Principal HV Protection & Controls Engineer

Firmus Technologies

Firmus Technologies is a global leader pioneering the development and operation of efficient AI infrastructure across Asia Pacific.

Founded in Australia in 2019, our mission is to create the most efficient AI infrastructure by combining cutting-edge technology with a steadfast commitment to sustainability.

• At Firmus, we are unique in our approach. We design, build, and operate a new class of digital infrastructure – the AI Factory. Through our moel-to-grid technology approach, we have pushed
• the boundaries of multi-generational liquid cooling systems, energy management, AI software orchestration, and construction. For our customers, this approach allows us to make every watt count and deliver low-cost AI tokens globally.

Through ground-breaking research and development, we invented a verticalized AI Factory - a new class of digital infrastructure that replaces traditional data centres. Built on new approaches to liquid cooling, energy management, water use and modular construction methodology, the Firmus AI Factory delivers low-cost AI tokens across Asia-Pacific.

Firmus AI Cloud

Our large-scale GPU cloud platform, Firmus AI Cloud, is purpose-built to deliver energy-efficient AI compute at scale to customers.

It empowers developers, enterprises, educational institutions, and government users to train and deploy AI models with unmatched efficiency and cost savings. With an ever-growing suite of services and applications, we are committed to delivering a cloud experience that is market-leading, proprietary, and built to scale.

Why you’ll love working here

As an NVIDIA Cloud and Engineering partner in Asia Pacific, you will gain skills, experience, and exposure across the AI industry and be part of shaping what this industry looks like for decades to come.

We are founder-led, not a big corporate. Decisions happen fast, our leaders are accessible, and there's minimum bureaucracy between you and the work.

Ownership comes early. Whatever your role, you will have a direct line to outcomes, helping shape how the business grows as we scale nationally across a long-term, large-scale roadmap.

Work alongside founders and experts in AI infrastructure, energy systems and next-generation compute.

What we build here has impact beyond the business. Our AI Factories are designed to operate as assets to the energy grid to actively strengthen the communities and regions they operate in rather than drawing from them.

Role Summary

Firmus Technologies is seeking a Principal HV Protection & Controls Engineer to act as the senior-most technical authority for protection, control (secondary systems) and SCADA/telemetry across Firmus' MV, HV and EHV electrical infrastructure. This is a technical leadership role for an experienced power systems specialist who wants to set the standards and direction for a new class of grid-responsive AI infrastructure

Firmus' Model-to-Grid capability is our approach to operating large AI compute loads as controllable, grid-responsive electrical infrastructure. In practical terms, this means using secondary systems – protection schemes, SCADA, telemetry, signal interfaces, operating limits, runback schemes and ramp-rate controls – to manage how workload responds to grid, network and operational requirements.

This role owns the power systems controller side of that capability at a strategic and technical level. The successful candidate will lead the translation of TNSP, AEMO and grid connection requirements into Firmus-side protection and control philosophies, set engineering standards for secondary systems and SCADA across the business, and work closely with Firmus' high performance compute (HPC) and AI Factory controls teams to integrate those schemes with advanced AI workload management and load control systems.

This role also provides technical mentorship and direction to other engineers working across secondary systems and SCADA, and acts as Firmus' senior technical representative in discussions with network service providers, relay and SCADA vendors, and consultants.

Given the breadth and scale of Firmus’ infrastructure program, this role is not expected to personally execute every aspect of secondary systems engineering. The Principal Engineer will build and lead a focused internal capability and engage specialist consultants, OEMs and delivery partners where appropriate, while remaining accountable for technical direction, engineering standards, critical design review and ensuring Firmus retains sufficient internal knowledge and capability to maintain control of its systems.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Standards

Own the technical strategy, philosophy and engineering standards for power systems secondary (protection & control) and SCADA/telemetry systems across Firmus sites.

Set and maintain protection philosophies, control logic standards, SCADA/HMI design conventions, point-naming standards and alarm rationalisation practices.

Act as the highest level of technical authority for Model-to-Grid power controller functions, including runback triggers, ramp-rate controls and special protection schemes.

Mentor and provide technical guidance to Senior and Engineer-level SCADA, controls and protection staff, reviewing their designs and commissioning work.

Grid & Stakeholder Interface

Lead the translation of TNSP, AEMO and grid connection requirements into practical Firmus-side secondary systems, protection schemes and control logic.

Represent Firmus as the senior technical point of contact in discussions with network service providers, protection panel vendors, relay manufacturers and consulting engineers.

Review and approve protection & control designs, SCADA architecture, network integration and commissioning packages submitted by consultants, contractors or OEMs.

Design, Delivery & Commissioning

Lead the design, specification and delivery of protection relay schemes (Siemens and equivalent platforms), RTUs, gateways and SCADA/HMI platforms across new and existing sites.

Direct configuration, FAT/SAT testing and commissioning of secondary systems, ensuring compliance with utility, regulatory and internal engineering standards.

Own the accuracy and quality of point maps, control sequences, operating limits, commissioning records and as-built documentation for secondary and SCADA systems.

Integration & Cross-Functional Delivery

Partner with Firmus' HPC and AI Platform teams to integrate Model-to-Grid control capability with the AI compute platform, enabling advanced workload management, load control and grid-responsive operation.

Work closely with primary plant, protection, network and grid connections teams to ensure secondary systems and SCADA design align with primary electrical infrastructure.

Lead root-cause analysis and resolution of complex secondary systems and SCADA faults across Firmus' site portfolio.

Ability to work effectively with mechanical, electrical, LV controls, AI Factory SCADA, operations, energy, grid connections, HPC and AI Platform teams

Skills & Experience

10+ years' power systems experience, with substantial depth specifically in secondary systems (protection & control) design and SCADA/telemetry.

Demonstrated experience operating as the senior or principal technical authority for protection and control schemes on MV, HV or EHV networks, substations or utility infrastructure.

Deep, hands-on expertise with major protection relays (Siemens, Schneider, ABB, GE, SEL etc) and SEL RTACs or equivalent protection/automation platforms.

Demonstrated ability to develop, calculate and independently review protection relay settings, including grading/coordination studies, fault level and CT/VT ratio calculations, and to approve settings prepared by other engineers or consultants prior to deployment.

Strong working knowledge of DNP3, Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC UA, IEC 61850 and industrial E