Senior Power Controls & Grid Planning Engineer

Sargent Lundy; United States; Remote; USD 135,000 - 206,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

401(k)

Paid time off

Remote work option

Job summary

Sargent & Lundy is seeking a senior Controls & Grid Integration Planning Engineer to support owner’s engineering and design teams on large, isolated power systems in the United States. You will oversee control philosophies, validate plant controller strategies, and coordinate interactions between GT controls, BESS EMS, and SCADA.

The role emphasizes risk identification, clear recommendations for stakeholders, and strong cross-disciplinary collaboration. Occasional travel within the U.S.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering required.
• 12+ years of experience in power generation controls, grid integration, or utility-scale plant systems.
• Experience with islanded or isolated grids.
• Strong understanding of transient stability, EMT, frequency response.
• Familiarity with gas turbine controls (Mark VIe) and BESS EMS.
• Experience reviewing EPC deliverables and grid code documentation.
• Knowledge of protection coordination and system-level control architecture.
• Strong communication skills for engagement with developers, OEMs, lenders, and regulators.
• Experience in thermal power project design development.

Responsibilities

• Provide independent oversight of plant control philosophies for stable, compliant operation.
• Review dynamic studies, control narratives, and protection philosophies.
• Validate integration between GT controls, BESS EMS/PPC, and SCADA.
• Lead cross-disciplinary design reviews and technical due diligence.
• Travel within the United States and internationally as needed.

Skills

Grid integration

Dynamic performance studies

Gas turbine controls

Protection coordination

Cross-disciplinary leadership

EPC deliverables review

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in electrical engineering (plus)

Tools

Mark VIe

BESS EMS/PPC

PSS/E/PSCAD familiarity

SCADA integration

Job description

Responsibilities

This is a remote/virtual position. Candidate can be based anywhere within the United States.

Overview:

Sargent & Lundy Consulting (SLC) works on behalf of clients to support electric power projects. We evaluate and optimize technical, commercial, environmental, and financial aspects of the projects for a variety of clients.

Responsibilities:

In this role, you will help work on large, isolated power systems integrating equipment such as gas turbines, BESS, reciprocating engines, and other generating technologies with large dynamic electrical loads.

We are seeking a Controls & Grid Integration Planning Engineer to support Owner’s Engineer and design teams on large, isolated power systems integrating equipment such as gas turbines, reciprocating engines, BESS, Solar PV, with large dynamic loads. The role will provide independent technical oversight of plant control philosophies, ensuring that OEM, EPC, and system integrator designs collectively deliver stable, resilient, and compliant operation under steady-state, transient, and islanded conditions. The engineer will review and challenge dynamic studies, control narratives, plant controller strategies, and protection philosophies without directly performing detailed PSS®E or PSCAD modeling. Responsibilities include validating integration between GT controls, BESS EMS/PPC systems, SCADA, and overall coordination strategies (frequency response, voltage control, inertia management, black start, load rejection, and large motor/data center step loads).

The position requires strong cross-disciplinary leadership, risk identification capability, and the ability to translate complex control interactions into clear recommendations for owner and lender stakeholders.

Your responsibilities will include engineering design reviews, technical due diligence, project development support, and conceptual design. Particular experience in electrical design of thermal power projects is desired.

You will have the opportunity to travel within the United States as well as internationally.

Qualifications

We do not sponsor employees for work authorization in the U.S. for this position.

Essential skills and experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering
• 12+ years’ experience in power generation controls, grid integration, or utility-scale plant systems
• Demonstrated experience with islanded or isolated grids
• Strong understanding of dynamic performance studies (transient stability, EMT, frequency response), even if not the primary modeler
• Familiarity with gas turbine control systems (e.g., Mark VIe or equivalent) and BESS plant/energy management systems, power plant controllers
• Experience reviewing EPC deliverables, grid code compliance documentation, and performance guarantees
• Knowledge of protection coordination and system-level control architecture
• Strong communication skills for engagement with developers, OEMs, lenders, and regulatory bodies
• Experience in development support and conceptual design of thermal power projects:
  • Simple cycle gas turbines,
  • Combined cycle projects,
  • Coal fired generation, or
  • Reciprocating engines (RICE)

Valued but not required skills and experience:

• Master's degree in electrical engineering is a plus.
• Experience in technical due diligence and owner’s engineering design reviews of thermal power projects is a plus.
• General understanding of power station operations and performance reviews is a plus.
• General understanding of process design at electric power generation facilities is a plus.
• Contract development experience is a plus.
• Reliability modeling experience is a plus.

Technology & Innovation

Sargent & Lundy values the appropriate use of technology to improve how work gets done and deliver high-quality outcomes for our clients. Depending on the role, employees may use data, automation, artificial intelligence, and other digital tools to support research, analysis, engineering and design activities, workflow improvement, or other aspects of their work. We value candidates who demonstrate an interest in learning and effectively using emerging technologies where relevant to their role. Employees remain accountable for their work and are expected to apply appropriate professional judgment and review when using technology-assisted tools. Experience with AI, automation, programming, or similar technologies is valued where relevant but is not required unless specifically identified elsewhere in the job description.

About Sargent & Lundy

At Sargent & Lundy, we care about the health and well-being of our employees. Our commitment extends beyond the workplace, offering comprehensive healthcare plans and generous paid time off to support our team members in every aspect of their lives. We understand the importance of work-life balance, which is why we are proud to provide competitive, award-winning benefits. Our dedication to employee satisfaction has earned us the prestigious Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Award for compensation and benefits in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

Health & Wellness

• Health Plans: Medical, Dental, Vision
• Life & Accident Insurance
• Disability Coverage
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Back-Up Daycare
• FSA & HSA

Financial Benefits

• 401(k)
• Pre-Tax Commuter Account
• Merit Scholarship Program
• Employee Discount Program
• Corporate Charitable Giving Program
• Tuition Assistance
• First Professional Licensure Bonus
• Employee Referral Bonus

Work-Life Balance

• Paid Annual Personal/Sick Time (PST)
• Paid Vacation
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Bereavement Leave
• Flexible Work Arrangements

Compensation Range

$134,546 - $205,557

Transparency Statement

Sargent & Lundy discloses compensation ranges that comply with all local and state regulations. The total compensation package for eligible positions will include a base salary or an hourly rate and a comprehensive benefits package, reflecting our commitment to rewarding performance and supporting the overall well-being of our employees. Individuals may also be eligible to participate in our yearly discretionary bonus.

Equal Opportunity

Sargent & Lundy is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any protected status as defined by applicable law.