Senior Certification Engineer

over 2 years ago
Full time role
San Francisco, CA, US... more
San Francisco, CA, US... more

Company

SpanIO, based in San Francisco, is developing products to reduce the cost and complexity of adopting distributed energy systems. We ...

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Job Description

The Mission

The electrical grid was built to carry electricity unidirectionally from central fossil fuel plants to end consumers. As we transition to a renewable future built from rooftop solar and community storage, the grid itself needs an overhaul. Span’s goal is to re-invent the grid from a clean slate to enable that transition, envisioning a grid made of distributed control systems and software as much as copper wires.

To accomplish this, we are upgrading the breaker panel — the humble box sitting at the center of every building’s electrical wiring — to monitor, control, and make decisions about energy. This converts buildings from passive consumers in a centralized fossil fuel grid to active participants in the emerging distributed energy market.

Span’s unique commitment to clean-slate “right architecture” and our zealotry for top-caliber customer experience position us as domain leaders in envisioning the distributed grid and have allowed us to achieve rapid growth and high visibility in the industry in the three years since our founding.

The Role

As the first member of our compliance team, you’ll take Span’s next-generation product suite through certification. We’ll look to you to own relationships with NRTLs, win arguments about test plan, identify risk areas, and fly out to represent Span at NRTL test facilities. You’ll be given a large degree of ownership, autonomy, and leeway; for example we’ll look to you to suss out difficult tests, work with the design team to make sure we’ll pass them, and then work with a technician to run those tests in advance. Similarly, you’ll play a key role in deciding on Span’s certification strategy and participate in key early design decisions.

Responsibilities
  • Be a resident expert for key standards that Span is designing to (e.g. UL 67, UL 916, UL 1741 SA)

  • Manage relationships with and serve as primary point of contact to NRTLs

  • Take Span products through the full certification process, running tests and traveling to test facilities as needed

  • In collaboration with the design team, come up with and document certification strategy for Span products

  • Plan and execute pre-compliance testing at Span HQ

About You

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s/graduate degree in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, or related

  • 3+ years' professional, hands-on experience running compliance test and working with NRTLs

  • Experience taking a high voltage / power electrical product through the complete certification process

  • Solid basis in electrical and mechanical engineering fundamentals

  • Understanding of the “UL mindset” and the underlying rationale behind core hardware certification concepts (e.g. creepage and clearance, temperature testing)

  • Comfort working hands-on to build test setup (soldering, wiring harnesses, basic fabrication)

  • Fluency with lab electrical equipment (multimeter, oscilloscope, power analyzer, hipot testers)

  • Basic knowledge of Linux computers

Bonus Qualifications
  • Specific professional experience with standards for electrical (UL 67, UL 414, UL 508, UL 1699), solar inverter (UL 1741 / 1741 SA, UL 9540, UL 1699B), electric vehicle charging (UL 2231, UL 2594, UL 9741), or controls (UL 916, UL 60730)

  • Experience with National Electrical Code, smart-grid communications standards (e.g. IEEE 2030.5), utility standards (e.g. PG&E Greenbook), and/or metering standards (ANSI C12.20)

Life at Span

Span is a startup based in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco. We are a small, diverse team of creative thinkers. We value open communication, teamwork, and a make-it-happen attitude - no job is too big or too small. We strive to make change by imagining what the future could be and building a product to complete that vision. We are looking to grow our team with talented people who are on the same mission to shape the future of energy.

Working at Span, you can expect:

  • Competitive compensation at a well-funded, venture-backed company

  • Comprehensive benefits including a choice of medical plans; dental, vision, life and disability insurance

  • A sunny, airy office located close to BART and Caltrain public transit

  • Regular team lunches, brown bag learning opportunities, board games nights, and other opportunities to connect with teammates - in-person and now virtually

  • Equity grants at a quickly-growing startup

  • Flexible hours and vacation time - we simultaneously work hard and make space for the important stuff

  • To be a part of a team and culture that is hard-working, has a good sense of humor, values collaboration, and is just a little bit nerdy 

Span embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

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