Full-Time

Optimization Engineer

Grid Systems

Updated on 9/12/2026

GridCARE

GridCARE

51-200 employees

Grid capacity-driven AI data centers

Compensation Overview

$140k - $220k/yr

+ Performance bonus + Equity

Redwood City, CA, USA

Hybrid

Three days on-site per week required.

Master's

Category
Software Engineering
Required Skills
Python
Data Structures & Algorithms
Julia

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Requirements
  • A Master's degree or equivalent experience in a quantitative field such as engineering, computer science, applied math, physics, or operations research.
  • Strong fundamentals in math, algorithms, and software engineering.
  • Experience writing production-quality code in a language such as Python or Julia.
  • Experience with optimization solvers, simulation tools, and large-scale numerical workflows.
  • Ability to reason from first principles and learn unfamiliar technical areas quickly.
  • Strong debugging, communication, and collaboration skills.
  • Ability to effectively leverage modern artificial intelligence tools and workflows to accelerate model development, experimentation, and software engineering.
  • 1–5 years of industry experience, or equivalent applied research experience, in optimization, modeling, simulation, or scientific software development.
Responsibilities
  • Build optimization and simulation software for large-scale electric grid planning and operations problems.
  • Develop models and algorithms for resource scheduling, network constraints, system reliability, and large-scale operational planning.
  • Translate mathematical ideas into clear, tested, maintainable code.
  • Analyze computational performance, identify bottlenecks, and improve reliability.
  • Learn, customize, and fine-tune optimization algorithms.
  • Work with real-world data and constraints from large physical systems.
  • Collaborate across software engineering, applied artificial intelligence, and power systems.
  • Take ownership of important modeling and optimization challenges.
Desired Qualifications
  • Exposure to power systems, energy markets, or the utility industry.
  • Exposure to optimization, operations research, numerical methods, scientific computing, or large-scale infrastructure systems.
  • Interest in electricity infrastructure, climate, energy, or industrial artificial intelligence.

GridCARE provides a platform that helps AI infrastructure developers and utilities optimize power access. It uses generative AI and grid-physics models to analyze grid data and identify underutilized capacity in existing networks, enabling a power-first site selection. This approach shortens time-to-power for AI data centers from 5–7 years to as little as 6–12 months by revealing ready-to-use locations and interconnection opportunities. Revenue is earned based on the megawatts of power capacity unlocked when a developer and utility contract, aligning incentives to maximize asset use and enable scalable, reliable AI infrastructure.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series A

Total Funding

$77.5M

Headquarters

Redwood City, California

Founded

2024

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • May 2026 Series A raised $64 million from Sutter Hill and John Doerr.
  • PGE unlocked 400 megawatts; first 80 megawatts arrives in 2026, proving execution.
  • Over two gigawatts across dozen markets create expansion optionality and category leadership by 2027.

What critics are saying

  • Revenue depends on utility contracts; one failed interconnection pilot kills enterprise momentum by 2027.
  • Hyperscalers can bypass GridCARE with batteries, on-site generation, and direct utility lobbying.
  • Siemens, Schneider Electric, and specialized grid software vendors can replicate features and compress margins.

What makes GridCARE unique

  • GridCARE's Energize platform turns utility grid physics into site selection for AI load.
  • Stanford founders Amit Narayan, Ram Rajagopal, and Arun Majumdar bring rare grid credibility.
  • National Grid and Portland General Electric validate a utility-first model competitors lack.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Company Equity

Hybrid Work Options

Flexible Work Hours

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

11%

1 year growth

11%

2 year growth

13%
Business Wire
May 15th, 2026
GridCARE Raises $64 Million Series A from Leading AI and Energy Investors to Create a New Category: Power Acceleration for AI

GridCARE raised a $64M Series A led by Sutter Hill Ventures and John Doerr, highlighting that power, not compute, is AI's bottleneck.

Latitude Media
May 14th, 2026
Gridcare raises an oversubscribed $64-million Series A

The grid intelligence startup uses AI to unlock capacity and get data centers connected faster.

Benzinga
May 14th, 2026
GridCARE raises $64M Series A led by Sutter Hill Ventures to unlock hidden grid capacity for AI data centres

GridCARE has raised $64 million in an oversubscribed Series A round led by Sutter Hill Ventures and John Doerr, marking a significant valuation increase from its previous round less than a year ago. The financing included National Grid Partners, Future Energy Ventures, Emerson Collective and Stanford University. The company has developed GridCARE Energize, a physics-based AI platform that identifies unused capacity in existing power grids to accelerate energy delivery to data centres. The technology compresses interconnection timelines from years to months by analysing grid conditions in real time. GridCARE is currently engaged in projects spanning over 2 gigawatts of AI compute capacity across more than a dozen markets. A recent project with Portland General Electric unlocked over 400 megawatts of capacity in Hillsboro, Oregon, with the first 80 megawatts arriving in 2026.

Yahoo Finance
Apr 10th, 2026
National Grid partners with GridCARE to slash data centre grid connection times from years to 6-12 months

National Grid has partnered with GridCARE to accelerate connections of large-load customers, such as data centres and manufacturers, to the power grid. The collaboration aims to reduce traditional interconnection delays from several years to six to 12 months. The partnership utilises GridCARE's AI-driven Energize platform, which employs generative AI and physics-based simulations to identify underutilised capacity within existing infrastructure. The technology evaluates quadrillions of operating scenarios to find conditions where the grid is underused, integrating operational strategies like battery storage to unlock hidden capacity. GridCARE, founded at Stanford's Doerr School, has reportedly unlocked over $10 billion in economic value by bringing hundreds of megawatts of power online ahead of traditional schedules. The initiative focuses initially on New York whilst supporting economic growth and customer affordability.

Insider Monkey
Apr 9th, 2026
5 most profitable value stocks to buy right now.

5 most profitable value stocks to buy right now. Published on april 9, 2026 at 11:34 am by maham fatima in news. Page 1 of 5 5. National Grid (NYSE:NGG) $90.33 +0.41%. National Grid (NYSE:NGG) is one of the most profitable value stocks to buy right now. On March 25, GridCARE and National Grid announced a collaboration to accelerate the connection of large-load customers, such as data centers and manufacturers, to the power grid. By using the AI-driven GridCARE Energize platform, the partnership aims to identify underutilized capacity within existing infrastructure, particularly in New York. This approach targets reducing traditional interconnection delays from several years to as little as 6 to 12 months without compromising grid reliability. The tech uses GenAI and physics-based simulations to evaluate quadrillions of operating scenarios, identifying specific conditions where the grid is underused. By integrating operational strategies like battery storage and distributed energy assets, the platform unlocks hidden megawatts from assets that currently operate at roughly one-third utilization. This strategy allows utilities to deliver power to high-demand AI and industrial projects using infrastructure that is already built and paid for. The initiative is designed to support economic growth while protecting customer affordability by spreading fixed network costs across a broader load base. GridCARE, founded at Stanford's Doerr School, has reportedly unlocked over $10 billion in economic value to date by bringing hundreds of megawatts of power online years ahead of traditional schedules. National Grid (NYSE:NGG) is a utilities company that transmits and distributes electricity and gas. The company has several segments: UK Electricity Transmission, UK Electricity Distribution, New England, New York, National Grid Ventures, and Other. Page 1 of 5 Related Insider Monkey Articles