Senior Controls Engineer Power Generation & Islanded Systems

Senior Controls Engineer –Power Generation & Islanded Systems
Location: Dallas, TX
Work Arrangement: Hybrid —3 days onsite / 2 days remote
Travel: Vendor factories and project sites as needed
Overview
Our client, a growing high-performance computing and cloud infrastructure company, is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to lead controls engineering delivery for a campus-scale, independently powered generation system.

The role supports a centralized 100+ kV substation and generator yard designed to power the campus without a utility grid connection. Generation may include reciprocating engines, aeroderivative turbines, or a combination of both, integrated with fuel supply infrastructure and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Combining technical engineering with project execution, this individual will own the controls scope, vendor coordination, schedule, budget, and system integration from procurement through energization and operational handover.

The ideal candidate brings direct experience delivering controls for large, multi-unit generation fleets, including synchronization, automatic paralleling, load sharing, load shedding, and black-start capability. They must be comfortable managing equipment manufacturers and system integrators while maintaining rigorous standards for safety, protection, reliability, and cybersecurity.

This engineer will partner closely with a dedicated commissioning engineer who independently verifies system performance and retains commissioning sign-off authority.
Key ResponsibilitiesControls Engineering & System Integration

• Develop technical specifications and acceptance criteria for Electrical Power Monitoring Systems (EPMS), Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), and Power Management Systems (PMS).
• Coordinate design requirements with the Engineer of Record and translate operating requirements into clear, testable vendor deliverables.
• Own controls architecture and integration across the substation, transformers, medium- and low-voltage switchgear, generators, BESS, and fuel supply systems.
• Manage implementation of generator master controls for automatic paralleling, synchronization, load sharing, load shedding, and black-start operation.
• Coordinate microgrid controller requirements and testing expectations consistent with IEEE 2030.7 and IEEE 2030.8.
• Partner with cybersecurity engineering on network segmentation, secure connectivity, and controls network architecture.

Vendor Management & Project Delivery

• Manage Tier-1 equipment manufacturers and system integrators against technical requirements, contractual commitments, schedules, and budgets.
• Review submittals, drawings, I/O lists, control narratives, and vendor documentation for compliance with design intent.
• Own the controls delivery schedule, budget, risk register, and technical issue tracking.
• Coordinate work between electrical contractors, system integrators, controls technicians, and internal engineering teams.
• Assess long-lead equipment risks and the technical, cost, and schedule impacts of field-directed changes.
• Communicate progress, unresolved issues, corrective actions, and required decisions to project leadership.

Communications, Telemetry & Documentation

• Define controls and telemetry interfaces between generator controllers, BESS, fuel systems, substation equipment, and campus EPMS/SCADA platforms.
• Support integration using Modbus TCP, IEC 61850 GOOSE/MMS, DNP3, OPC UA, MQTT, and Kafka.
• Coordinate time synchronization requirements across control, monitoring, and protection systems.
• Maintain architecture diagrams, point lists, control narratives, interface definitions, and accurate as-built documentation.

Electrical Protection & Reliability

• Review protective relay coordination studies, time-current curves, and settings files.
• Witness secondary-injection testing for bus differential, breaker failure, and generator protection schemes.
• Verify that protection and controls requirements support rapid fault isolation and reduce the risk of campus-wide cascading failures.
• Coordinate controls delivery to support emergency load restoration within applicable NFPA 110 Type 10 requirements.
• Escalate safety, protection, redundancy, listing, and cybersecurity concerns with supporting evidence and documented project impacts.

Testing, Energization & Operational Handover

• Witness Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and lead controls readiness for Site Acceptance Testing (SAT).
• Support Functional Performance Testing and Integrated Systems Testing by resolving defects and providing design intent, vendor documentation, and readiness evidence.
• Prepare systems for loss-of-generation, black-start, islanded transition, step-load, and block-load testing.
• Validate DCS graphics and alarm management against ISA-18.2 requirements.
• Train facility operators before energization and deliver complete operating and handover documentation.
• Support independent commissioning verification and ensure findings receive appropriate resolution before acceptance.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, or a closely related discipline from an ABET-accredited program or equivalent internationally accredited program.
• 10+ years of combined controls engineering and technical project management experience.
• Direct experience delivering controls for large, multi-unit fleets of reciprocating engines, aeroderivative turbines, or both.
• Hands-on knowledge of generator paralleling, synchronization, load sharing, load shedding, fuel system integration, BESS interfaces, and black-start or islanded operation.
• Demonstrated experience managing major equipment manufacturers and system integrators against construction schedules, budgets, and technical specifications.
• Experience preparing controls for full-scale generation-loss, black-start, islanded transition, step-load, and block-load testing.
• Experience reviewing protective relay coordination studies, time-current curves, and settings files, and witnessing secondary-injection testing.
• Relevant experience with protection and generation platforms such as SEL, ABB, GE, Baker Hughes, Cummins, and Tesla.
• Hands-on experience with OEM controls platforms such as GE Mark VIe, Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider Electric, and ABB 800xA.
• Working knowledge of industrial communications protocols and time synchronization for power generation systems.
• Ability to develop enforceable technical specifications, manage complex interfaces, and communicate effectively with engineering and business stakeholders.
• Strong judgment and the ability to maintain safety, protection, and cybersecurity requirements under delivery pressure.

Standards & Safety Knowledge

• NFPA 110, including Type 10 requirements.
• NFPA 70/70E and current qualified-person electrical safety training.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269.
• ANSI/NETA Acceptance Testing Specifications (ATS) and Maintenance Testing Specifications (MTS).
• IEEE 2030.7 and IEEE 2030.8.
• ISA-18.2 alarm management.
• ASHRAE Guideline 0-2019 commissioning process.
• High-voltage switching and clearance-procedure qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Protective relay training, such as SEL University coursework.
• IEC 62443 training or familiarity with NERC CIP requirements.
• Experience developing PMS load-shedding logic.
• Experience testing both islanded and grid-parallel operating transitions.
• BESS integration experience.
• Campus-scale data center or other mission-critical infrastructure experience.
• PMP certification.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.

Working Environment
This position includes travel to equipment manufacturers and project sites, work in active construction and energized-equipment environments with required PPE, and availability for extended or off-hours testing windows.