Lead Controls & Firmware Engineer (Austin, TX)

Protagonist Management LLC; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and equity options

Comprehensive benefits package including health and dental

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Protagonist Management LLC is seeking a Controls & Firmware Engineer in Austin, TX or Miami, FL. You will design and implement the control architecture for energy storage systems, involving both PLC programming and embedded firmware development, and contribute to CI/CD pipelines for high reliability.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree and 2-6 years of relevant experience. The company offers a competitive salary ranging from $125,000 to $185,000, along with relocation assistance and a comprehensive benefits package.

Qualifications

• 2–6 years of experience in PLC programming and/or embedded firmware development.
• Proficiency with Siemens TIA Portal / Rockwell Studio 5000.
• Familiarity with utility-scale energy systems or DERs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and test PLC programs for energy storage modules.
• Design and implement embedded firmware in C/C++.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines for PLC code and firmware.

Skills

PLC programming

Embedded firmware development

C/C++ coding skills

GitHub workflows

Industrial networking

Education

Bachelor’s in Electrical, Controls, Computer Engineering, or related field

Tools

Siemens TIA Portal

Rockwell Studio 5000

Job description

Exowatt is revolutionizing the energy landscape for the AI era with our groundbreaking P3 system that captures solar energy, stores it as heat, and generates electricity on demand. Founded in 2023 and backed by leading investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Sam Altman, and Felicis, we're committed to providing clean, modular, and scalable power that meets the rapidly growing demands of AI infrastructure. Our mission is to make sustainable renewable energy always available and almost free, enabling technological advancement while protecting our planet.

We are looking for a Controls & Firmware Engineer to help design and implement the control architecture for our scalable thermal energy storage system. This hands‑on role involves both PLC programming and embedded firmware development, giving flexibility as we evolve our platform from industrial controllers to custom microcontroller‑based solutions. The engineer will also contribute to building test benches, CI/CD pipelines, and GitHub‑based workflows to ensure high reliability and rapid iteration.

This position is based in Austin, TX, however an alternate location of Miami, FL is possible for the right candidate. If hired for this role, relocation to one of these sites is required. We provide relocation assistance.

Key Responsibilities

• Controls (PLC Path)
• Develop and test PLC programs (Siemens, Rockwell, or equivalent) for system, module, and site‑level controllers.
• Implement safety interlocks, alarms, and operational sequences for energy storage modules.
• Configure and validate industrial communication protocols (Profinet, Ethernet/IP, OPC UA, DNP3, MQTT).
• Integrate different system components with microcontroller based devices.
• Set up and maintain a test bench / HIL environment for PLC validation.

• Firmware (Microcontroller Path)
• Design and implement embedded firmware in C/C++ (Rust optional) for microcontrollers if we migrate from PLC‑based controls.
• Develop and test communication stacks, device drivers, and OTA update mechanisms.
• Ensure deterministic, real‑time operation in power and energy storage applications.
• Set up and maintain a test bench / HIL environment for validation.

• DevOps & CI/CD
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions or similar) for PLC code, firmware, and test automation.
• Implement version control best practices for branching, releases, and tagging safety‑critical builds.
• Develop infrastructure to run automated test suites including regression, simulation, and hardware‑in‑the‑loop.

• Energy Storage Integration
• Apply knowledge of utility‑scale energy storage systems (battery management, PCS interfaces, dispatch logic).
• Participate in the development of control panel design for various components of the energy storage system.
• Design & develop EMS/SCADA application to map controls data into historians, HMIs, and cloud telemetry systems for monitoring & management of the system.
• Support system integration, commissioning, and field validation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in Electrical, Controls, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 2–6 years of experience in PLC programming and/or embedded firmware development.
• Proficiency with Siemens TIA Portal / Rockwell Studio 5000 (or similar).
• Strong coding skills in C/C++ (Rust/Python a plus).
• Experience with GitHub workflows, CI/CD pipelines, automated testing.
• Familiarity with utility‑scale energy systems or DERs.
• Understanding of industrial networking and protocols (Profinet, Ethernet/IP, OPC UA, DNP3, MQTT).

Preferred Skills

• Exposure to energy storage standards (UL 9540, IEC 62443, IEC 61131-3, IEEE 1547).
• Knowledge of cloud‑integrated controls (AWS IoT Core, InfluxDB, Timestream, CloudWatch).
• Experience setting up test benches, simulators, or hardware‑in‑the‑loop systems.

$125,000 - $185,000 a year

What We Offer

Competitive salary and equity options.

Comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and retirement plans.

A dynamic work environment that fosters creativity and innovation.

Opportunities for professional growth and development in a rapidly evolving industry.

Relocation assistance.