Lead Controls Engineer - Major Projects Group

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Serving as a recognized technical leader within the Major Projects Group, the Lead Controls Engineer drives design quality, consistency, and innovation across concurrent projects spanning the wind, solar, battery energy storage (BESS), and gas business unit segments focusing on Controls and Systems Integration Engineering support in development and/or project execution phases. The Lead Controls Engineer is the overall SCADA and Controls systems architect for large scale multi-technology projects, supports cross-department standards and initiatives, and prioritizes “We over Me” — placing collective success and team development above individual contribution. May lead a team of Senior Engineers, Engineer I/II staff, and CAD Designers, providing technical direction, mentorship, and professional development.

STEP INTO THE ROLE

• •Leads and/or is responsible to provide technical support during the controls engineering lifecycle from pre-award development through design delivery, simulation, FAT/SAT, commissioning, and closeout — with emphasis on robust design development, schedule conformance, and financial impact.
• •Owns the control and data contract between the facility energy controller and third-party power plant controllers; defines the objects, fields, units, update rates, and staleness behavior that cross the boundary in each direction.
• •Defines the sequences of operation executed by the facility energy controller — normal operation, generation shortfall, source transitions, blackstart, and emergency shed — along with the degradation behavior for each.
• •Specifies the point maps, interlocks, and constraint classes that vendors build against; prototypes integrations, tests point maps against live devices, and holds vendors to them through factory (FAT) and site (SAT) acceptance testing.
• •Translates between electrical and software disciplines — turns electrical and generation constraints into requirements software can build, and software and data constraints into terms plant vendors and Engineer of Record (EOR) teams will accept.
• •Proves the controls interface in simulation prior to energization, covering every constraint class and mode transition, and carries that work forward into automated commissioning.
• •Serves as the lead controls engineering point of contact to Owners and EOR teams on submittal milestones, review timelines, procurement deliverables, page turns, and Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) outreach.
• •Ensures designs satisfy the facility's design requirements through compliance with local, state, and national codes, Owner contracts, and company best practices. Champions a quality-first culture across the team.
• •Supports Basis of Design (BOD) development and RFI management for assigned projects across wind, solar, BESS, and gas scopes focusing on controls and systems integration.
• •Performs drawing and design reviews, including control narratives, point lists, and network architectures, to ensure designs meet industry standards, Blattner's best practices and standards, and support safe work practices in the field; performs constructability and commissionability assessments on complex projects.
• •Validates controls equipment, I/O, and network material takeoffs; coordinates with electrical, protection, and software leads to establish design schedules, resource plans, and cross-discipline coordination across the project portfolio.
• •Performs contract and subcontract reviews and provides technical recommendations; challenges vendor scope and internal assumptions with data rather than opinion. Escalates high-risk issues to leadership as appropriate.
• •Leads coordination with Integrated Supply Chain (ISC), Estimating, and Construction teams on equipment and material selection and approval; partners with program management so field teams have the plans, point maps, and parameters needed to build and commission.
• •Champions change management discipline — ensures scope changes, point list changes, and design deviations are documented, communicated through change narratives, and resolved at the appropriate level. Leads lessons learned sessions and incorporates findings into future work.
• •Mentors, trains, and onboards Senior Engineers and Engineer I/II staff through coaching, feedback, and work product review; supports managers with hiring and promotion decisions.
• •Drives consistency in designs across projects by establishing and enforcing standard control philosophies, point maps, and design details. Leads department initiatives to enhance processes and standards, and sets goals with direct reports.
• •Communicates deliberately, intentionally, and purposefully with Owners, EOR teams, vendors, software and project engineering staff, and other internal stakeholders across all phases of work.
• •Adheres to the company's cultural basics and the National Society of Professional Engineers' code of conduct. Solves problems using factual evidence and sustainable solutions that are safe, transparent, and documentable.
• •Assists with special projects and performs other duties per supervisor's discretion.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• •Bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited college required, or relevant equivalent industry experience
• •Professional Engineering (PE) license or master’s degree in engineering is preferred.
• •Eight or more years of progressive engineering and/or engineering supervisory experience in a related energy or construction industry (e.g., electrical engineering firms, utilities, or power generation development with area of expertise in the controls engineering, SCADA, and systems integration domain).
• •Demonstrated experience leading and developing engineers and driving technical standards. Microgrid, behind-the-meter, and utility-scale generation controls experience across wind, solar, BESS, or gas is strongly preferred.
• •Deep knowledge of utility-scale controls and integration equipment across wind, solar, BESS, and gas generation.
• •Working knowledge of the protocols that move data between machines and systems (MQTT, OPC UA, REST APIs), with the ability to justify selecting one over another for a given application.
• •Ability to read one-line diagrams and panel schedules and determine how protection, breakers, and sources will behave under a fault.
• •Experience designing data contracts between systems (objects, fields, units, update rates, stale-value behavior) and writing control narratives where multiple controllers must agree.
• •Fluency in both the controls and software worlds; ability to turn control requirements into something a software team can build, and to push back on designs that will not survive the field.
• •Effective communication skills (oral, written, listening, and presentation) to work with Owners, EOR firms, vendors, employees, and internal stakeholders.
• •Interpersonal skills — the ability to supervise, influence, and persuade people and groups toward common objectives.
• •Knowledge of engineering science and technology in applying principles, techniques, and equipment to the design of generation facilities; uses logic and reasoning to evaluate alternatives.
• •Excellent organizational, scheduling, and prioritization skills; ability to manage multiple concurrent projects with a drive for results and accountability across the team.
• •Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook) and Procore
• •Working knowledge, experience, or interest in AI (Artificial Intelligence).
• •Accounting skills — familiarity with math, record-keeping, and cost tracking to manage budgets.
• •Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information; may be required to become a qualified individual in pursuit of company contract licensing.
• •Must have a valid driver’s license and an acceptable motor vehicle driving record (MVR).
• •Up to 25% travel required, subject to fluctuations as needs dictate.

WHAT SETS YOU APART

Microgrid and behind-the-meter controls (grid-forming BESS, PV plant controll