Community Energy Labs is seeking an Engineering Lead who’s a builder,
collaborator and a leader — someone technical and experienced enough to guide
a small, talented and tight-knit engineering team through early
commercialization and scale of our v1.0 product. You’ll work closely with the
founder and CEO (the product vision holder), customer success, operations and
a four person engineering team to scale our early product and processes from
tens to hundreds of buildings. This role is hands-on and high-impact: perfect
for an engineer who thrives at the intersection of design, code, real-world
assets, and who’s motivated by turning complex technology into reliable,
elegant products that delight customers and make an impact. WHAT WE DO
Community Energy Labs (CEL) develops AI-powered control systems that help
buildings interact with the grid and use energy when it’s clean, cheap, and
abundant — and less when it’s not. We currently focus on schools and community
buildings, which make up nearly 30% of U.S. commercial floorspace and often
lack the staff or budgets to manage energy effectively. Our platform combines
machine learning and advanced control algorithms to automate HVAC and building
energy management, optimizing for cost, comfort, and carbon reduction. We’re
now evolving from prototype to scalable product — including building a new,
modern user interface from the ground up — to scale clean-energy intelligence
from tens to hundreds of real-world sites. CEL’s work has been recognized by
the U.S. Department of Energy, NSF, USDA, California Energy Commission and
programs like Elemental Impact and Google for Startups. If you’re a hands-on
engineer who wants to tackle hard technical problems that directly fight
climate change, this is where your work matters. // ATTRIBUTES Proven
experience building and scaling deep-tech systems—IoT, ML, robotics, or energy
products that bridge hardware, software, and the real world Hands-on builder-
leader who can architect, code, and deliver while guiding a small team A
trusted engineering partner who listens to understand, clarifies intent, and
helps product and company partners make thoughtful engineering tradeoffs
between speed, quality, and impact Values disciplined simplicity—iterating and
refining systems until they’re elegant and reliable, with the judgment to know
when to move quickly and when to slow down for lasting quality Thrives in a
remote, transparent, high-trust culture where impact matters more than optics
Tenacious problem-solver who digs deep into hard problems—listening and
refining until the answer feels right, but humble enough to recognize when a
better idea wins Balances conviction and persistence with openness to feedback
and new information ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES // STRATEGY &
ALIGNMENT Understand CEL’s product vision and customer insights well enough to
offer feedback on technical, staffing and other constraints during product and
feature development Iterate toward clear, buildable specifications and right-
sized MVPs Effectively weigh and manage costs, including budgets, scope, and
technical debt Clearly communicate the tradeoffs of build versus buy decisions
Keep customers top of mind and product and engineering tightly aligned;
communicate roadmap progress, engineering risks, and priorities across the
company Connect business and technical strategy and mission with your team’s
daily work Partner with our CEO to keep our Product Playbook fresh and
relevant // TEAM LEADERSHIP & DEVELOPMENT Guide and grow a four-person
engineering team through the critical stage of scaling our v1 platform—from
successful pilots at ~10 sites to reliable deployment across hundreds Hire
thoughtfully, coach with candor, and uphold high standards of performance. You
know how to bring out the best in strong contributors and how to handle tough
performance conversations with clarity, empathy, and follow-through when
change is needed Maintain systems—ticketing, sprint rituals, time-
tracking—that improve velocity, clarity, and ownership among engineers and the
company at-large Model great time and task management skills Knows when to be
in the weeds and when to abstract up while making time for documentation and
clear communication Fosters a collaborative culture that links engineering,
product, and customer success into one feedback loop through OKRs, dashboards
and regular communication // TECHNICAL EXECUTION Lead the design and delivery
of software that makes complex building-energy systems simple, reliable, and
scalable—with humility and rigor, listening to those closest to the work,
testing assumptions, and refusing to “move fast and break things” when that
leads to suboptimal results Apply first-principles engineering to build robust
control, data, and ML architectures Establish and enforce best practices for
code quality, testing, data and release management Contribute hands-on when
needed—Python/AWS microservices—pair programming, refactoring, and reviewing
PRs to raise the bar for engineering quality Pursue simplicity and clarity in
every layer of the stack If you’re ready to help shape the future of low-
carbon buildings, we’d love to hear from you. // EXPECTED COMMITMENT AND
TRAVEL This is a fully remote role. To collaborate effectively and maintain
high-quality work, candidates are expected to have: stable, secure high-speed
internet connection suitable for video calls and development work; a
professional, distraction-free workspace; a two-monitor setup, along with an
external keyboard and mouse, to support productive, multi-window workflows.
