Senior Controls Engineer

MaC VC; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity options

Daily catered lunch

Free EV charging

401k retirement options

Job summary

Critical Energy in Hawthorne, CA, seeks a Senior Controls Engineer to own instrumentation and controls for ORC power plants. Translate CONOPS and safety requirements into hardware procurement and software control schemes; join the commissioning team on-site.

You will collaborate with electrical, mechanical, and systems teams to deliver safe, reliable controls for rapid geothermal deployments, including FAT/SAT and field commissioning.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical, mechanical, mechatronics or related field.
• 5+ years designing, programming and commissioning industrial control systems.
• PLC programming experience with Beckhoff, Allen-Bradley or Siemens.
• Experience with Structured Text (IEC 61131-3).
• Experience developing HMI/SCADA applications with strong usability.
• Proficiency reading electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and P&IDs.
• Experience with EtherCAT, Modbus TCP, OPC-UA protocols.
• Familiarity with NEC, NFPA 79, UL 508A for industrial control panel design.
• Strong troubleshooting across mechanical/electrical/software domains.
• Self-motivated in a fast-paced startup environment.

Responsibilities

• Architect, develop, and commission PLC-based control systems for ORC power plant processes.
• Design and implement HMI and SCADA applications for operator visibility, alarm management, and control functionality.
• Develop control strategies for key process loops and sequencing.
• Specify, select, and integrate field instrumentation (pressure, flow, temp, level).
• Design and lay out industrial electrical control panels compliant with NEC/NFPA/UL 508A; manage builds and wiring.
• Implement safety instrumented functions per IEC 61511 including SIL verification.
• Integrate plant devices across EtherCAT, Modbus TCP, OPC-UA.
• Maintain controls documentation (I/O lists, diagrams, FAT/SAT procedures).
• Support factory acceptance testing and field commissioning.
• Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, and systems teams to ensure safety and reliability.
• Contribute to reusable code libraries and controls standards.

Skills

PLC programming

Structured Text (IEC 61131-3)

HMI/SCADA development

Electrical schematics / wiring

Industrial protocols (EtherCAT, Modbus

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical/mechanical/mechatronics

Tools

Beckhoff PLC

Allen-Bradley PLC

Siemens PLC

Job description

Company Description:

Critical Energy is an innovative, early-stage, venture-backed cleantech company on a mission to accelerate the global energy transition through abundant, low-cost clean energy. Founded by an ex-SpaceX engineer, Critical Energy designs and manufactures factory-built, modular power plants. These rapidly deployable systems convert heat into electricity using a closed-loop thermodynamic cycle and can be installed in just weeks.

Critical Energy’s technology delivers high-efficiency, 24/7 power for geothermal applications and waste heat recovery (including from data center gas turbines), making clean energy practical and cost-effective for demanding sectors like AI hyperscalers and data centers. Backed by top climate and technology investors, Critical Energy is scaling rapidly.

Our Mission:

To build an abundant, low-cost, 100% clean energy future through groundbreaking geothermal innovation.

We are a team of passionate engineers, designers, and visionaries building cutting-edge solutions to meet the world’s energy needs with 100% clean energy. We are in the initial stages of development and building our team. This is your chance to join on the ground floor of something big! If you are ready to work at a fun, fast-paced, groundbreaking organization that is positioned to revolutionize geothermal energy, apply today!

About the Role:

We are seeking Senior Controls Engineer to own the design, development, and deployment of the instrumentation and controls of our heat-to-electricity ORC products. You will collaborate closely with the systems and turbomachinery teams to translate CONOPS, safety, and system performance requirements into instrumentation hardware procurement decisions and software control schemes. This role will also be part of the commissioning team, including factory acceptance testing and onsite deployments at customer sites. This is a full-time, on-site position located in our Hawthorne, CA facility.

Responsibilities:

• Architect, develop, and commission PLC-based control systems for ORC power plant processes including working fluid pumps, air-cooled condensers, heat exchangers, and auxiliary systems
• Design and implement HMI and SCADA applications providing operators with clear process visibility, alarm management, and control functionality
• Develop control strategies for key process loops including pressure control, working fluid flow regulation, heat source management, and startup/shutdown sequencing
• Specify, select, and integrate field instrumentation including pressure transmitters, flow meters, temperature transmitters, and level devices
• Design and lay out industrial electrical control panels compliant with NEC, NFPA 79, and UL 508A, manage panel builds, field wiring, and loop checkout
• Implement and maintain safety instrumented functions per IEC 61511 principles including SIL verification, cause and effect matrix development, and SIS logic implementation
• Integrate plant devices across industrial communication protocols including EtherCAT, Modbus TCP, DNP3, and OPC-UA
• Develop and maintain controls documentation including I/O lists, network architecture diagrams, functional descriptions, cause and effect matrices, and FAT/SAT procedures
• Support factory acceptance testing and field commissioning of control systems for future plant deployments
• Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering teams to ensure controls architecture supports plant performance, safety, and reliability requirements
• Contribute to development of controls standards, templates, and reusable code libraries to drive consistency across future plant designs

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field
• 5+ years of hands-on experience designing, programming, and commissioning industrial control systems
• Demonstrated PLC programming experience: Beckhoff, Allen-Bradley or Siemens acceptable
• Experience with Structured Text (ST) or similar IEC 61131-3 standard language
• Experience developing HMI and SCADA applications from scratch with emphasis on operator usability and alarm rationalization
• Proficiency reading and producing electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and P&IDs
• Experience with industrial fieldbus and communication protocols (EtherCAT, Modbus TCP, OPC-UA, or equivalent)
• Familiarity with NEC, NFPA 79, and UL 508A for industrial control panel design
• Strong first-principles analytical and troubleshooting skills, able to debug complex system interactions across mechanical, electrical, and software domains
• Highly self-motivated with demonstrated ability to drive tasks to completion with minimal supervision in a fast-paced startup environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with ORC, geothermal, Rankine-cycle, or other power generation systems
• Experience with VFD-driven motor systems including tuning, commissioning, and integration with PLC control loops
• Familiarity with IEC 61511 safety instrumented systems and SIL classification
• Experience with data historian platforms and process data infrastructure
• Python experience for data acquisition, analysis, or PLC/SCADA integration
• Experience with AutoCAD Electrical or EPLAN for controls documentation
• Exposure to API 670 machinery protection systems
• Experience supporting hardware bring-up, FAT, SAT, and commissioning in field environments
• NFPA 70E electrical safety certification

Compensation:

• Base salary ranges from $140-200k per annum
• Equity options
• 100% company-covered Platinum or HD/HSA (with company contribution) medical
• 100% company-covered dental and vision
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• 401k retirement options
• Daily catered lunch
• Free EV charging
• Several annual social and team building outings

Actual base salary offered will be determined by: experience, skills, and work location. This range is for base salary, our total compensation includes equity and benefits. We welcome you to apply even if your expectations are outside our listed range.

Equal Opportunity

Critical Energy is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Critical Energy is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures and throughout employment. If you need assistance or any accommodation, please let us know.