Battery Energy Storage Jobs Ireland: BESS Talent Demand
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Ireland’s renewable energy transition is creating a growing requirement for specialist engineering, project delivery and operations professionals. Among the technologies at the centre of that transition, Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are becoming increasingly important to the operation of the electricity system.
For employers developing, constructing and operating battery storage and renewable energy assets, however, the challenge is not simply securing projects. Finding the people with the right combination of electrical, engineering, commissioning, grid and project experience can be just as important.
Ireland has a target of meeting up to 80% of electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030. In 2025, renewable sources accounted for 40.9% of Ireland’s electricity supply, while installed wind capacity reached 5.1GW and solar PV generation increased by 50% year-on-year.
At the same time, Ireland is investing heavily in the electricity network. The CRU has approved an investment framework of up to €18.9 billion for 2026–2030, while EirGrid’s latest strategy highlights the expected growth of renewable generation, battery storage and electricity demand.
For the renewable energy recruitment market, that creates an important question:
Where will the specialist talent required to deliver Ireland’s BESS and renewable energy pipeline come from?
Why battery storage is becoming increasingly important in Ireland
Battery storage provides a way of storing electricity and releasing it when it is needed. That becomes particularly valuable as the electricity system incorporates greater volumes of variable renewable generation.
SEAI describes battery storage as a means of storing surplus energy for use during periods of higher demand. At grid scale, storage can also contribute to system flexibility and the integration of renewable generation.
The role of BESS in Ireland’s electricity system is also evolving.
In November 2025, EirGrid, SONI and SEMO announced an update to the Scheduling and Dispatch system that allows Energy Storage Power Stations to participate more fully in the real-time electricity market. The change allows batteries to charge and discharge in response to market conditions, rather than being limited primarily to providing system stability services.
More recently, the CRU introduced further developments around energy storage and hybrid projects. Its April 2026 decision on Maximum Export Capacity allows qualifying renewable generation and battery storage projects to share a connection point and MEC allocation.
These developments matter for employers because the BESS workforce is not simply a traditional construction workforce.
As projects become more technically and commercially sophisticated, employers need people who can understand electrical systems, grid connections, controls, commissioning, asset performance and the commercial operation of storage assets.
Which BESS jobs are likely to be in demand in Ireland?
There is no single “BESS engineer”.
Battery storage projects require multidisciplinary teams covering development, engineering, construction, commissioning and long-term operations.
Based on the disciplines Astute recruits across BESS and wider renewable energy projects, some of the most relevant roles for Ireland’s market include:
Electrical Engineers
Electrical engineering is fundamental to BESS development and delivery.
Depending on the project, employers may require engineers with experience across electrical design, high-voltage systems, power systems, protection, substations and grid connections.
These professionals can be particularly valuable where a project involves complex grid integration or hybrid generation and storage.
BESS Project Managers
Project managers are responsible for coordinating multiple workstreams across the project lifecycle.
For BESS projects, that can mean managing engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, contractors, suppliers, programme milestones and client or stakeholder requirements.
Project management experience from adjacent energy infrastructure can also be highly transferable.
Commissioning Engineers and Commissioning Managers
Commissioning is a particularly important stage of a battery storage project.
The transition from construction into an operational asset requires suitably experienced professionals to coordinate testing, systems integration, energisation and performance verification.
Astute regularly recruits commissioning professionals across energy and infrastructure markets, making this an important transferable talent pool for Irish BESS projects.
Grid Connection Engineers
Ireland’s expanding renewable and storage pipeline also increases the importance of professionals who understand grid connections.
Grid specialists may work across connection applications, technical requirements, network interfaces, compliance and project delivery.
The growing interaction between renewable generation, storage and the electricity network makes this an increasingly valuable area of expertise.
SCADA and Controls Engineers
BESS assets rely heavily on monitoring, control and communications systems.
SCADA and controls professionals can therefore play an important role in commissioning and operating assets, particularly where battery systems need to integrate with wider generation, grid and energy management systems.
Site Managers and Construction Managers
Once projects reach construction, experienced site leadership becomes critical.
Site Managers, Construction Managers, Electrical Supervisors and Mechanical Supervisors can help coordinate contractors and ensure that work progresses safely and in line with programme requirements.
