Controls Hardware Engineer

Fusion Energy Base; San Leandro (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Fusion Energy Base is seeking a Controls Hardware Engineer to design and implement control systems for safety-critical and utility applications. You will translate requirements into hardware specs, develop PLC programs, and lead system integration efforts across fabrication and operations teams.

The role emphasizes NFPA/IEC safety compliance, electrical schematics, and panel design, with opportunities to advance in a high-reliability environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in industrial automation or control system design.
• Proficiency with PLC-based systems.
• Experience with VFDs, servo drives, and motion control systems.
• Familiarity with 24VDC and 480VAC.
• Strong understanding of NFPA 70/70E/79 and IEC61511 safety standards.
• Proven ability to develop system requirements and translate into design documentation.
• Industrial Panel/Cabinet design experience.
• Bonus: Safety PLCs and interlock logic design experience.
• Background in large scientific facilities or high-reliability environments.
• CAD experience; EPLAN a significant plus.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams and system stakeholders to develop, document, and validate control system requirements.
• Translate functional and safety requirements into detailed control logic, hardware specifications, and test criteria.
• Participate in design and hazard reviews to ensure system requirements align with performance, safety, and reliability goals.
• Develop control architectures for safety-critical and utility systems.
• Design electrical schematics, control panels, and wiring diagrams for 24VDC control and 480VAC drive power systems.
• Specify and integrate PLC, HMI, and communication hardware.
• Configure and commission VFDs, servo drives, and motion control systems.
• Implement and verify safety interlock and process control logic in accordance with SIS and NFPA standards.
• Develop and test PLC programs using structured and modular programming practices.
• Conduct system-level integration testing, troubleshooting, and commissioning support.
• Work with instrumentation and field devices to ensure proper control and feedback integration.
• Ensure system designs comply with NFPA 70, 70E, 79 and SIS/IEC 61511 standards.
• Develop technical documentation including I/O lists, control narratives, functional requirements, and validation test procedures.
• Support safety validation, risk assessments, and functional testing throughout the system lifecycle.
• Serve as a technical point of contact for controls-related aspects of multidisciplinary projects.
• Work closely with fabrication, installation, and operations teams to ensure design intent and performance goals.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of design methods and controls best practices.

Skills

PLC-based systems

Electrical control design

Motion control systems

Electrical schematics

NFPA 70/70E/79 knowledge

IEC61511 safety

Industrial Panel/Cabinet design

Safety PLCs/interlock logic

CAD/EPLAN experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

EPLAN

AutoCAD

Job description

Why This Role Matters

As a Controls Hardware Engineer, you will be an instrumental part of interfacing between project teams and gathering controls oriented requirements. Primarily you will take those requirements and design significant parts of our main control system. This role requires an individual who has a passion for controls engineering, and would like to grow in hardware design and implementation.

What You’ll Do

Requirements & System Definition

• Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams and system stakeholders to develop, document, and validate control system requirements
• Translate functional and safety requirements into detailed control logic, hardware specifications, and test criteria
• Participate in design and hazard reviews to ensure system requirements align with performance, safety, and reliability goals

Control System Design and Implementation

• Develop control architectures for safety-critical and utility systems
• Design electrical schematics, control panels, and wiring diagrams for 24VDC control and 480VAC drive power systems
• Specify and integrate PLC, HMI, and communication hardware.
• Configure and commission VFDs, servo drives, and motion control systems
• Implement and verify safety interlock and process control logic in accordance with SIS and NFPA standards

Software Development and Integration

• Develop and test PLC programs using structured and modular programming practices
• Conduct system-level integration testing, troubleshooting, and commissioning support
• Work with instrumentation and field devices to ensure proper control and feedback integration

Compliance and Documentation

• Ensure system designs comply with NFPA 70 (NEC), NFPA 70E, NFPA 79, and SIS/IEC 61511 standards
• Develop technical documentation including I/O lists, control narratives, functional requirements, and validation test procedures
• Support safety validation, risk assessments, and functional testing throughout the system lifecycle

Collaboration and Technical Leadership

• Serve as a technical point of contact for controls-relatedaspects of multidisciplinary projects
• Work closely with fabrication, installation, and operations teamsto ensure design intent and performance goals are achieved
• Contribute to continuous improvement of design methods,documentation standards, and controls best practices

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, orrelated field
• 5+ years of experience in industrial automation or control systemdesign
• Proficiency with PLC-based systems
• Experience with VFDs, servo drives, and motion control systems
• Familiarity with systems operating at 24VDC and 480VAC
• Strong understanding of NFPA 70/70E/79 and functional safety (IEC61511) standards
• Proven ability to develop system requirements and translate them into detailed design documentation
• Industrial Panel/Cabinet design experience
• Bonus Points For Experience with safety PLCs and interlock logic design
• Background in large scientific facilities, or other high-reliabilityenvironments
• CAD experience, EPLAN experience is a significant plus!