Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Platform Backend Engineer - Battery Storage

at Plus Power

🏢 About Plus Power

Plus Power is a leading developer and operator of utility-scale battery energy storage systems, helping to modernize the grid with reliable, renewable energy. Their focus on cutting-edge technology and a mission-driven culture makes them an exciting place for engineers passionate about climate impact.

About This Role

As a Senior Platform Backend Engineer, you will design and operate AWS-based backend services and internal platforms that support data pipelines, analytics, and ML workloads. Your work directly enables the company's energy storage systems to run efficiently and reliably, driving the transition to a greener grid.

💡 A Day in the Life

Start the day by reviewing system health dashboards and any alerts from overnight. After standup, you might work on designing a new Terraform module for a data pipeline, then pair with a data engineer to debug a performance issue. Later, you could deploy a Kubernetes update and document a runbook for incident response.

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🎯 Who Plus Power Is Looking For

  • Experienced in platform engineering with 5+ years in backend, data engineering, or SRE roles, particularly building production-grade internal platforms.
  • Deeply proficient in AWS services (VPC, IAM, EKS/ECS, RDS, S3) and Infrastructure as Code (Terraform), with a focus on reliability and cost efficiency.
  • Strong background in containerized workloads (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD pipelines, with a passion for automation and observability.
  • Comfortable with on-call rotations and incident response, with a proactive approach to system reliability and security.

📝 Tips for Applying to Plus Power

1

Highlight specific AWS projects where you architected scalable, cost-efficient systems; mention metrics like uptime or cost reduction.

2

Showcase your experience with Terraform and Kubernetes in production, including any custom modules or operators you've built.

3

Emphasize your work on internal platforms or developer tools that improved team productivity or system reliability.

4

Tailor your resume to include keywords like 'data pipelines', 'ML-adjacent workloads', and 'observability' to align with the job description.

5

In your cover letter, connect your backend/platform work to the energy storage domain, even if you lack direct experience, by discussing transferable skills.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your passion for renewable energy and how your platform engineering skills can accelerate Plus Power's mission.", "Concrete examples of AWS-based infrastructure you've built and operated, with a focus on reliability and cost optimization.", 'Your experience enabling data and ML teams through robust backend services and shared infrastructure.', 'Your commitment to DevOps practices, including CI/CD, monitoring, and incident response.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read about Plus Power's current projects and their impact on grid reliability and renewable integration.
  • → Understand the basics of battery energy storage systems and how data/analytics play a role in their operation.
  • → Review Plus Power's engineering blog or any public talks to understand their tech stack and culture.
  • → Look into their competitors or partners in the energy storage space to contextualize their market position.

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk me through a time you designed a scalable AWS architecture for a data-heavy workload. What trade-offs did you consider?
2 How do you approach cost optimization in cloud infrastructure? Give a specific example.
3 Describe your experience with Kubernetes in production. How do you handle cluster upgrades and security?
4 Tell me about a complex incident you resolved. How did you diagnose and prevent recurrence?
5 How would you design a platform service to support multiple data pipelines with varying SLAs?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing too much on frontend or mobile experience; this role is strictly backend/platform.
  • Underestimating the importance of on-call and incident response; be ready to discuss your experience.
  • Not preparing for system design questions that involve data pipelines and ML infrastructure.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Plus Power!

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