O&M and Asset Management Professionals
The recruitment requirement doesn’t stop when a BESS project reaches commercial operation.
Operators and asset owners need people capable of managing the technical and commercial performance of operational assets.
Astute’s wider renewable recruitment capability includes O&M Managers, Asset Managers, SCADA Engineers and Solar PV Technicians, alongside electrical and engineering professionals.
Commercial and Energy Market Professionals
As battery storage participates more actively in electricity markets, commercial expertise becomes increasingly relevant.
For example, a current Astute BESS assignment involves a Commercial Asset Manager supporting areas including Route-to-Market, Capacity Market and ancillary service contracts, energy-market auctions, asset qualification and revenue reconciliation.
That illustrates an important development in the BESS recruitment market: the workforce required to operate storage assets extends beyond traditional engineering disciplines.
BESS is only part of Ireland’s renewable energy recruitment challenge
The demand for talent is not confined to battery storage.
Ireland’s renewable energy market spans solar, onshore and offshore wind, grid infrastructure, anaerobic digestion, biogas, biomethane, hydrogen and emerging clean technologies.
Explore Astute People’s renewable energy recruitment expertise
The same talent pools can overlap between these technologies.
An electrical engineer with solar experience may have relevant skills for a BESS project. A commissioning engineer from conventional power generation may be able to transfer into renewable infrastructure. A project manager from another major infrastructure programme may have the programme management experience required for a renewable development.
This creates both an opportunity and a challenge for hiring managers.
The right candidate may not have “BESS” written on their CV.
Transferable engineering skills could become increasingly important
Ireland is already experiencing pressure across technical and engineering labour markets.
SOLAS reported in 2025 that 75% of employment in Ireland required some level of green skills, with engineering among the occupations where green skills are particularly relevant.
Separately, IrishJobs data reported by RTÉ identified project managers, engineers, electricians and site engineers among Ireland’s most sought-after professions, with skills shortages expected to persist across many areas of the economy.
For renewable energy employers, this means the traditional approach of searching for candidates who already have identical technology experience can significantly narrow the available talent pool.
Instead, employers may need to consider:
- Power generation engineers moving into renewables
- Electrical engineers moving between solar, BESS and grid infrastructure
- Commissioning professionals transferring between energy technologies
- Construction and project professionals moving from major infrastructure projects
- O&M professionals transitioning between renewable assets
- Engineering professionals with relevant experience in utilities, manufacturing, data centres or other complex electrical environments
This is where specialist recruitment becomes particularly valuable.
The question isn’t simply “Does this candidate have BESS experience?”
It is:
“Does this candidate have the technical experience required to deliver this particular BESS project?”
The problem for Irish hiring managers: the candidate may not want to move
One of the biggest challenges facing employers isn’t necessarily identifying technically capable people.
It can be persuading them to move.
Experienced engineers and technical professionals are often already employed, meaning an employer isn’t competing against unemployment — it is competing against another employer.
There are also practical considerations around relocation.
Ireland’s Critical Skills Employment Permit system recognises shortages in occupations and skills required for the economy, while the current Critical Skills Occupations List includes a range of specialist occupations.
But international recruitment isn’t simply a question of finding somebody overseas and moving them into a project.
Candidates may consider:
- Housing availability
- Cost of living
- Family circumstances
- Location and commuting
- Employment security
- Project duration
- Contract terms
- Travel requirements
- Visa or employment-permit requirements
- Whether the project provides a compelling long-term career opportunity
For employers, this means candidate attraction can be as important as candidate identification.
A vacancy advertised on a job board may reach active jobseekers.
It won’t necessarily reach the experienced engineer who is already employed, reasonably happy and only prepared to move for the right opportunity.
Contractors can help bridge the BESS skills gap
For project developers, EPCs and asset owners, waiting indefinitely for the perfect permanent candidate isn’t always practical.
- Projects have fixed milestones.
- Construction needs to start.
- Equipment needs installing.
- Commissioning needs to happen.
- Grid connection dates need to be met.
- And operational assets need experienced people available to manage them.
This is where contract recruitment can provide flexibility.
Rather than waiting for a permanent hire to become available, employers can use experienced contractors to provide specialist capability during a defined project phase.
