Senior Controls Engineer

ON.energy; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual bonus eligibility

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

ON.energy is seeking a Senior Controls Engineer to design, document, and improve the control hardware inside the AI UPS. You will own control panel design, I/O and controller architecture, and validation from prototype to factory testing and site commissioning.

You will work with power electronics, electrical, battery systems, software and project teams, becoming a technical voice on evolving the controls platform.

Qualifications

• 5+ years hands-on controls engineering in product development, OEM, or industrial settings.
• Experience designing control panels and hardware from schematic to test.
• Strong knowledge of PLCs, I/O design, and HMI/SCADA integration.
• Familiarity with OT networking, VLANs, segmentation, switches, and firewalls.
• Experience FAT and field commissioning.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop control system hardware for the AI UPS product line, including panels, I/O architecture, controller and HMI selection, power distribution, and interfaces to power conversion and battery systems.
• Produce and maintain controls documentation: schematics, panel layouts, wiring diagrams, I/O lists, BOMs, control narratives and as-built drawings.
• Define control architecture between subsystems and site-level SCADA/EMS.
• Integrate and validate industrial communication protocols between product components and customer systems.
• Specify control-network requirements and work with IT to secure OT networks.
• Select and qualify vendors for controllers, panels and key components; collaborate with panel builders on manufacturability.

Skills

5+ years controls engineering

PLC/industrial controllers

Strong communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Controls/Electronics Engineering

Tools

AutoCAD Electrical

EPLAN

SCADA/IEC 61850/OPC-UA protocols

Job description

ON.energyis setting the standard for large load interconnection. ON’s patented AI UPS™ is a medium-voltage UPS that serves as a firewall, protecting the data center from the grid, and the grid from the data center.With multiple gigawatts currently under construction, we are enabling grid-safe data centers.

We're looking for a Senior Controls Engineer to help design, document and improve the control hardware inside the AI UPS. You'll own control panel design, I/O and controller architecture, and the documentation and validation that take a product design from the drawing board through factory testing and site commissioning. You'll work closely with power electronics, electrical, battery systems, software and project teams, and you'll be a technical voice on how our controls platform evolves.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop control system hardware for the AI UPS product line, including control panels, I/O architecture, controller and HMI selection, power distribution, and interfaces to power conversion and battery systems.
• Produce and maintain controls documentation: schematics, panel layouts, wiring diagrams, I/O lists, bills of materials, control narratives and as-built drawings.
• Define control architecture between the product's subsystems (inverters/converters, BMS, protection relays, switchgear, auxiliary systems) and to site-level SCADA/EMS.
• Integrate and validate industrial communication protocols (Modbus TCP/RTU, DNP3, OPC-UA, IEC 61850) between product components and customer systems.
• Specify control-network requirements and work with IT and network teams so the product's OT network is segmented, secure and reliable.
• Select and qualify vendors for controllers, panels and key controls components, and work with panel builders on manufacturability and quality.
• Lead or support FAT, SAT and site commissioning; troubleshoot issues and feed lessons learned back into product design.
• Compile technical packages for project engineering and support business development with controls architecture and technical proposals.
• Participate in product design sprints and design reviews, and drive improvements across design, commissioning and O&M.
• Support compliance with applicable standards (UL 508A, NFPA 70/NEC, IEC 61131, IEEE 1547, and cybersecurity frameworks such as IEC 62443).

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Controls or Electronics Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of hands-on controls engineering experience in product development, OEM or project-based industrial settings.
• Demonstrated experience designing control panels and control hardware, from schematic through build and test.
• Strong working knowledge of PLCs or industrial controllers, I/O design, and HMI/SCADA integration.
• Hands‑on experience with industrial protocols (Modbus, DNP3, OPC‑UA and/or IEC 61850).
• Working understanding of OT networking: VLANs, segmentation, managed switches and firewalls.
• Proficiency producing and reading control schematics and architecture drawings (AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN or similar).
• Experience supporting FAT and field commissioning.
• Clear communication with technical and non-technical teams.
• Willing to travel up to 20% for FAT and site commissioning.

Preferred Experience

• Controls experience with power conversion equipment, UPS, BESS, inverters, switchgear or medium‑voltage systems.
• Mission‑critical environments such as data centers, utilities or substations.
• Experience with control panel builders or UL 508A shops.
• Familiarity with protection relays (SEL, GE, ABB) and power‑system controls.
• Exposure to industrial cybersecurity standards (IEC 62443, NERC CIP).

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.
• Benefits vary by role and location and are subject to change.

Agency Notice:

ON.energy does not accept unsolicited resumes from staffing agencies, search firms, or third-party recruiters. Resumes submitted without a fully executed Master Services Agreement (MSA) and a written request from an authorized member of our Talent Acquisition team will be considered the property of ON.energy. No placement fees or compensation will be paid for unsolicited candidate submissions.