The renewable energy world has changed massively in the past five years. It’s not just turbines, panels, and batteries anymore — it’s also cloud engineers, data scientists, and AI specialists shaping the way clean power is generated and delivered. For founders and hiring managers, this means something new: the battle for talent now looks a lot like SaaS or fintech. You’re not just competing with other energy companies, you’re up against big tech brands too. That’s where green tech recruitment comes in.

At Talego, we spend a lot of time speaking with startups in renewables and the wider Tech for Good space. The same themes come up again and again: speed, mission, and skills. Everyone knows they need cloud, data, and AI talent. The tricky bit is how to actually hire them without losing months (and sleep) in the process.

Why Green Tech Recruitment Is Surging Right Now

Clean energy is one of the few industries where job growth hasn’t slowed. In fact, Deloitte reports that clean energy jobs made up more than half of all new roles in 2023 — and they’re still expanding faster than the wider economy (Deloitte, 2023). The IEA also flagged that millions of new jobs have been created as renewable projects scale globally (IEA, 2024).

What does that mean in practice?

• Startups are building cloud platforms that process live data from turbines, batteries, and EV chargers.
• Data engineering roles are the backbone of forecasting and energy trading.
• And AI in green tech is being used to predict demand, extend battery life, and even trade energy more efficiently.

Put simply: there’s more demand for technical talent than supply. Which makes green tech recruitment a balancing act between finding the right skills and convincing them to join your mission.

The Key Roles Driving Renewable Energy Startups

When we talk to hiring managers in renewables, these roles come up most often:

Cloud Infrastructure Engineers

These are the people who make sure your data flows reliably and at scale. They’re dealing with streaming thousands of sensor signals every second, keeping infrastructure costs down, and making sure systems don’t buckle when demand spikes.

What to look for: AWS/GCP/Azure expertise, IaC tools like Terraform, Kubernetes knowledge, and an eye for efficiency.

Data Engineering Roles

Forecasting wind power or predicting solar output is useless without rock-solid data pipelines. That’s why data engineering roles are so valuable in renewable startups.

What to look for: Kafka or Flink, strong SQL, Python or Scala, and time-series database experience.

AI in Green Tech

AI is the “game-changer” everyone talks about, and in energy, it actually is. From modelling weather patterns to making batteries last longer, AI engineers are driving innovation.

What to look for: time-series ML, MLOps, model monitoring, and experience with real-time deployment.

Edge & Reliability Engineers

Often overlooked, but essential for companies running hardware at remote sites. These engineers keep devices secure and updated, even in tough environments.

What to look for: embedded Linux, secure updates, and edge networking knowledge.

The Market Reality (and Why Hiring Isn’t Easy)

Every founder knows finding great engineers is hard. But in renewables, the challenge is bigger because you’re hiring for a mission and cutting-edge tech skills.

• AI and data roles are commanding higher salaries year on year (PwC, 2024).
• McKinsey recently described a “talent squeeze” in the energy transition as firms fight for overlapping skill sets (McKinsey, 2023).
• Senior hires with both energy and tech experience can take 8–12 weeks to secure.

A recent Talego placement summed it up nicely:

“I’d worked in fintech for years, but moving into renewables meant the problems I was solving had real-world impact. It wasn’t just another dashboard or data pipeline,  it was helping to decarbonise the grid.”

That’s why the best candidates don’t just join just for money, they join for the mission.

A Practical Playbook for Hiring Managers

From what we’ve seen, here are some approaches that actually work:

• Be clear in your job specs. Spell out which skills are must-have and which are “learn on the job.”
• Don’t overcomplicate assessments. Candidates are tired of five-stage interview processes. A short, realistic task always lands better.
• Sell the mission, not just the tech. The chance to directly cut carbon or improve sustainability is what makes you different from Google or Amazon.
• Offer a ramp-up period. Not every great engineer will know energy systems, show how you’ll train them.
• Stay flexible. Contractors, hybrid working, or phased starts often open doors to talent you’d otherwise miss.

And if you’re struggling? This is where working with a partner that understands green tech recruitment makes a real difference.

Example Role Snapshot

Senior ML Engineer – Renewable Forecasting

• Location: Remote UK / hybrid
• Skills: ML for time-series, MLOps, Python, Kubernetes
• Mission: Build and deploy forecasting models that make renewables more predictable
• Offer: Competitive pay, equity options, learning budget

Wrapping Up

The reality is this: green tech recruitment isn’t just about filling roles, it’s about building teams that can deliver growth and impact at the same time. Cloud, data, and AI talent are the levers that help renewable startups scale, but the competition is fierce.

Hiring managers who win are the ones who move quickly, sell the mission, and build flexible paths into their teams.

Ready to Scale Your Green Tech Team?

At Talego, we specialise in helping purpose-driven companies grow. Whether it’s green tech recruitment, HealthTech, or EdTech, we connect you with the engineers who care about impact as much as innovation.

👉 Contact Talego today to start building your team