Contract professionals can be particularly relevant across:
- BESS construction
- Electrical installation
- Commissioning
- Grid connection
- Project management
- Site management
- Testing and energisation
- O&M mobilisation
- Technical project support
This doesn’t mean contractors replace permanent employees.
In many cases, they provide a bridge between the immediate project requirement and the longer-term workforce strategy.
Astute supports permanent and contract recruitment across renewable energy, with contract hiring particularly relevant to construction, commissioning and O&M mobilisation.
Find out more about Astute’s contract recruitment capability
A real example: recruiting solar and battery storage talent
This isn’t purely theoretical.
Astute recently supported RES, one of the world’s major renewable energy companies, with recruitment across solar and battery storage projects.
The requirement included:
- 11 Solar Technicians
- 7 Solar O&M Technicians
- 1 O&M Coordinator
- 1 Field Expert Communications Technician
The recruitment covered locations across the UK and Ireland, demonstrating the crossover between solar generation, battery storage and operational renewable energy recruitment.
The work also illustrates an important point for Irish employers: renewable projects increasingly require teams rather than isolated hires.
A project may require technical people across construction, operations, maintenance, communications and project coordination — often with different skill sets and different hiring timelines.
Read the RES Solar & Battery Storage recruitment case study
Ireland’s renewable energy workforce will need to scale with the infrastructure
The direction of travel is clear.
Ireland is expanding renewable generation, investing in the electricity network and developing mechanisms that enable greater participation from battery storage and hybrid renewable projects.
The commercial activity around the sector is already producing new employment opportunities.
In July 2026, Irish engineering group Entegro announced its acquisition of renewable energy company ACEL Energy. The deal created Entegro Energy and is expected to increase Entegro’s workforce from approximately 200 to close to 300 over the coming years. The new entity will provide services including the design, commissioning and operation of power systems and storage at scale.
That is precisely the type of development that illustrates where the employment requirement is emerging.
This isn’t only about battery manufacturers.
It is creating demand throughout the wider ecosystem:
Development → Engineering → Grid → Construction → Commissioning → Operations → Asset Management
And each stage requires different technical expertise.
What does this mean for employers hiring in Ireland?
For hiring managers, the lesson is that renewable energy workforce planning needs to happen earlier.
Waiting until a project is ready to mobilise before starting recruitment can create unnecessary pressure, particularly for specialist technical positions.
A more effective workforce strategy can involve:
1. Identify critical roles early
Understand which positions could become programme-critical before recruitment begins.
2. Separate essential skills from desirable experience
Don’t automatically exclude an excellent electrical or commissioning professional because they haven’t previously worked on a BESS project.
3. Consider transferable talent
Power generation, utilities, data centres, manufacturing and wider engineering markets can all contain professionals with relevant technical experience.
4. Build permanent and contract strategies together
Some requirements may be long-term appointments.
Others may be best addressed through contractors during construction or commissioning.
5. Engage passive candidates
The most technically capable person may not be actively looking for another job.
Reaching them requires targeted market mapping and direct engagement rather than relying exclusively on applications.
6. Think beyond the immediate vacancy
If an organisation expects multiple projects, building a talent pipeline can be considerably more effective than treating every vacancy as an isolated recruitment exercise.
For larger or ongoing programmes, People Solutions can provide an embedded recruitment model designed around multi-role hiring and project-scale workforce requirements. Astute also provides specialist contract recruitment for project mobilisation.
Explore Astute People Solutions
The future of BESS recruitment in Ireland
Ireland’s energy transition is creating a workforce challenge alongside its infrastructure challenge.
Battery storage will form an increasingly important part of an electricity system with growing renewable generation, while solar, wind, grid infrastructure and other clean technologies will continue to create demand for engineers, project professionals, technicians and operational specialists.
The biggest challenge for employers may not be finding a candidate.
It may be finding the right candidate, in the right location, with the right technical background, at the right point in the project timeline.
That is why transferable skills, passive candidate engagement and flexible contractor strategies are becoming increasingly important to renewable energy recruitment.
For employers delivering BESS and renewable energy projects in Ireland, workforce planning should be treated as part of project planning — not something that starts when a vacancy appears.
Recruiting BESS and renewable energy professionals in Ireland?
Astute People recruits specialist technical and project professionals across battery energy storage, solar, wind, grid infrastructure and wider renewable energy markets, supporting permanent, contract and project-based requirements.