Controls Engineer - Power Generation

ABOUT THE ROLE:

Join the power generation engineering team to design, commission, and maintain plant control systems. As a Controls Engineer, you will own BOP PLC/HMI and the control-room SCADA picture that brings generation and balance-of-plant into one operating view — Solar, 6000, and BOP on a single set of screens. You will work from control philosophy through commissioning and ongoing reliability, hands-on at the panel and in the control room. The position is based in Memphis, TN, with potential travel to other sites. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Own BOP PLC and HMI design, programming, and commissioning for power generation balance-of-plant systems (fuel gas, water, compressed/instrument air, HVAC, cooling, electrical auxiliaries, and related process/utility systems) 

• Design and maintain the plant SCADA architecture so operators have one operating picture in the control room integrating Solar, 6000, and BOP — graphics, alarms, historian, and situational awareness on a single platform 

• Develop control philosophy, control narratives, I/O lists, network drawings, cause-and-effect diagrams, and HMI/SCADA standards for reuse across the facility 

• Specify PLC, HMI, SCADA, remote I/O, industrial networking, and interface hardware; define data exchange with OEM turbine/generation controllers (Solar and 6000) and with electrical protection, metering, and plant systems 

• Program, test, and troubleshoot PLC logic and HMI applications (IEC 61131 — ladder, function block, structured text as applicable) 

• Integrate OEM packages and third-party systems into plant SCADA using industrial protocols (Modbus, DNP3, OPC UA, IEC 61850, and others as required) so Solar, 6000, and BOP operate as one system 

• Commission controls: I/O checkout, loop checks, functional testing, HMI validation, alarm rationalization, and start-up support; stay hands-on with technicians and operators 

• Support day-to-day operations: troubleshooting, sequence issues, bad actors, and control changes under MOPs/MOC 

• Maintain configuration management for PLC/HMI/SCADA programs, as-left files, firmware, and network documentation 

• Coordinate with electrical, mechanical, fluids, protection, and operations so controls scope is fully integrated through construction, commissioning, and turnover 

• Apply relevant standards for industrial control systems and electrical work (NFPA 70 / 70E, IEC 61131, and site cybersecurity/ICS practices such as NERC CIP where applicable) 

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, controls engineering, computer engineering, or another engineering discipline 

• 3+ years of experience in PLC, HMI, and/or SCADA engineering (design, programming, or commissioning) on industrial or power generation systems 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 

• 5+ years in a controls role at a power plant, independent power producer, OEM, EPC, or heavy industrial facility 

• Hands-on BOP PLC/HMI experience on gas turbine or similar generation projects 

• Experience building a unified control-room SCADA/HMI that aggregates multiple OEM controllers (e.g. Solar, 6000, or equivalent turbine packages) with plant BOP 

• Familiarity with major platforms (e.g. Ignition, Allen-Bradley/Rockwell, Siemens, Emerson, GE, SEL) and industrial networking (IT/OT) 

• Experience with IEC 61131 programming and protocols such as Modbus, DNP3, OPC UA, and IEC 61850 

• Experience across the project lifecycle: design, programming, construction support, commissioning, and operations 

• Experience with alarm management, historian, and control-room graphics that operators actually use 

• Working knowledge of how BOP controls interface with electrical power systems (switchgear, protection, metering) without owning relay settings 

• Experience managing OEM and contractor interfaces on multi-discipline power or capital projects 

• Professional Engineering license, or actively working toward one 

• Ability to support technicians in the field and to remain effective during outages, start-up, and event investigations 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• Willingness to perform hands-on work in the plant and control room, including during outages and commissioning 

• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support power generation operations 

• Must be able to work on-site in Memphis, TN, with potential travel to other SpaceX facilities