Technical Lead, Grid Modernization

WSP in the U.S.; Topeka (KS); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Disability insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Sick leave

Vacation & personal time

Parental leave

Bereavement leave

Voting leave

Naturalization leave

Job summary

WSP USA is seeking a Technical Lead for Grid Modernization to provide technical direction for EMS/SCADA, DCS, and microgrid projects across utilities, generation, and data centers.

You will lead control philosophy development, architecture, interfaces, and testing, coordinating with clients, project managers, and vendors to ensure reliable, integrated systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in electrical/controls engineering.
• Experience leading complex control-system projects in utilities or critical infrastructure.
• Ability to develop requirements, architectures, and interfaces and review vendor designs.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of control philosophies, architectures, and interfaces.
• Coordinate operating modes, setpoints, and system boundaries with clients and suppliers.
• Review designs, manage risks, and ensure integration with EMS/SCADA/DCS.
• Define interfaces among generators, BESS, UPS, plant controllers, and data center loads.
• Oversee testing plans, commissioning support, and handover to operations.
• Mentor staff and support proposals, scopes, and delivery approaches.

Skills

EMS

SCADA

DCS

PLC/RTU

DMS

ADMS

DERMS

Plant control

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Controls/Automation Engineering or related field

Job description

Technical Lead, Grid Modernization

WSP is seeking a Technical Lead, Grid Modernization to provide technical direction for utility, generation, microgrid, and data center power infrastructure projects within the Grid Modernization practice. This role leads control system requirements, architecture, design reviews, integration, and testing to help clients deliver reliable and coordinated operational systems. The Technical Lead works with clients, project managers, discipline leads, equipment suppliers, and system integrators across Energy Management Systems (EMS), Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Remote Terminal Units (RTUs), and plant or microgrid controllers. Assignments reflect the individual's areas of expertise and the needs of each project.

Your Impact

Technical Leadership and Architecture

• Lead development of control philosophies, functional requirements, system architectures, specifications, interface definitions, and acceptance criteria.
• Define operating modes, control hierarchy, command authority, setpoint ownership, and system boundaries with clients and equipment suppliers.
• Lead technical reviews and resolve design issues within delegated authority; document decisions and elevate unresolved risks to the project manager and practice leader.
• Coordinate with electrical, protection, communications, OT cybersecurity, and power system studies teams to align control designs and validate assumptions.

System Coordination and Integration

• Define interfaces and coordinated operating requirements among generators, battery energy storage systems (BESS), uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), plant controllers, and data center load controls.
• Address grid-connected and islanded operation, transitions, restoration, and resynchronization where included in project scope, in coordination with equipment and study specialists.
• Lead development and review of signal lists, data flows, communication requirements, alarms, event records, time synchronization, redundancy, and failure-response requirements.

Project Delivery and Technical Quality

• Own the technical completeness, consistency, and quality of assigned control system deliverables; arrange independent reviews under applicable project quality procedures.
• Review vendor and integrator designs for alignment with approved requirements, interfaces, and contractual scope; track technical comments and deviations to resolution.
• Maintain requirements traceability and technical issue logs. Assess proposed changes and provide scope, schedule, cost, and risk impacts to the project manager.
• Develop or review factory acceptance, site acceptance, and integrated system test plans. Support commissioning, defect resolution, acceptance recommendations, and operational handover within contracted scope.
• Apply project safety and quality requirements and coordinate applicable client, cybersecurity, and regulatory requirements with the responsible specialists.

Client Engagement and Practice Development

• Serve as a technical point of contact for assigned engagements, leading workshops and explaining design decisions, alternatives, and tradeoffs.
• Support proposals, technical scopes of work, estimates, staffing assumptions, and delivery approaches in coordination with practice and project leaders.
• Evaluate vendor capabilities and technical alternatives while maintaining independent, client-focused recommendations.
• Mentor technical staff, guide assigned project work, and develop reusable specifications, design methods, test procedures, and lessons learned.
• Provide workload forecasts and progress updates, manage assigned effort against agreed budgets, and flag delivery constraints early.

Who You Are

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.
• Typically 10+ years of relevant control systems experience in utilities, power generation, industrial energy, microgrids, or critical power infrastructure, including demonstrated technical leadership of complex projects.
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following:
  • EMS
  • SCADA
  • DCS
  • PLC/RTU systems
  • DMS
  • ADMS
  • DERMS
  • Plant and microgrid control systems
• Experience developing requirements, architectures, specifications, and interfaces, and reviewing vendor designs and integration deliverables.
• Experience with control system testing, commissioning, troubleshooting, or operational acceptance, including understanding of redundancy and failure-response design.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary technical work, communicate effectively with clients and vendors, mentor colleagues, and manage technical risks and competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience coordinating generation, BESS, UPS, plant controllers, and large or rapidly changing loads, including data center applications.
• Experience with grid-connected and islanded systems, operating transitions, restoration sequences, and coordination with protection and power system studies.
• Familiarity with relevant industrial and utility communication protocols, OT network architecture, cybersecurity requirements, NERC standards, and requirements management practices.
• Consulting, Owner's Engineer, technical procurement, proposal development, or independent design review experience.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or another relevant technical credential.

Benefits and Compensation

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Disability and life insurance
• Retirement savings programs
• Paid sick leave
• Paid vacation and personal time
• Paid parental leave
• Bereavement leave
• Paid time off for voting
• Paid time off for attendance at naturalization proceedings

Expected Salary Range: $130,000 - $180,000

WSP USA states that compensation reflects what it believes in good faith it may pay for the position, based on education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, internal equity, and geographic location. WSP USA reserves the right to offer compensation above or below the posted range and may provide additional benefits or compensation based on circumstances unrelated to any status protected by law.

WSP brings global expertise in power delivery, power generation, and program management—anchored by the acquisition of POWER Engineers, Inc. TRC Companies have now joined WSP, deepening our power practice and expanding our energy advisory and intelligent grid services. We're partnering with clients to shape how energy systems evolve around the world—and we need your help.

About WSP

WSP USA is the U.S. operating company of WSP, one of the world's leading engineering and professional services firms. Dedicated to serving local communities, we are engineers, planners, technical experts, strategic advisors and construction management professionals. WSP USA designs lasting solutions in the buildings, transportation, energy, water and environment markets. With more than 15,000 employees in over 300 offices across the U.S., we partner with our clients to help communities prosper. www.wsp.com. WSP provides a flexible and agile workplace model while meeting client needs. Employees are also afforded a comprehensive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and retirement savings focused on providing health and financial stability throughout the employee’s career. At WSP, we want to give our employees the challenges they seek to grow their careers and knowledge base. Your daily contributions to your team will be essential in meeting client objectives, goals and challenges. Are you ready to get started?

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