Data Center Power Generation and Microgrids Engineer

About the role

Training and serving frontier AI models requires compute infrastructure at a scale and density that pushes past what conventional data center designs were built to handle. The loads involved are large enough — and arrive fast enough — that utility supply alone often can't meet the need on the timeline required, and the step-load behavior of large accelerator clusters creates power-quality and ride-through demands that conventional backup-generation designs weren't built for. Anthropic's Data Center Infrastructure team is responsible for solving that problem: delivering facilities that can be energized early, ride through grid disturbances, and present a well-behaved load at the point of interconnection (POI).

As a Data Center Power Generation & Microgrids Engineer, you'll own the behind-the-meter generation and storage architecture for Anthropic's data center portfolio. That means the on-site generation fleet — reciprocating engine gensets, gas turbines, fuel cells — and the battery energy storage systems that buffer load steps and provide ride-through. It means the microgrid layer that ties them together: islanding and resynchronization, black-start, load-shedding, and generation dispatch. And it means the grid side: interconnection studies and agreements, IEEE 1547/2800 compliance, and power quality at the point of interconnection. You'll also own our temporary- and bridging-generation strategies — the plans that let a site energize and start serving load before permanent utility service is available, and transition cleanly once it is.

This is a deeply cross-functional role. You'll work closely with colleagues across the infrastructure team on where and how generation and storage tie into the site electrical distribution, controls, and SCADA, and with our hardware and compute teams to understand the load characteristics you're designing against. You'll be Anthropic's technical counterpart to on-site generation providers, BESS integrators, utilities, and ISOs/RTOs. Expect roughly 20–35% travel for design reviews, factory witness testing, and site startup.

You may be a good fit if you

• Have 10+ years of engineering experience in power generation, microgrids, battery energy storage, or utility interconnection, with substantial time spent on on-site or distributed generation for mission-critical, data center, or large industrial loads, and deep hands-on delivery experience in at least one of these areas (generation, storage, microgrids, or interconnection)

• Have 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

• Understand the thermal generation asset classes — reciprocating engines across the size range (sub-MW through 10–20 MW units), small- and medium-frame combustion turbines, and combined cycles — and how each responds to fast load changes and holds stable islanded operation

• Understand 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

• Understand microgrid architecture end to end — islanding detection and transition, resynchronization, black-start, load-shedding, and generation dispatch

• Are fluent in interconnection standards and processes — IEEE 1547, IEEE 2800, utility interconnection requirements, and ISO/RTO study and queue processes

• Are comfortable running or critically reviewing power-system studies — load flow, short-circuit, transient stability, and power quality — in tools such as ETAP, SKM, PSS®E, PSCAD, or EasyPower

• Hold a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Engineering, or a closely related field, or have equivalent practical experience; Professional Engineer (PE) licensure is valued but not required

• Have worked directly with generation OEMs, BESS integrators, generation-as-a-service providers, or utilities, and can evaluate equipment and proposals on technical merit rather than datasheet claims

• Communicate clearly with technical peers, utilities, regulators, and non-specialist stakeholders, and are results-oriented with a bias toward practical solutions and a willingness to pick up work outside your core remit when the team needs it

Strong candidates may also 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 — main one-line development, equipment specification, grounding, and layout — since on-site generation and storage tie in at the substation and the two scopes are tightly coupled

• A protection-engineering background covering generation and interconnection protection — relay selection and settings, anti-islanding schemes, and coordination between on-site sources and 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 other large-campus microgrids, or at a generation provider, BESS integrator, or developer serving those customers

• A track record of authoring generation or interconnection reference designs or standards that were adopted across multiple sites or by external partners