DCS And Automation Engineer

Intersect; Oregon; Hybrid; USD 189,000 - 202,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grant

Unlimited PTO

Parental leave

Home office setup

Food stipend

Cell phone/internet stipend

Pet insurance allowance

Job summary

Intersect is seeking a DCS and Automation Engineer to design and own unit- and plant-level automation architectures for large-scale energy and data-center infrastructure. You will serve as the technical authority for instrumentation and control system design, ensuring seamless integration with SCADA environments and dispatch operations.

You will partner with development, construction, and operations teams, as well as EPCs and OEMs, to translate operational demands into resilient control logic

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation & Control Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of hands-on control systems engineering, plant automation, and system integration in power generation or industrial environments.
• Experience with unit/plant-level automation and DCS/SCADA architectures across multi-asset portfolios.
• Strong ability to collaborate with EPCs, OEMs, and internal teams to deliver automation solutions.
• Knowledge of P&ID, control narratives, I/O lists, and compliance standards in capital projects.

Responsibilities

• Architect unit and plant-level DCS/PLC control architectures, hardware specs, and network topologies for utility-scale facilities.
• Drive OEM system integration and specify deterministic industrial communication protocols for reliable telemetry.
• Review instrumentation & control deliverables from EPCs, OEMs, and system integrators; ensure FAT and field commissioning success.
• Coordinate with process, mechanical, electrical, and operations teams to align automation with safety and cyber security.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration to optimize asset performance and dispatch capability across fleets.

Skills

DCS/PLC architecture

SCADA integration

OPC UA / Modbus / DNP3

IEC 61850 protocols

Cross-functional leadership

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Instrumentation/Control Engineering

Tools

Emerson Ovation

Yokogawa Centum

Siemens PCS7

ABB

Rockwell PlantAx

Job description

We're a team of friends bound together by a mission to preserve our planet for future generations through innovative energy solutions and modern infrastructure. Intersect develops, constructs, and operates the most ambitious power and data center infrastructure in the country by co-locating industrial demand with dedicated gas and renewable power generation.Intersect was acquired by Google in March 2026 and operates as an independent subsidiary. We are developing and constructing multiple gigawatts of energy and data center projects in the U.S., enabling more data center and generation capacity to come online faster. We're on an aggressive growth trajectory and looking for people hungry to tackle the largest energy challenges on the planet.

Location & Team Gatherings

Intersect has been a fully flexible workplace since its founding in 2016. We've been very intentional about the way we do things. We are not work-from-home, hybrid, or in-office - we are any and all of those options! Deepening social connections and offering shared experiences is a cornerstone of the way we work. We connect as a team at our Team Week experiences four times a year and at our recently established Hub locations - SF Bay Area, NYC Metro Area, NY; Denver, CO; Austin, TX; Calgary, AB; and Toronto, ON. We are currently looking for candidates located within 60 miles of any of the listed hubs to foster more in-person connections while maintaining our flexible remote culture.

About this role

As a DCS and Automation Engineer on Intersect's Engineering team, you will design and own the unit and plant-level automation architectures that power our clean energy and infrastructure assets. You will serve as the technical authority for instrumentation & control system design, ensuring that individual power generation units, balance-of-plant equipment, and auxiliary systems integrate seamlessly into cohesive, higher-level supervisory control platforms and SCADA environments. Operating at the intersection of detailed automation design and capital project execution, you will uphold technical excellence across multi-asset portfolios. In this role, you will partner closely with internal development, engineering, construction, and operations teams, as well as external EPCs and OEMs, to translate dynamic operational demands into resilient, automated control logic. Your work will directly enable high-reliability power dispatch, grid compliance, and operational flexibility across Intersect's growing fleet.

Team overview

This team plays a critical role in advancing Intersect's mission to accelerate the clean energy transition by delivering high-performance, utility-scale energy infrastructure. The Engineering team partners cross-functionally across development, construction, and operations to design and execute complex energy projects at scale. Joining this team means working at the intersection of technical excellence and real-world impact, contributing to projects that demand precision, collaboration, and innovation.

What you’ll do

Architect Unit and Plant-Level Control Systems

• Define and establish robust unit and plant-level DCS/PLC control architectures, hardware specifications, and network topologies for utility-scale power facilities.
• Develop scalable standards for control narratives, sequence of operations, cause-and-effect matrices, and state-machine logic across generation assets.
• Propose high integrity communication protocols and system architecture for remote control room access.
• Formulate machinery monitoring systems for online validation of assets by integrating into the DCS.

Drive Supervisory Control and OEM System Integration

• Lead the seamless integration of unit-level packaged controllers (reciprocating engines, gas turbines, BESS) into plant-wide DCS and higher-level supervisory SCADA networks.
• Specify and configure deterministic industrial communication protocols (OPC UA, Modbus TCP, DNP3, IEC 61850) to ensure low-latency data exchange and reliable telemetry.

Oversee Technical Execution and Vendor Performance

• Prepare / review procurement specifications for DCS, SIS, Plant Data Historian, Alarm Management system, and any control systems.
• Serve as the primary engineering authority reviewing and approving instrumentation & control system deliverables from EPCs, OEMs, and system integrators.
• Validate dynamic response, automated startup/shutdown sequences, and load-following capabilities during factory acceptance testing (FAT) and field commissioning.

Enable Cross-Functional and Long-Term Asset Alignment

• Partner with process, mechanical, electrical, commissioning, and operations teams to align automation functional safety, cyber security, and operational workflows.
• Identify fleet-wide automation enhancements to optimize asset efficiency, dispatch capability, and long-term operating performance.

What you’ll bring

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation & Control Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of hands-on experience in control systems engineering, plant automation design, and system integration within power generation or heavy utility-scale /Industrial environments.
• Demonstrated mastery of unit/plant-level automation, including DCS architectures (e.g., Emerson Ovation, Yokogawa Centum, Siemens PCS7, ABB, Rockwell PlantAx), PLCs, and controllers for OEMs such as CAT, GE, Woodward and Solar.
• Deep expertise in integrating unit controllers with higher-level supervisory SCADA and EMS platforms using OPC UA, Modbus, DNP3, and IEC 61850 protocols.
• Proven experience defining and reviewing control engineering artifacts, including P&IDs, control narratives, I/O lists, Protection systems, API/ISO/IEE compliance knowledge, condition monitoring and historian setup, High speed data trap set up, HMI Screens, and cause-and-effect matrices for large capital projects.
• Strong collaborative communication skills, with the ability to lead technical discussions across EPCs, OEMs, and internal multidisciplinary teams.
• Commitment to technical rigor, operational safety, and sustainable execution, aligned with Intersect's core values of Equity, Humility, Authenticity, Long-run Value, and People Come First.

Total Rewards

Total Compensation: $188,500 - $201,500 (total compensation includes base salary + bonus in USD)

Equity: Beyond your salary, you'll receive an Equity Grant, giving you a meaningful stake in our parent company.

Health & wellness: 100% premium coverage for you and your dependents on medical, dental, and visionTime to recharge: Unlimited PTO, plus two company-wide breaks (Fourth of July & end of year)Family support: Up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave, plus 6 additional weeks for birth parents; access to family planning and family care support through Carrot and MavenMental health: Free access to Spring Health, including 5 free therapy and psychiatry sessions, plus a Headspace account for mindfulness and meditation through our physical health vendor, Wellhub+Perks & extras: $150 monthly food stipend, $150 monthly reimbursement for cell phone and internet, pet insurance allowance, full home office setup, free access to UrbanSitter with $625 in quarterly company-paid credits, ActiveHero, and One Medical