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Controls Engineer

Houston, TX

COMPANY OVERVIEW 

Hanwha Energy USA, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is part of the Hanwha Group—a FORTUNE Global 300 company and one of South Korea’s most respected business enterprises. With over a decade of experience delivering high-quality, utility-scale energy projects across North America, Hanwha Energy USA has evolved into a comprehensive energy solutions provider. Our portfolio now spans utility-scale renewables, natural gas generation, retail electricity, and strategic partnerships that power America’s growing data center industry.

Our expertise covers the entire energy value chain—from project development and engineering to construction, operations, and maintenance. By integrating advanced technologies, proven processes, and strong partnerships, we deliver reliable, customized solutions that meet the dynamic needs of local energy markets.

Hanwha Energy USA is actively advancing strategic initiatives in natural gas generation and data center development, including hyperscaler solutions on both sides of the meter. We are proud to serve as the parent company of:

  • Hanwha Renewables – specializing in utility-scale solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS)
  • Chariot Energy – providing retail electricity services for residential, commercial, and industrial customers in deregulated markets

 

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Principal Instrumentation & Controls Engineer is accountable for the overall control, automation, and operational intelligence of utility-scale gas-fired power plants, including gas turbine– and gas fired reciprocating engine–based generation facilities.

This role serves as the owner-side technical authority for all instrumentation & control-related systems across the full project lifecycle—from early development and Pre-FEED through EPC execution, commissioning, and operations.  The Principal defines control philosophy, governs EPC and OEM designs, and ensures reliable, high-availability operation, particularly for mission-critical loads such as data centers.

This position owns the integration and performance of multi-layer control architectures, including engine package controllers, plant-level PMS, and supervisory EMS.

The employee may be required to perform other job-related duties as requested by management.  All duties will be assigned in accordance with applicable laws and company policies.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Control & Automation Technical Authority (Owner-Side)

  • Establish and own the overall control, protection, and automation philosophy for gas-fired power plants (SCGT, CCGT, and gas fired reciprocating engines).
  • Act as the final technical decision-maker for control system architecture, design acceptance, and performance-related issues.
  • Define company-wide standards for:
    • DCS, PLC, and SCADA architecture
    • Control system redundancy and fail-safe strategies
    • Protection, sequencing, and interlock philosophies

Multi-Layer Control Architecture – Reciprocating Engine Gas Fired Power Plants

  • Define and govern the hierarchical control architecture for gas reciprocating engine–based power plants, including:
    • Engine package controllers (OEM scope)
    • Unit- or block-level controllers
    • Plant-level Power Management System (PMS)
    • Supervisory Energy Management System (EMS)
  • Clearly define control boundaries, interfaces, and responsibilities between OEMs, EPCs, system integrators, and the owner.
  • Ensure stable coordination across all control layers during:
    • Start-up and shutdown
    • Load changes and transient events
    • Islanded and grid-connected operation
    • Abnormal and failure scenarios

Power Management System (PMS) Ownership

  • Own and define PMS architecture and control philosophy, including:
    • Generator and engine dispatch logic
    • Load sharing and load shedding / restoration schemes
    • Islanding, black start, and resynchronization logic
    • Frequency and voltage control coordination
  • Govern PMS implementation by EPCs and integrators to ensure compliance with owner requirements and performance targets.

Energy Management System (EMS) & Supervisory Control

  • Provide technical leadership for EMS concepts supporting plant- and campus-scale power systems.
  • Define EMS strategies for:
    • Energy dispatch and operational optimization
    • Coordination between engines, BESS, and grid supply
    • Data center–driven load profiles and availability requirements
  • Ensure seamless integration between EMS, PMS, plant DCS, and utility interfaces.

Plant Dynamic Performance & High Availability

  • Ensure control strategies meet high-availability and transient performance requirements, including mission-critical data center loads.
  • Oversee evaluation of:
    • Load step response
    • Frequency and voltage excursions
    • Transient performance (e.g., ISO 8528 criteria)
  • Define control strategies for black start, island operation, and rapid load recovery.

EPC, OEM & Owner’s Engineer Governance

  • Lead control & automation engagement with:
    • EPC contractors
    • OEMs (engine, generator, and control system suppliers)
    • Owner’s Engineers (OE)
  • Review, challenge, and approve key deliverables, including:
    • Control narratives and functional descriptions
    • Cause & Effect matrices
    • Protection and automation philosophies
    • Network architecture and control system redundancy concepts
  • Ensure EPC and OEM designs align with owner objectives for reliability, operability, and lifecycle cost.

Project Development, Risk & Due Diligence

  • Provide control engineering leadership during:
    • Pre-FEED and FEED decision gates
    • Project acquisitions and technical due diligence
  • Identify control-system-related risks affecting:
    • Availability and reliability
    • CAPEX and OPEX
    • Schedule and commissioning
  • Support mitigation strategies and owner positions in commercial and technical negotiations.

Technology Strategy & Future Readiness

  • Define long-term control and automation strategy to support:
    • BESS integration
    • Future SCGT → CCGT conversion
    • Digitalization and advanced plant monitoring
  • Evaluate emerging control technologies, vendors, and architectures from an owner’s perspective.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Alignment

  • Coordinate closely with:
    • Electrical engineering leadership
    • Mechanical and process engineering teams
    • Development, commercial, and operations teams
  • Translate complex control and automation topics into clear, actionable recommendations for executive leadership.

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Control, or Automation Engineering.
  • 15+ years of experience in power plant control systems, automation, or protection engineering.
  • Proven experience with gas fired reciprocating engine–based and/or gas turbine power plants.
  • Demonstrated experience acting as a discipline lead or technical authority in owner-side, EPC, or OEM environments.

Technical Expertise

  • Deep expertise in:
    • Power plant DCS, PLC, and SCADA systems
    • Gas engine and generator control systems
    • PMS and EMS architectures
    • Protection, sequencing, and interlock design
  • Strong understanding of:
    • Plant dynamic behavior and transient response
    • Grid-connected and islanded operation
    • Black start and resynchronization logic
  • Familiarity with applicable standards (IEEE, IEC, NEC, NFPA, ISO 8528).

Leadership & Professional Skills

  • Ability to define technical direction and enforce standards across multiple projects.
  • Strong engineering judgment balancing reliability, cost, schedule, and risk.
  • Confident communicator with EPCs, OEMs, utilities, and executive stakeholders.
  • Comfortable operating in complex, fast-moving project development environments.

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

  • Experience supporting data center power supply projects or other mission-critical loads.
  • Exposure to ERCOT or other U.S. ISOs/RTOs.
  • Experience with BESS control integration or hybrid power plant operation.
  • Professional Engineer (PE) license.

 

COMPENSATION: $170,000 - $210,000 salary

 

Attention external recruitment firms, we will not accept any unsolicited resumes at this time. Please do not contact any internal member of our company to discuss the position or to solicit candidates.

Hanwha Energy USA provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.

www.174powerglobal.com.

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