Senior Engineer I

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.
What You Will Be Doing

• 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%.
Qualifications

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.
Compensation & Benefits
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 offers are thoughtfully determined based on factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and internal equity, to ensure fairness. We aim to ensure consistency and integrity in every decision.
Our total rewards include competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and financial security. We provide health, dental, and vision coverage, along with flexible spending and health savings account options that include employer contributions. Additional benefits include life insurance, short- and long-term disability coverage, paid parental leave, and a 401(k)-retirement plan with a guaranteed 3% employer contribution. Cascade is proud to offer an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), annual cash performance bonuses, paid vacation and sick time, and an inclusive, flexible holiday policy. To further support wellbeing, we provide a $500 contribution that can be applied to an HAS, FSA, or Lifestyle Spending Account.

Application Process
We would appreciate a current resume with your application. We would also appreciate a letter of interest describing why our team or the position resonates with you, and how your experience makes you a great choice for the role.

• Please, no phone calls.
• Please, no outside recruiters or agencies.
• Cascade Energy is not able to provide sponsorship for work authorization in the U.S., which includes OPT.

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About Us
Cascade Energy is a leading provider of energy efficiency, energy management, decarbonization, and sustainability solutions for the industrial, commercial, and public sectors across North America. We have a 30-year history of delivering high-value services through electric and gas utility-offered programs and directly to industrial and commercial enterprises.
Our reputation for stellar, high-quality work has expanded our reach throughout North America to serve clients ranging in size from small to Fortune 500 companies in their pursuit of wide-ranging decarbonization and energy savings objectives. Cascade Energy has 14 offices throughout the US and employees in 30 states.
Why Work at Cascade?
As a 100% Employee-Owned Company (ESOP), Cascadians foster and value a culture of equals, initiative, and ownership. Our teams reflect our core company values: Do the Right Thing; Put Others First; Seek Shared Success; Learn Constantly; and Be Industrious. Our customers are vitally important to us, and we pride ourselves on stellar customer service. Our team members are a dedicated and diverse group of ambassadors, representing Cascade Energy, striving to embody our values, ensure we are responsive, and consistently delighting our customers.
In alignment with our values and doing better, Cascade Energy celebrates and values diversity as vital for increased creativity and innovation and faster problem solving, and we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect, free of discrimination and harassment. Learn more about what we do to create a welcoming environment at Cascade by visiting Culture and Belonging | Cascade Energy.
Cascade promotes a healthy work-life balance and appreciates employee contribution in all areas. We walk the talk about our commitment to learning constantly, with a focus on the ongoing development of every team member. Cascade is a strong supporter of flexible working arrangements, and offers role-dependent options for remote, hybrid, and in-office work.
AI Usage During our Recruitment Process
We value doing the right thing and authenticity in our hiring process. All application materials, including resumes, cover letters, and assessments, must reflect your own original work. The use of AI tools including Gemini, Claude, Copilot, ChatGPT, other large language models or generative AI, Grammarly, and resume builders to assist is acceptable only when your personal experiences, voice, and descriptions of your knowledge, skills, abilities, and other qualifications are accurately and meaningfully represented. Submission of work that is not your own or the use of AI impersonation or deepfake simulators during screening calls and videos will disqualify you from consideration.
AAP/EEO Statement
Cascade is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion and religious practices, sex (including pregnancy, gender expression, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or family, marital, or veteran status. To request a reasonable accommodation during the application and interviewing process, please contact the Cascade recruiter. Cascade Energy uses the federal E-Verify system to determine eligibility for work in the United States and conducts post-job offer, pre-employment drug screening.