Candidates able to collaborate effectively with US west coast time zones are
strongly encouraged to apply. California-based applicants are strongly
preferred but not required. This position may require some travel once per
quarter, but it is not a regular requirement of the job This position is a
full-time, salaried position // SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES Guide and support
CEL’s engineering team through a critical stage of growth. Act as the bridge
between business goals and technical execution—translating the CEO’s and
product team’s priorities into clear, buildable plans and day-to-day
engineering work. Provide practical coaching, feedback, and performance
support so each engineer has clarity, ownership, and room to do their best
work. // COMPENSATION $150,000 - $200,000 per year, commensurate with
experience Flexible work hours & PTO to support work-life balance Healthcare
reimbursement plan Potential for a combination of equity/compensation Culture:
CEL is building and supporting an intentionally diverse, inclusive, and
mission-driven team committed to real climate impact QUALIFICATIONS //
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or
equivalent practical experience with programming and architectural principles
Significant experience managing the full employee lifecycle, including hiring,
performance management, coaching, and, when necessary, letting folks go
Experience collaborating closely with product teams to deliver complex, cross-
domain software systems of systems // NECESSARY SKILLS/ABILITIES Collaborative
orientation toward partnering with CEO and product teams on priority and scope
Proven ability to lead software development and deployment efforts Sound
judgment and clear written and verbal communication habits. Communicates
clearly and listens well — able to explain technical tradeoffs to diverse
audiences. Adapts to rapid changes while providing steady guidance for the
team Demonstrated ability to mentor less senior engineers and staff Commitment
to making engineering an integral part of a broader, inclusive culture and
team Proficiency with modern languages and frameworks including Python,
FastAPI, Redis, PostgreSQL, and edge/IoT management and development tools.
Experience architecting cloud computing environments and managed services such
as AWS, Azure, or GoogleCloud Solid understanding of Agile, DevOps, and CI/CD
practices Strong analytical, debugging, and troubleshooting skills Familiarity
with hardware, networking, and device-level protocols sufficient to evaluate
drivers and make informed build-vs-buy decisions (e.g., Rust, C++, Modbus,
BACnet, TCP/IP, RS-232) // NICE TO HAVE BUT NOT REQUIRED 3+ years working in a
startup or small-team environment, or experience leading small, high-impact
engineering teams (often <15 people) or serving as an interim CTO / technical
founder who’s grown products from early pilots to scale. You’ve seen how
larger organizations operate but still prefer the builder phase—bringing the
humility and judgment to adapt practices to the stage rather than defaulting
to “how we did this at the last place I worked.” Experience scaling B2B or
enterprise IoT & SaaS applications from alpha to version 1.0 Exposure to
automation, building energy modeling, and/or energy/utilities and in
particular protocols specific to IoT, buildings, and energy (e.g., BACnet,
Modbus, DNP3, OpenADR) Experience collaborating with or managing Data Science
or AI/ML teams Full stack software development experience (5-10 years typical,
but equivalent skills and expertise just as valuable) Familiarity with data
pipeline and ETL design for ML or control systems. Able to balance scalability
and simplicity, making smart architecture decisions early. YES, THAT MEANS
YOU! // We’ve read the research and we know that certain underrepresented
groups in tech might read our post and think “Oh, gee, well I only have nine
out of ten qualifications.” If our mission and this job speak to you and you
have the interest and ability to work smart, learn, and grow with us then we
want you to apply for this job! Community Energy Labs is an *equal opportunity
employer** and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for
employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation,
gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability
status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other
characteristic protected by state or federal law.* APPLY NOW To ensure your
application is considered, kindly apply through the CEL website. Applications
submitted through other means will not be reviewed.