Senior Engineer

About This Opportunity

We are seeking a Senior Engineer I in the Chicago area to provide technical leadership for an industrial systems energy efficiency program. This role is well‑suited for an experienced engineer who thrives in a leadership capacity—guiding teams, setting technical direction, and ensuring consistent, high‑quality outcomes across complex projects.

As the engineering lead, you will oversee program‑level engineering delivery rather than day‑to‑day execution. You will lead and support a team of 3–5 engineers, primarily from subcontractor partners, by assigning work, providing strategic technical guidance, and ensuring work meets program and quality standards. In this role, you will also play a key part in advancing the program through process improvement, tool development, and technical innovation.

At Cascade Energy, we’re actively shaping how AI gets deployed in the real world, in our tools, our client engagements, and our daily work. Our approach has always been relationship‑driven and expertise‑led, and AI is how we multiply the impact of both.

Successful Cascadians are curious and resilient. They embrace change, seek smarter ways to create impact, and take ownership of their own growth. We embed AI into our work in ways that are responsible and human‑centered, and we actively develop our people to deploy it creatively and confidently.

We believe the future belongs to organizations that pair emerging technology with genuine human expertise. That future is being built here… come be a part of it!

• Provide technical and people leadership for a team of engineers, ensuring alignment, accountability, and consistent quality
• Oversee high‑profile engineering projects, managing priorities, timelines, and outcomes at a program level
• Review and approve energy savings calculations and system improvement recommendations for technical accuracy and consistency
• Serve as a senior technical advisor, translating complex engineering concepts for clients, stakeholders, and cross‑functional partners
• Maintain deep knowledge of utility programs and compliance requirements, ensuring engineering work meets all standards
• Mentor engineers through structured feedback, work review, and technical discussions
• Lead efforts to define, improve, document, and standardize engineering processes to support scalability and long‑term program success

This is a full‑time, exempt position based in the Chicagoland area
. Candidates should ideally reside within the client service territory to support periodic day trips to customer sites or client meetings across northern Illinois. Travel is approximately 20%.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related field
• 5–8 years of professional engineering experience, including experience leading or overseeing the work of other engineers
• Strong technical foundation in industrial systems such as refrigeration, compressed air, steam systems, system modeling, electrical distribution, industrial controls, and data logging

Preferred:

• Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams and provide effective mentorship
• Strong project oversight and organizational skills
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with clients, partners, and internal stakeholders
• Proactive, adaptable, and motivated to drive continuous improvement

For candidates whose experience may not align perfectly with every qualification, but who see themselves contributing strongly in a leadership‑focused role, we encourage you to apply. Cascade is committed to building an inclusive and supportive workplace that values learning, development, and diverse perspectives. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

The full salary range for this full‑time, exempt position in Des Plaines, IL is $101,640 (min) - $127,050 (mid‑range) - $152,460 (max for this level). At Cascade, transparency and fairness are core to how we work. We post the full salary range for every role because we value clarity and equity. Our…