Principal Grid Model Architect (Tapestry)
Product ManagementMountain View, CA (HQ)
About Tapestry
Tapestry is an energy intelligence company incubated at X, the Moonshot Factory, the innovation lab within Alphabet. We are building the intelligence layer for the future electric grid. Our mission is to make the grid visible, predictable, and optimized through advanced AI systems so clean and reliable energy is available for everyone.
The grid is one of the most important and complex systems in the world. It is under increasing pressure from electrification, renewable adoption, and climate-driven volatility. Tapestry creates the software and models that help utilities and grid operators understand what is happening, anticipate what is coming, and respond with confidence.
Our team brings together experts in AI, energy systems, software engineering, and product design. We operate with the agility of a young company supported by the technical rigor and resources in Alphabet’s ecosystem.
If you want to work on problems that matter and build tools with real impact, we would love to meet you.
About the role:
Tapestry is building the digital backbone for the future of the electric grid. We are seeking a Principal Grid Model Architect to lead the evolution of our core differentiator: The Grid Model.
Tapestry is at the forefront of building digital tools and software to help grid operators, utilities, and energy market participants construct, merge, modify, and work with a variety of grid models and formats to support a range of planning workflows from interconnection to long term expansion planning. What we’re looking for is a talented individual to look beyond today’s grid models.
At Tapestry, the grid model is not just a technical input; it is the fundamental primitive upon which our platform is built. As the Principal Grid Model Architect, your mission is to define the strategic roadmap for a new class of grid intelligence—one that transcends traditional static limitations to incorporate dynamic environmental, economic, and operational context. You will operate at the frontier of applied science and product strategy, identifying high-value data integrations and prototyping next-generation capabilities that turn static infrastructure data into a living, predictive view of the grid.
This is a senior, individual contributor role for a visionary who sits at the intersection of Power Systems Engineering, Product Strategy, and Applied Data Science.
How you will make 10x impact:
- Define the Grid Model of the Future: You will own the long-term vision for how Tapestry helps partners and customers build the world’s best grid models. You will determine how we move beyond static electrical definitions to include dynamic contextual layers into a unified view and used by different types of simulations.
- Rapid Prototyping & Applied Science: You won't be writing production code, but you will go hands-on. You will build proofs-of-concept (Python, Jupyter, lightweight web demos) to validate new features; you bridge the gap between "academic theory" and "commercial utility."
- Market Discovery: You will engage directly with grid operators, utilities, and ISOs. You will speak their language (literally and technically), creating deep feedback loops to understand challenges in current modeling workflows and identify leapfrog opportunities to help industry move towards new planning and grid model management paradigms.
- Data Strategy: You will identify and vet in house and third-party data sources that can augment grid models. You will explore how to ingest, normalize, and correlate data to unlock new insights for our users.
- Cross-Functional Leadership: You will act as a visional leader for a cross-functional squad. You will provide the domain context and architectural guidance that empowers our backend and frontend teams to build the right things, faster.
Who You Are
- A Domain Expert: You have deep experience with power systems analysis. You know the ins and outs of tools like PSS/E, PSLF, TARA, PowerFactory, or ASPEN. You understand the difference between a bus-branch model and a node-breaker model, and why it matters commercially.
- A Pragmatic Builder: You have a history of using software to solve engineering problems. You are comfortable scripting in Python or similar languages to manipulate data and prove a point. You prioritize "working and useful" over "theoretically perfect."
- A Product Thinker: You don't just want to simulate the grid; you want to build a tool that humans love to use. You can translate complex power flow concepts into intuitive user experiences.
- A Commercial Strategist: You understand that a model is only as good as the decisions it enables. You can articulate the business value of technical features to internal stakeholders and external buyers.
What you should have:
- 10+ years of experience in the energy sector, specifically within transmission/distribution planning, interconnection studies, or grid software development.
- Strong technical literacy in power systems modeling and simulation (power flow, short circuit analysis, contingency analysis, etc.).
- Hands-on experience with data manipulation and prototyping (Python, SQL, R, or similar).
- Experience interacting with enterprise customers, ISOs/RTOs, or utility planning departments.
- Bonus: Experience with GIS data, weather data integration, or energy market pricing models
Our values
Take charge: We take initiative and own outcomes that move the mission forward.
Purpose in everything: We build solutions that solve real problems and create meaningful impact.
Stronger together: We collaborate across diverse skills and perspectives to achieve more than we can individually.
Always fine-tune: We stay curious, seek feedback, and refine our understanding as we learn.
Stay grounded: We listen openly, value different perspectives, and stay focused on what matters most.
What we offer
A culture that supports growth, ownership, and meaningful impact, along with:
- Competitive salary and equity
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Generous PTO and flexible hybrid work model
- 401(k) with employer contribution
- Professional development
- The ability to work on important real-world problems within an Alphabet-backed environment
The US base salary range for this full-time position is $183,000 - $268,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits.
An Equal Opportunity Workplace
At X, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at x-accommodation-request@x.team.