Lead Controls & Firmware Engineer (Austin, TX)

NextGenEnergyJobs; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Exowatt is shaping the AI era energy landscape with its P3 system. We seek an engineer to design and test PLC programs, develop embedded firmware, and integrate components for energy storage platforms.

You will implement safety interlocks, configure industrial protocols, and ensure real-time performance in demanding environments. This role emphasizes CI/CD, testing, and field validation in a cutting-edge context.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree 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).
• 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Design and implement embedded firmware in C/C++ for microcontrollers if migrating 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.
• DevOps & CI/CD: build and maintain pipelines for PLC code, firmware, and test automation.
• Participate in system integration, commissioning, and field validation.

Skills

PLC programming

Embedded firmware development

C/C++ development

Rust

Python

Real-time systems

Industrial networking

OTA updates

CI/CD

Test automation

HIL testing

Power/energy storage knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s in Electrical/Controls/Computer Engineering

Tools

Siemens TIA Portal

Rockwell Studio 5000

GitHub Actions

CI/CD pipelines

OTA update mechanisms

AWS IoT Core

InfluxDB

Timestream

CloudWatch

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.

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.
• 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 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.

Requirements

• 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).
• 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.