Senior Controls Engineer

Jobtailor; Colorado; On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in the United States is seeking an experienced controls engineer to lead the design, testing, and commissioning of plant-level control systems for utility-scale solar and battery storage projects.

You will provide technical leadership for PPC, EMS, and supervisory control solutions, and develop control strategies for APC, RPC, frequency response, and SOC management for hybrid facilities. Proficiency in Codesys, AcSELerator, Beckhoff TwinCAT, and PSS/E/PSCAD is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelors in Electrical/Controls Engineering or related field required.
• 5+ years in controls engineering for utility-scale solar or BESS facilities.
• Experience developing grid-connected renewable control strategies.
• Experience reviewing OEM/EPC control submissions and providing feedback.
• Working knowledge of PSS/E or PSCAD for controller modeling/validation.
• Hands-on PPC or EMS commissioning and testing on utility-scale projects.
• IEC-61131-3 logic development in Codesys, AcSELerator, TwinCAT, or equivalent.
• Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis skills.
• Knowledge of Modbus, DNP3, IEC 61850, SunSpec; SCADA/historian familiarity.
• Python or MATLAB/Simulink for control analysis or data evaluation.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, testing, commissioning, and continuous improvement of plant-level control systems for solar and storage.
• Provide technical leadership for PPC, EMS, and supervisory control solutions.
• Develop control strategies for APC, RPC, frequency response, voltage regulation, ramp rate, and SOC management.
• Develop control logic in IEC-61131-3 environments (Codesys, AcSELerator, TwinCAT).
• Review OEM/EPC control strategies and provide substantive recommendations.
• Define and support interfaces for inverter OEMs and BESS vendors.
• Develop and review dynamic controller models in PSS/E.

Skills

Controls engineering

Grid-connected renewables

Troubleshooting

Root cause analysis

Test and commissioning

Python or MATLAB

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Codesys

AcSELerator

Beckhoff TwinCAT

PSS/E

PSCAD

Job description

• Lead the design, testing, commissioning, and continuous improvement of plant-level control systems for utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects
• Provide technical leadership for Power Plant Controller (PPC), Energy Management System (EMS), and supervisory control solutions that support safe, reliable, and compliant plant operations
• Develop control strategies for active power control (APC), reactive power control (RPC), frequency response, voltage regulation, ramp rate limiting, and state‑of‑charge (SOC) management for hybrid solar and storage facilities
• Develop control logic in IEC-61131-3 environments such as Codesys, AcSELerator, or Beckhoff TwinCAT
• Review OEM and EPC-supplied control strategies, identify gaps and risks, and provide recommendations
• Define and support control interfaces for inverter OEMs and BESS vendors
• Develop and review dynamic controller models in PSS/E

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, or a closely related field required
• 5+ years of controls engineering experience, including work with utility-scale solar PV and/or BESS facilities
• Experience developing control strategies for grid-connected renewable energy assets
• Experience reviewing OEM or EPC control submissions and functional design documents, and providing substantive technical feedback
• Working knowledge of PSS/E or PSCAD for controller-level modeling and validation
• Hands‑on experience with PPC or EMS commissioning and acceptance testing for utility-scale renewable projects
• IEC-61131-3 control logic development in Codesys, AcSELerator, Beckhoff TwinCAT, or equivalent PLC-based environments
• Strong troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills, with the ability to trace issues through software, controls interfaces, and system behavior
• Working knowledge of PSS/E and/or PSCAD at the controller level
• Communication protocols: Modbus TCP/RTU, DNP3, IEC 61850 (GOOSE/MMS), SunSpec
• SCADA/historian familiarity: PI Historian, OSIsoft, or equivalent
• Python or MATLAB/Simulink for control analysis, test automation, or data evaluation