Senior Hydro Controls Engineer

Saigepartners; Cranberry Township (PA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Saigepartners in the United States seeks a Senior Controls Engineer to lead hydropower retrofit projects across North America. You will design, program, test, and Commission hydro governor and plant control systems, working with customers and internal teams to modernize critical infrastructure.

Based in Cranberry Township, PA or Blue Bell, PA, travel up to 30% is required. Prior experience with PLC/HMI platforms and DCS systems is essential to deliver turnkey solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in controls and automation.
• Experience designing/commissioning hydropower control systems.
• Hands-on with turbine governor systems.
• Willingness to travel up to 30% within North America.

Responsibilities

• Lead engineering efforts for hydropower retrofit projects.
• Design, develop, and implement hydro governor and plant control systems.
• Interpret customer specifications into functional control solutions.
• Program control logic using ladder, structured text, and function block/flow diagrams.
• Configure PLC and HMI software for custom applications.
• Review electrical and hydraulic schematics.
• Support and execute FATs; commission control systems on site.
• Develop control narratives, test plans, and validation procedures.
• Serve as SME for hydropower control systems and project execution.

Skills

Hydropower controls

Ladder Logic

Structured Text

Function Block/Flow Diagrams

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Rockwell Automation

Siemens

Schneider Electric DCS

Ovation

Job description

Senior Controls Engineer – Hydropower Systems

Job Overview

We are seeking an experienced Controls Engineer with strong expertise in the hydropower industry to join a specialized engineering team delivering fully engineered control system solutions for hydroelectric power plants across North America. This role is based in Cranberry Township, PA or Blue Bell, PA and focuses primarily on retrofit and modernization projects, including turbine governor and plant control systems. You will play a key role in the engineering, system integration, testing, and commissioning of turnkey control solutions, working closely with customers and internal teams to modernize critical hydropower infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead engineering efforts for hydropower retrofit projects, primarily within North America
• Design, develop, and implement Hydro Governor and Plant Control Systems
• Interpret customer technical specifications and translate requirements into functional control solutions
• Design and program control logic using Ladder Logic, Structured Text, and Function Block/Flow Diagrams
• Configure and adapt PLC and HMI software for custom applications
• Review and interpret electrical and hydraulic schematics
• Support and execute Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs)
• Commission control systems at customer sites
• Develop control narratives, test plans, and hardware/software validation procedures
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert (SME) for hydropower control systems and plant operations
• Act as the primary technical point of contact for customers during project execution

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field (or equivalent experience)
• 5+ years of experience in controls and automation
• Proven experience designing and commissioning hydropower control systems
• Hands‑on experience with turbine governor systems
• Proficiency in PLC and HMI programming/configuration, including platforms such as: Rockwell Automation, Siemens, Schneider Electric Distributed Control Systems (DCS); Ovation experience preferred
• Experience with industrial communication protocols including: Modbus, Ethernet/IP, Profinet, DNP3
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 30%, primarily within North America
• Authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship

Preferred Qualifications

• 7+ years of relevant controls engineering experience
• Strong ability to analyze and implement:
  • Control logic
  • Motor control systems
  • Instrumentation and data acquisition systems
• Experience integrating controls into electromechanical or servo-based systems
• Experience with pumped storage hydropower facilities

Who You Are

• Self‑motivated with a solution‑oriented, can‑do mindset
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple priorities
• Strong communicator with the ability to build trusted customer relationships
• Comfortable working independently while collaborating with cross‑functional teams