Principal Product Controls Engineer

ON.energy; United States; On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

Health insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

ON.energy is seeking a Principal Controls Engineer to lead network-and-controls hardware design and project-specific compliance. You will coordinate with IT, software, and commissioning teams, and support development from design through O&M with a focus on mission-critical applications.

Ideal candidates have 12+ years in controls engineering, strong network architecture skills, and experience with industrial OT and protocols like Modbus, DNP3, and OPC-UA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Controls or Electronics Engineering or similar field.
• 12+ years hands-on controls engineering in project-based or industrial settings.
• Proven experience with network deployments, not just operations.
• Strong grasp of TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, VLANs, VPNs.
• Significant experience with control systems and OT.
• Ability to produce and read network/controls drawings.
• Excellent communication across technical and non-technical teams.
• Willing to travel up to 20% for FAT inspection and site commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Support business development with technical proposals and network diagrams.
• Collaborate across control systems, SCADA, and IT for secure connectivity.
• Integrate and support Modbus, DNP3, and OPC-UA protocols.
• Compile product technical information packages for engineers.
• Co-lead reviews of network/controls topics during projects.
• Maintain as-built drawings and project documentation.
• Capture design feedback across design/commissioning/OT&M phases.
• Recommend design approaches and equipment vendors.
• Participate in product design sprints with the dev team.
• Participate in commissioning phases of the product.

Skills

TCP/IP

BGP

OSPF

VLANs

VPNs

Industrial OT

Network drawings

Control system architecture

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Controls Engineering

Tools

Modbus

DNP3

OPC-UA

Job description

ON.energy is building the power infrastructure that makes the AI era possible. As AI demand surges past what the grid and traditional data centers can support, ON.energy provides a new class of power technology proven at gigawatt scale and trusted by the world’s leading cloud and AI companies. Our systems are already deployed across 2.5 GW of hyper-scale campuses, validated by top U.S. national labs, and certified for grid-safe operation by major utilities. With real products in the field, we’re scaling faster than the grid can, transforming power from a bottleneck into a competitive advantage for the companies building the future.

We’re looking for Principal Controls Engineer with project-based engineering experience to lead network-and-controls-related hardware product design, documentation, project-specific technical compliance and support the development activities related to these products. This is a product focused role —we need someone who can speak fluently about both network architecture and industrial control systems , ideally have experience in mission critical applications , and interface with IT, software, project, commissioning and O&M engineering teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the business development team by providing technical proposals e.g. network diagrams that meet the customer’s needs.
• Collaborate across control systems, SCADA, and IT teams to ensure complete and secure connectivity
• Integrate and support industrial protocols like Modbus, DNP3, and OPC-UA
• Compile product technical information packages for the project engineering team.
• Co‑lead review and validation of network/controls product‑related topics during the project execution phase.
• Maintain technical documentation including as‑built drawings
• Support product development by capturing design improvement feedback from the different project phases: design, commissioning and O&M.
• Support product development by recommending design approaches and vendors of the main equipment.
• Participate in product design sprints with the development team.
• Participate in the product’s commissioning phase.

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Controls Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or similar technical field.
• 12 + years of hands‑on controls engineering experience in project‑based or industrial settings.
• Proven experience in project network deployments, not just operations
• Strong grasp of protocols (TCP/IP, BGP, OSPF, VLANs, VPNs)
• Significant experience with control systems and operational technology (OT)
• Ability to produce and read network and control architecture drawings
• Excellent communication skills across technical and non‑technical teams.
• Willing to travel up to 20% for product FAT inspection and site commissioning witnessing.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with BESS, SCADA, EMS, Safety Systems or utility‑scale infrastructure
• Background in energy, utility, or data center environments

For US-based roles - What you’ll get:

• Competitive salary + annual performance‑based bonus eligibility
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays

For Mexico-based roles - What you’ll get:

• Competitive salary + annual performance bonus eligibility
• Major medical expenses and life insurance
• Paid time off and holidays (per local policy)

For all roles:

• Professional development and growth opportunities
• Opportunity to grow with a mission‑driven team shaping the future of clean energy
• Equal Opportunity: ON.energy is committed to equal employment opportunity and to maintaining a work environment free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation.
• Accommodations: If you need an accommodation during the application process, email [e-mail]
• Benefits vary by role and location and are subject to change.