Senior Electrical & Controls Engineer

Position Summary:

As the Senior Electrical & Controls Engineer, you will own the architecture, development, and commissioning of the electrical, control, and functional safety systems for our gallium extraction plant. This role bridges the gap between our novel chemical processing technology and the rigorous, continuous-operation environment of a host aluminum refinery. You will be fully responsible for designing systems that manage hazardous chemical flows (high temperature, caustic Bayer liquor)  for our pilot, prototype and subscale equipment. You will independently drive assigned projects, coordinate vendors and contractors, and bring technical decisions and risks forward for review.

• Employment Type: Full-time
• Location: Cambridge, MA  – Onsite
• Reports To: Head of Instrumentation and Controls
• Salary range: $135,000-$170,000 with early-stage equity
• Comprehensive health, dental, vision, matching 401K benefits and paid life insurance
• 20 days PTO, 11 holidays, 5 sick days, 12 weeks parental leave

Key Responsibilities and Duties:

• Project Ownership: Own assigned electrical and controls projects from requirements and scope definition through commissioning and handover. Develop estimates and schedules, track procurement and technical interfaces, communicate progress and risks, and close out outstanding issues.
• PLC Programming: Develop, test, and commission PLC programs and operator interfaces for assigned equipment, including sequences, interlocks, alarms, and process control.
• Safety & Design Reviews: Participate in hazard reviews and implement documented interlocks and shutdown requirements in coordination with the I&C lead, process engineers, and functional safety specialists as needed.
• Refinery Integration: Design secure, deterministic communication interfaces (e.g., Modbus TCP, EtherNet/IP, Profinet) to sync our controls with host refinery Distributed Control Systems (DCS) like Emerson DeltaV or Honeywell Experion.
• Electrical Design: Personally develop electrical schematics, panel layouts, wiring diagrams, cable schedules, and bills of materials. Select and size power supplies, protective devices, conductors, motor controls, and other components for industrial power distribution and control systems, applying relevant electrical codes and standards.
• Commissioning: Develop and execute factory and site acceptance tests, perform loop checks, configure instruments and drives, and troubleshoot electrical hardware and PLC/HMI software. Complete as-built drawings, operating documentation, and handover to the team.
• Vendor Management: Select and manage system integrators, electrical contractors, and equipment vendors to ensure compliance with project timelines and engineering standards.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering, Mechatronics, or a closely related STEM discipline.
• Experience: 5+ years of industrial electrical and controls engineering experience, with demonstrated ownership of projects from requirements and electrical design through installation, testing, and commissioning.
• PLC Expertise: Hands-on experience programming, testing, and commissioning at least one industrial PLC platform, with the ability to independently deliver controls for assigned equipment. Beckhoff/TwinCAT experience is preferred; transferable experience with Rockwell/Allen-Bradley, Siemens, or similar platforms will be considered.
• Electrical Design & Instrumentation: Strong experience producing industrial electrical schematics and panel layouts using AutoCAD Electrical; selecting and sizing components; and integrating process instrumentation, motor controls, and drives in accordance with NEC, NFPA 79, and UL 508A.
• Travel: Willingness to travel up to 10% to international or domestic aluminum refinery sites for deployment and commissioning.

Preferred Attributes

• Start-Up Agility: Prior experience working in a fast-paced start-up, pilot plant, or technology scale-up environment where ambiguity is common.
• Instrumentation Selection: Expertise in selecting specialized process instruments (magnetic flowmeters, slurry valves, pH/conductivity sensors) that withstand highly corrosive process fluids.
• Pilot & Scale-Up Experience: Prior work in a start-up, pilot plant, process equipment manufacturer, or systems integrator, translating evolving requirements into working equipment. Experience developing HMI/SCADA applications, particularly Ignition, is a plus.
• Safety Standards: Proven experience implementing functional safety standards such as IEC 61511 or ISA-84, and programming safety-rated PLCs.
• Industrial Networks: Deep technical understanding of industrial networking protocols, switching, firewalls, and OT cybersecurity best practices.
• Advanced Certification: Certified Functional Safety Expert (CFSE) or Functional Safety Engineer (TÜV Rheinland).
• Professional License: Professional Engineer (PE) license is highly desirable.