Automation & Controls Manager

Enchanted Rock Management LLC•Houston, TX

11d

About The Position

The Automation and Controls Manager manages, develops, and directs ERock’s automation and controls engineers and technicians supporting power generation and microgrid facilities. The manager is accountable for team performance, staffing, work assignments, technical development, and controls integration delivery from project preparation through commissioning and operational support. The position combines direct people management with senior technical responsibility, including independent evaluation of integration problems and hands-on leadership of complex troubleshooting when needed. Working with Commissioning, Engineering, EPC, IT, NOC, and O&M teams, the manager translates design intent into reliable field execution and develops the team’s capability to support routine projects and unique medium-voltage installations. The role oversees controls and power-system integration, technical documentation and commissioning, standards and knowledge transfer, and communication of project status, risks, recovery plans, and customer impacts. Work takes place in offices and laboratories, at active construction sites, in electrical rooms, and at operating generation facilities. Regular travel, urgent operational support, and occasional extended or nonstandard schedules are required.

Requirements

Eight or more years of progressive experience in automation and controls, power generation, electrical commissioning, or system integration.
At least three years of direct experience managing technical employees.
Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, controls engineering, engineering technology, or a related technical discipline; equivalent demonstrated technical and leadership experience may be considered.
Hands-on experience integrating and commissioning generator paralleling or microgrid power systems, including independently diagnosing and resolving complex field problems involving controls, sensing, switchgear, communications, and operating modes.
Experience developing or reviewing PLC/controller logic, SCADA/HMI interfaces, industrial networks, Modbus mappings, control narratives, permissives, interlocks, and functional test procedures.
Working knowledge of low- and medium-voltage switchgear controls, automatic transfer systems, breaker operation, protection interfaces, and electrical/control documentation.
Experience directing FAT/SAT, startup, troubleshooting, and turnover, including configuration control, test records, and verification of as-left settings.
Experience hiring, coaching, evaluating performance, addressing performance gaps, and developing engineers or technicians while delivering work across concurrent projects.
Ability to travel regularly and support urgent operational escalations and occasional extended or nonstandard schedules.
Valid driver’s license and ability to meet site-access and safety-qualification requirements.

Nice To Haves

Experience with ComAp, Deep Sea Electronics (including DSE8610/8660), SEL relays and RTACs, or comparable generator, protection, and power-management platforms.
Experience with natural gas distributed generation, mission-critical facilities, data centers, utility interconnections, or large multi-generator installations.
Experience leading first-of-kind controls development, troubleshooting across multiple manufacturers, and standardizing custom solutions for fleet deployment.
Experience with controls simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, technical training laboratories, and qualification programs.
Professional Engineer license, Engineer-in-Training certification, or relevant controls, power-system, or electrical testing credentials.

Responsibilities

Directly supervise A&C engineers and technicians, setting goals, providing feedback, conducting performance reviews, addressing performance gaps, and holding employees accountable for quality, safety, schedules, and follow-through.
Recruit, select, onboard, and develop personnel; establish role expectations, qualification requirements, progression criteria, and training plans in coordination with HR and Training.
Assign work and balance office, laboratory, project, and urgent field-support demands; coordinate staffing and schedules with commissioning leadership and identify resource gaps.
Coach employees through technical decisions and customer interactions; delegate work, review results, and develop technical depth through mentoring, peer reviews, and shared documentation.
Serve as the senior technical escalation point for integration of generator controllers, GMCs, PLCs, RTACs, SCADA/HMI, switchgear controls, protection interfaces, and industrial communications.
Evaluate and troubleshoot generator synchronization, paralleling, real and reactive load sharing, voltage and frequency control, islanding, utility transfers, and breaker permissives and interlocks.
Develop and review control narratives, sequences of operation, interlock matrices, alarm lists, I/O databases, Modbus maps, network interfaces, controller configurations, and controls test procedures.
Review electrical and controls documentation and vendor packages for completeness and field readiness; resolve technical gaps with Engineering and EPC before mobilization.
Manage A&C scope, sequencing, milestones, and schedule commitments for new builds, expansions, and retrofits; own controls test plans and data sheets, establish readiness criteria, identify risks, and drive mitigation and closeout.
Direct advanced and first-of-kind controls integration, FAT/SAT, laboratory validation, integrated system testing, startup, performance testing, and technical turnover; validate unfamiliar configurations before repeat deployment.
Partner with the Commissioning Manager on readiness and execution, providing engineering direction for unique and medium-voltage work while commissioning leadership manages technician readiness, routine escalation, and daily field activities.
Lead troubleshooting of synchronization failures, unstable load sharing, transfer sequencing, sensing issues, SCADA loss, communications faults, and controls or protection-interface problems; establish root cause and verify corrections using trends, event records, and controlled testing.
Provide urgent technical support to O&M, Power Generation, and NOC when controls or integration issues affect site reliability, and establish safe interim operating guidance with the accountable operations leader.
Maintain controlled logic libraries, approved controller files, test templates, change records, backups, redlines, as-left configurations, and complete turnover packages.
Manage the System Integration Training Lab with Training and Engineering, keeping configurations aligned with the fleet and supporting hands-on training, commissioning simulations, failure recovery, and logic validation.
Convert first-of-kind solutions and field lessons into reusable standards; recommend hardware, software, controls, and design improvements to Engineering and confirm corrective actions are adopted.
Coordinate design changes, protection studies, and breaker or relay settings with Engineering and EPC through their approval processes; coordinate network installation, configuration, connectivity, access, and cybersecurity requirements with IT.
Work with NOC on SCADA points, alarms, trends, and operating visibility; coordinate specialized protection testing and calibrated test equipment with qualified third-party providers.
Communicate project status, dependencies, technical risks, recovery plans, and customer impacts to Operations leadership, project managers, and customers.
Ensure controls work follows approved safety procedures, switching plans, lockout/tagout, and change control.
Travel regularly and support urgent operational escalations and occasional extended or nonstandard schedules.