consumers achieve faster, cheaper, and cleaner power by combining real-time control of energy assets with complete visibility into their energy portfolio. Backed by Bessemer Venture Partners, GV, Coatue, and NVIDIA, and built by pioneers in grid-scale batteries, energy markets, and enterprise software, we're redefining how the world's most ambitious organizations access and manage energy.

The Role

As a Software Engineer focused on Fleet Telemetry & Control at Verse, you will be working closely with our energy solutions partners to design, implement, and test distributed energy resource controls and telemetry software on customer hardware at sites around the world. You will be part of a dynamic, high-performance team building applications directly on bare-metal or on hardware-level virtualization platforms. As an advanced technical leader in  network programming and state management development, engineering teams will look to you for best standards and practices for interfacing with on-premises grid assets using solutions you will build and maintain.

Key Responsibilities

• Foster a culture and mindset of well-designed systems, test-driven software, and transparent communication with a high caliber of mutual respect and consideration for stakeholders
• Mentor and support career and junior level engineers in their fleet telemetry and control software career development
• Collaborate closely with energy solutions providers on their proprietary hardware and on-premises software stacks
• Design, implement, and test software for supervisory distributed energy resource control and telemetry applications with heterogeneous OEM hardware, sensor/actuator networks, and remote terminal units
• Develop high-performance, production-grade applications optimized for resource- and bandwidth-constrained environments
• Provide specifications for over-the-air (OTA) update of on-prem software and remote access solutions for customers
• Implement and enforce best security practices for critical infrastructure and cyber-physical systems

What We're Looking For (Minimum Qualifications)

• At least 5+ years of experience working directly on bare metal applications
• Technical leadership and commitment to delivering high quality software on time or ahead of schedule, and adhering to best software development practices
• Strong programming skills with systems languages such as C/C++, Rust or Go
• Comfortable working with scripting languages such as Shell or Python (understanding of Rust bindings for Python or similar a big plus)
• Advanced knowledge of communications solutions at all layers (L1-L7) in the OSI networking model
• Hands-on exposure to lightweight database engines such as SQLite, LevelDB, or similar
• Familiarity with SCADA systems, industrial automation software, PLCs, microcontrollers, and finite state machines
• Hardened security mindset with extensive experience in one or more technologies such as public key infrastructure, encryption, cryptography, and data privacy

What Will Make You Standout (Preferred Qualifications)

• A bachelor's degree or higher in a STEM field
• Advanced Rust programming knowledge
• Proficient with electric power systems and bulk electricity grid hardware (e.g. transmission, distribution, generation, storage)
• Comfortable building software on the Intel Atom family of processors or similar low-powered CPU environments
• Working knowledge applying first principles of model-predictive control, optimal control, robotics, and/or reinforcement learning
• Deep knowledge working with Modbus TCP or similar L5-L7 application layer networking protocol
• Technical proficiency working with industrial SCADA communications protocols such as DNP3 and the IEC 60870 and 61850 family of protocols
• Experience building resilient, fault tolerant applications on inherently unreliable / mesh networks with Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, 4G/5G cellular, broadband, fiber, or satellite links
• Experience with one or more battery energy storage technologies from Tesla, Sungrow, LG/NEC, or Fluence

What Makes Verse a Great Place to Work? 

• We lead with empathy. Empathy for our teammates and our customers is central to who we are. We lift each other up and strive to embody humility, selflessness, and kindness. We promote an emotionally aware attitude and culture by putting our colleagues and customers first. We respect the prior art and acknowledge those who have come before us. We never assume we know everything: every person has something to teach us.    
• We are open, honest, and transparent. Organizational and institutional trust is essential to tackling the world's most challenging problems. That trust is built on effective communication with our team, our customers, and other stakeholders. We are always receptive to feedback on how we could do better, and we strive to provide constructive recommendations that help others excel.  
• We move with balance and precision. Life is a delicate balance between the forces of creation, maintenance, and destruction. We understand that each of these forces must be applied with diligence: When we act, we act carefully and responsibly. Speed, hard work, and perseverance must be accompanied by thoughtfulness and reflection.  
• We are pursuing a labor of love. We are passionate about renewable energy technology, and we like to dream big. We are disrupting the largest and most expensive machine humanity has ever built - the electricity system. We believe the greatest impact we can have on the climate crisis is through building elegant solutions and exceptional products that delight our customers.

Base Pay Range

$150,000 - $240,000+

This is the estimated base salary range for this position, which does not include the value of benefits or a potential equity grant. A wide range of factors are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to level, skill sets, market conditions, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and business and organizational needs.

Benefits and Employee Perks 

• Competitive compensation and equity grant at a high-growth start up 
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental and vision insurance, and 401k 
• Flexible hours and unlimited PTO 
• Diverse and inclusive working environment 

Verse is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants and employees are considered for hire, promotion, and compensation without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital or familial status.