Data Center Power Generation and Microgrids Engineer

Overview

Own behind-the-meter generation, energy storage, microgrid architecture and grid interconnection for Anthropic's data center portfolio, including temporary and bridging generation strategies that allow early site energization.

What you'll do

• Own Anthropic's behind-the-meter generation architecture across the portfolio, including prime-mover selection and sizing (reciprocating engines, gas turbines, fuel cells), paralleling topology, redundancy, fuel systems, and emissions controls, and maintain the generation basis of design and technical specifications.
• Set the day-one vs. day-N plant sizing and expansion strategy, including how to add units, storage, or a grid tie to a system already running.
• Characterize the data center load for external generation partners, including step changes, ramps, oscillation, fault behavior, and non-IT load.
• Model generation response against large-scale ML training load profiles, including step-load acceptance, block loading, transient frequency and voltage response, and load rejection, and set acceptance criteria (e.g., per ISO 8528-5).
• Develop temporary and bridging generation strategies for early site energization ahead of permanent utility service, including sequencing, protection, and controls changes needed to transition to permanent power.
• Ensure generation designs meet NFPA 37, NFPA 110 where applicable, fuel-gas and fuel-storage codes (e.g., NFPA 54, NFPA 30), and applicable emissions requirements, and coordinate technical inputs to air permits.
• Size and specify battery energy storage systems for ride-through, step-load buffering, and power-quality support, including cell chemistry, enclosure, inverter selection (grid-forming vs. grid-following), UL 9540, UL 9540A, and NFPA 855 installation requirements, and own the thermal and fire-protection interfaces.
• Define the site microgrid topology and operating modes (grid-parallel, islanded, black-start) and transition logic, including load-shedding, resynchronization criteria, and utility separation and reconnection conditions.
• Specify functional requirements for the microgrid controller, including generation dispatch, set-point coordination, and mode management, and drive its implementation, testing, and integration into site SCADA and the EPMS.
• Help define protection and control requirements for generation and storage sources so interconnection protection, anti-islanding, and source-transfer schemes are consistent through the point of interconnection.
• Lead the technical side of utility interconnection, including applications, studies, agreements, ISO/RTO processes, IEEE 1547/2800 compliance, and interconnection protection.
• Own power quality at the point of interconnection, including flicker per IEEE 1453, harmonics per IEEE 519, voltage regulation, and reactive-power and power-factor requirements, and design mitigations.
• Run or critically review power-system studies, including load flow, short-circuit contribution, transient stability, motor-starting and step-load studies, and electromagnetic-transient studies.
• Lead technical due diligence on on-site generation providers, BESS integrators, and microgrid-controller vendors, including stress-testing performance and availability guarantees.
• Define technical performance terms in energy-services agreements (availability, power quality, ramp, ride-through), each with definition, meter, test protocol, and acceptance criteria, working with energy commercial and legal counterparts.
• Review and disposition design packages, submittals, shop drawings, and deviation requests from generation providers and EPCs.
• Support commissioning, witnessing factory and site acceptance tests and defining and observing integrated systems tests (islanding, resynchronization, black-start, load-step).
• Manage concurrent generation and microgrid scopes across multiple sites and contribute to continuous improvement of generation and interconnection design standards.

What you'll need

• 10+ years of engineering experience in power generation, microgrids, battery energy storage, or utility interconnection, with substantial on-site or distributed generation experience for mission-critical, data center, or large industrial loads, and deep hands-on delivery experience in at least one of these areas.
• Deep hands-on experience with one or more generation technologies: reciprocating engine gensets (diesel and natural gas), gas turbines, or fuel cells, including sizing, paralleling, fuel systems, and emissions controls.
• Understanding of thermal generation asset classes (reciprocating engines from sub-MW through 10–20 MW, small- and medium-frame combustion turbines, and combined cycles) and how each responds to fast load changes and holds stable islanded operation.
• Understanding of battery energy storage sizing for a defined duty (ride-through, load-step buffering, peak shaving), inverter selection (grid-forming vs. grid-following), UL 9540 listing, UL 9540A test data, and NFPA 855 installation requirements.
• Understanding of microgrid architecture end to end, including islanding detection and transition, resynchronization, black-start, load-shedding, and generation dispatch.
• Fluency in interconnection standards and processes: IEEE 1547, IEEE 2800, utility interconnection requirements, and ISO/RTO study and queue processes.
• Comfort running or critically reviewing power-system studies (load flow, short-circuit, transient stability, power quality) in tools such as ETAP, SKM, PSS®E, PSCAD, or EasyPower.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Engineering, or a closely related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Experience working directly with generation OEMs, BESS integrators, generation-as-a-service providers, or utilities, and the ability to evaluate equipment and proposals on technical merit.
• Clear communication with technical peers, utilities, regulators, and non-specialist stakeholders, and a results-oriented, practical approach.

Nice to have

• Designed or delivered battery energy storage systems at MW scale.
• Specified or commissioned a microgrid controller for a site that can island and resynchronize.
• Taken at least one large load or generation interconnection from application through agreement.
• HV/MV substation design experience, including main one-line development, equipment specification, grounding, and layout.
• Protection-engineering background covering generation and interconnection protection, including relay selection and settings, anti-islanding schemes, and coordination with utility protection.
• Experience integrating renewable generation (solar PV, wind) with storage into hybrid behind-the-meter plants.
• Experience on the technical side of air permitting for stationary generation (e.g., Title V, NSR/PSD, or state equivalents) and emissions-control equipment selection.
• Electromagnetic-transient (EMT) modeling experience in PSCAD or EMTP for inverter-based resource and microgrid-transition studies.
• Direct experience with data center, hyperscaler, or large-campus microgrids, or at a generation provider, BESS integrator, or developer serving those customers.
• Track record of authoring generation or interconnection reference designs or standards adopted across multiple sites or by external partners.

Details

• Expected travel of roughly 20–35% for design reviews, factory witness testing, and site startup.
• Location: Remote-Friendly, United States.
• Staff are expected to be in an Anthropic office at least 25% of the time; some roles may require more.
• Annual salary range: $320,000 – $405,000 USD.
• Visa sponsorship is available for some roles and candidates.