Senior Electrical Design Engineer

Help us use technology to make a big green dent in the universe!

Kraken powers some of the most innovative global developments in energy.

We create the technology that redefines utilities and unlocks a new energy system of the future. By optimising renewable generation, building a more intelligent grid, and empowering utilities to deliver an exceptional customer experience, our operating system is transforming the industry worldwide.

It’s an incredibly exciting time to work in energy. Join us on our mission to improve the lives of ONE BILLION humans within the decade and shape a cleaner, better future for everyone.

🐙 Kraken Generation Flex

The energy industry is undergoing the largest transformation since industrialisation, at an unprecedented rate of change and we are positioning ourselves at the heart of it. Japan is one of the largest energy markets in the world and is pursuing carbon neutrality by 2050. At Kraken, we are scaling rapidly to integrate Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) into the grid.

Kraken is recognised as a thought leader and innovator. We are building a SaaS business that digitally connects hundreds of thousands of DERs with energy markets. We're growing fast in Japan. We already work with customers like Tokyo Gas as they scale their battery storage, renewables and DER portfolio, and we're onboarding new customers across the market. To support that growth, we're looking for a Senior Electrical Design Engineer to lead our regional technical market-access and integration efforts.

🏠 Where you’ll fit in and role summary

As we enter a stage of rapid commercialisation and customer growth in Japan, we are looking for a Senior Electrical Design Engineer to work with stakeholders to develop our DSR (Demand Side Response) and flexibility pipeline.

You will be bringing your regional technical expertise to aid the development of our asset integration technologies. The role is highly cross-functional: you'll bridge our software and hardware capabilities with the rigorous requirements of the diverse Japan power system.

The detailed Gateway (Kraken’s IoT Edge Hardware&Software) configuration and protocol engineering is owned by our UK-based team, whom you will feed with regional knowledge and design input, and who will support you on the technical aspects of how Kraken integrations work. You will own the regional relationship, the integration approach, and the design that the UK team then implements. The role will require you to attend calls with our Japanese clients, as well as calls with the TSOs and OCCTO to technically explain our system.

You will join a team that is innovative and engineering-focused, with a culture that fosters collaboration and fresh thinking to create a new energy system.

🚀 What you'll own

• Market Access & Prequalification: Drive the technical approach for connecting assets — mainly BESS (grid-scale and C&I) and RES (Wind and Solar) — into Japan’s markets

• Integration Technology (your core deliverable): Carry out research, engage technical stakeholders and engineers to design our established integration approaches for various asset types such as BESS, Wind, Solar, CHP and more. This can cover both new projects and retrofits.

• Regional Technical Expertise: Be the regional authority who feeds and supports the team with knowledge of Japanese hardware requirements, industrial protocols, connectivity, cyber-security expectations, and TSO and ancillary-service requirements. Help evaluate hardware and connectivity solutions for regional fit.

• Gateway application & configuration: The role will be interdisciplinary. There will be opportunities to learn how the Gateway software (developed by an internal software team) works and how it is configured. You will be expected to understand the requirements for an integration and judge if the gateway software is able to support it or will need new development work. The team will help you get gateway configuration literate and you will be expected to carry out deployments and changes as necessary.

• Stakeholder Liaison: Act as the technical point of contact for TSOs, customers, and internal commercial teams to resolve connection, onboarding, or operational issues.

• Hardware & On-site Support (occasional): Hardware is deployed remotely in most cases via O&Ms and third parties. However, occasional regional support and hands-on intervention may be required before or after a deployment — including some hardware handling and on-site engineering. The role requires the ability to travel when needed, though this is kept to a minimum.

🧠 What you'll bring to the party

Essential

• Language: Native or professional fluency in Japanese and English — essential for technical documentation and TSO/regulator communication.

• Engineering background: Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering, Automation/Control, or a related field — or equivalent practical experience in industrial/energy integration.

• Integration & connectivity: Proven experience establishing industrial communication and connectivity between field equipment and external systems (telemetry and/or control).

• Japan market knowledge:

• The TSO / OCCTO hierarchy and the connection/integration process.

• Supply-Demand Adjustment Market products (FCR, S-FRR, FRR, RR, RR-FIT) pre-qualification and technical requirements.

• Awareness of the wider market context (JEPX wholesale market, OCCTO-run capacity market, METI/ANRE and the Electricity and Gas Market Surveillance Commission as regulators).

• Customer-facing delivery: Ability to produce technical integration approaches and communicate them to customers, regulators, and internal teams.

• Travel: Occasional travel may be required.

• A drive to get things done in a collaborative, agile environment, comfortable navigating the complexity of a multi-TSO, decentralised grid — and comfortable being the regional face of a technical function whose deep build sits with a partner team in the UK.

⭐️ Bonus points

• Power-plant systems: Working understanding of power-plant control systems and instrumentation, including metering.

• Knowledge of industrial communication protocols — IEC 60870-5-104, IEC 61400-25 (wind), OPC-UA, Modbus, or similar IEC protocols.

• Understanding of IT/OT security in the energy sector, such as JC-STAR (IEC 62443 a plus).

• Familiarity with CLI tools for configuring, diagnosing, and maintaining hardware or network connections in remote, Linux-based environments.

• Familiarity with software languages, version-controlled configuration, and general tooling.

Are you ready for a career with us? We want to ensure you have the right tools and environment to unleash your potential. If you have any accommodation requests, please contact us at [email protected]. We’ll do our best to tailor the experience to your needs so you can feel comfortable, confident and be at your best!

Studies have shown that some groups of people, like women, are less likely to apply to a role unless they meet 100% of the job requirements. Whoever you are, if you like one of our jobs, we encourage you to apply as you might just be the candidate we’re looking for! At Kraken, we're creating a team of genuine, honest, empathetic people. Our people are our strongest asset and the unique skills and perspectives people bring to the team are the driving force of our success. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected attribute. We consider all applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

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Please note that, in line with our current recruitment policy, we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position; applicants must have the right to work in the country that they're applying to, at the time of application.*