Controls Engineer (Power & Utilities)

BNH; Tennessee; On-site; USD 78,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salaries

Continuing education assistance

Healthcare benefits

401K with employer matching

PTO and holiday schedule

Job summary

Beyond New Horizons (BNH) seeks a proactive Controls Engineer to support critical national defense infrastructure at Arnold AFB, TN. You will lead engineering of utility control systems, oversee meter data collection, and guide field commissioning and testing for reliability.

The role requires hands-on PLC/DCS/SCADA work, collaboration with Air Force counterparts, and adherence to DoD cybersecurity directives. U.S. citizenship is required for AEDC employment.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical/Mechanical/Computer Engineering or related field and 3+ years hands-on PLC/DCS/SCADA experience.
• Direct experience programming/troubleshooting Rockwell, Schneider, GE or ABB systems.
• Must be able to obtain DoD Secret clearance and access AEDC network.
• U.S. Citizenship required for AEDC employment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as engineering contact for utility control and monitoring systems across multiple plants.
• Maintain control systems for electrical distribution, water/wastewater facilities, and large-scale utilities.
• Oversee instrumentation data collection and meter reading system enhancements.
• Manage EMCS lifecycle and plan upgrades for reliability of critical monitoring points.
• Provide hands-on support for field commissioning, testing, and troubleshooting.

Skills

PLC programming

DCS/SCADA

Industrial networking

Security clearance

Education

BS in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Rockwell Studio 5000

Schneider Unity Pro

GE Proficy Machine Edition

Job description

Job Description

Overview

Job Title: Controls Engineer (Power & Utilities)

Location: Arnold AFB, Tennessee

Job Family Code: O-Engineering

Function/Branch: Engineering / Utilities

Directorate: Asset Management

Position Type: Regular, Full-Time

Pay Type: Exempt

Grade (provided by HR): L07 (OA0768) - L08 (OA0861)

Salary Range or Starting Hourly Rate (provided by HR): L07: $78,000 - $90,000; L08 $88,000 - $110,000

Who We Are

Beyond New Horizons (BNH) is a fully populated joint venture of Astrion and Fluor Federal Services, Inc. formed to provide unmatched Test Operations and Sustainment services for the Arnold Engineering Development Complex.

Our name honors the legacy of AEDC'sToward New Horizonsfounding study. BNH expands AEDC's capacity by leveraging our parent companies' expertise in military and space system testing. We deliver proven results in large-scale program management, engineering, and construction for technically advanced, high-hazard facilities.

Overview

Beyond New Horizons, LLC (BNH) has a unique opportunity for a Controls Engineer to support critical national defense infrastructure at Arnold AFB, TN. As part of our Test Operations and Sustainment (TOS) II team, you will play a direct role in maintaining and modernizing the complex utility systems that power America’s most advanced aerospace testing facilities.

Open to internal and external candidates

Job Summary

We are seeking a proactive and technically skilled Controls Engineer to join our Power Control group. This role is responsible for the engineering and technical oversight of utility control and monitoring systems which are critical to the distribution of electrical power and other utilities to our test facilities. While this position involves some office work, a significant portion of the time is spent in the field and test areas requiring a proactive, hands-on approach to problem identification, problem solving, and system commissioning.

What you will do in the role:

• Serve as the engineering point of contact for utility control and monitoring systems, including PLC/DCS platforms from vendors like GE, Schneider Electric, Rockwell, and ABB
• Manage and maintain the control systems for the electrical distribution system, water treatment plant, wastewater treatment plant, Elk River Dam, cooling water plants, and steam plant
• Maintain and support the control systems for other critical plant utilities including the steam plant and large scale compressed air systems
• Oversee utility instrumentation, including data collection from water, steam, and electric meters used for billing. This includes leading the implementation and optimization of a new Schneider HMI-based meter reading and data collection system
• Manage the lifecycle of the base-wide Energy Monitoring and Control System (EMCS), including planning for future upgrades and ensuring the reliability of critical monitoring points.
• Provide hands‑on support for field commissioning, system testing, and troubleshooting of control systems and instrumentation
• Interface with Air Force (AF) counterparts to ensure control systems comply with DoD network and cybersecurity directives
• Collaborate with and provide technical guidance to Instrument Technicians and Utility Supervisors on maintenance, repairs, and system programming
• Support capital investment projects for control systems through the entire project lifecycle, from design to final commissioning
• It is a condition of employment to wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) in accordance with supervisory direction and company policy.
• Perform other duties as required.

Basic Qualifications:

• BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline plus a minimum of 3 years of hands‑on experience with PLC, DCS, and/or SCADA systems in an industrial, utility, or manufacturing environment
• Direct experience programming and troubleshooting systems from vendors such as Rockwell (Allen‑Bradley), Schneider Electric, GE, or ABB
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Department of Defense Secret level security clearance and access to the AEDC local area network
• Due to Air Force Security requirements, U.S. Citizenship is required for employment at AEDC

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of industrial communication protocols (e.g., Modbus, DNP3, Ethernet/IP)
• Proficiency in one or more IEC 61131-3 PLC programming languages (Ladder Logic, Structured Text, Function Block Diagram).
• Experience with programming environments such as Rockwell Studio 5000, Schneider Unity Pro, or GE Proficy Machine Edition.
• Familiarity with DoD/Air Force cybersecurity requirements, such as the Risk Management Framework (RMF) or STIGs for control systems.
• Knowledge of secure industrial network architecture concepts (e.g., network segmentation, firewalls) in an OT environment.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or Engineer in Training (EIT) certification.
• Professional certifications such as ISA CAP, GICSP, or vendor‑specific credentials (e.g., Rockwell Automation Certified, Schneider Electric EcoStruxure) are highly desirable.

What We Offer

• Competitive salaries
• Continuing education assistance
• Multiple healthcare benefits packages
• 401K with employer matching
• Paid time off (PTO) along with a federally recognized holiday schedule

Join our Team!

U.S. Citizenship is required. At this time BNH will not sponsor any applicants for employment authorization or offer any immigration related support for this position (i.e. H1b, F1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, E-2, E-3, L-1, or other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).

The minimum and maximum full‑time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations and refers to the amount BNH is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part‑time jobs will be adjusted based upon the number of hours agreed to work.

L07: $78,000 - $90,000; L08: $88,000 - $110,000

at Arnold AFB, TN

BNH is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, veteran status, and any other grounds for discrimination prohibited by applicable law.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.