Controls Engineer, Distributed Control System (DCS)

NAES•McKittrick, CA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Controls Engineer, Distributed Control System (DCS), is responsible for the maintenance, reliability, and optimization of the control and automation systems supporting the safe and efficient operation of La Paloma Power Facility. This includes the plant's DCS, turbine control systems, PLCs, industrial networks, CEMS, and related automation infrastructure. This position provides technical leadership for control system modifications, software enhancements, cybersecurity initiatives, and system upgrades. Working closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, OEM representatives, and contractors, the Controls Engineer supports safe, reliable plant operation while improving performance, compliance, and asset reliability.

Requirements

Associate's degree, technical diploma, or equivalent military training in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering Technology, Instrumentation & Controls, Automation Technology, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline is required.
Minimum of five (5) years of experience supporting Distributed Control Systems (DCS), Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), SCADA systems, or industrial automation systems in power generation or a comparable industrial environment.
Demonstrated experience troubleshooting and resolving complex control system, instrumentation, communication network, hardware, software, and automation-related issues in an operating industrial facility.
Working knowledge of DCS platforms, turbine control systems, PLCs, HMIs, industrial networks, and communication protocols such as Modbus, Ethernet/IP, OPC, and similar technologies.
Experience developing, modifying, testing, commissioning, and supporting control logic, custom programming, software applications, interfaces, graphics, alarms, historians, and system configurations in a live operating environment.
Strong understanding of industrial networking, cybersecurity principles, system backups, disaster recovery processes, remote access technologies, and network configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
Proven ability to analyze and interpret technical and operational data, engineering drawings, and control narratives to develop practical solutions that improve plant reliability, availability, and performance.
Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to work independently, manage priorities, adapt to changing demands, meet deadlines, and collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization.
Must possess a valid, unrestricted U.S. driver’s license and ensure it remains in good standing at all times.

Nice To Haves

A Bachelor's degree in Engineering is preferred.
Experience with ABB Advant systems preferred.
Knowledge of power generation processes, including gas turbine, steam turbine, balance-of-plant, emissions monitoring, and auxiliary systems, with combined cycle power plant experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Maintain, troubleshoot, program, and optimize the plant's Distributed Control System (DCS), turbine control systems, SCADA systems, PLCs, Human Machine Interfaces (HMIs), industrial networks, field instrumentation, and automation infrastructure.
Work closely with Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, and other stakeholders to identify control system, instrumentation, communications, and hardware/software issues, develop practical solutions, and implement effective corrective actions.
Develop, configure, program, test, and commission control logic modifications, custom software applications, software enhancements, and automation solutions to improve plant reliability, performance, and operational flexibility.
Develop, maintain, test, and support interfaces between plant control systems, turbine controls, PLCs, historians, business systems, environmental systems, and third-party applications.
Support the operation, maintenance, and regulatory compliance of Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) and associated environmental reporting interfaces.
Maintain and enhance operator interface graphics, alarm management systems, plant historians, data archiving systems, data logging applications, and performance monitoring tools to support plant operations and decision-making.
Provide technical support, guidance, and training to Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering personnel regarding control system functionality, troubleshooting, system enhancements, and new applications.
Provide technical leadership for control system upgrades, migrations, lifecycle replacement projects, and automation improvement initiatives to ensure systems remain current, reliable, and maintainable.
Analyze plant operating data and control system performance to identify opportunities for improving efficiency, availability, reliability, heat rate, startup performance, and overall plant operation.
Support plant cybersecurity initiatives through the management of industrial control system networks, firewalls, remote access, user access controls, backups, disaster recovery plans, and compliance with corporate and regulatory requirements.
Review, evaluate, test, and implement OEM software updates, firmware revisions, Functional Service Instructions (FSIs), technical bulletins, and control system modifications to ensure safe and reliable operation of plant systems.
Support planned and forced outage activities, including system testing, commissioning, troubleshooting, startup support, software validation, and post-outage verification of control system performance.
Participate in Root Cause Analyses (RCA), event investigations, and reliability improvement initiatives, serving as the plant subject matter expert for control and automation systems.
Develop and maintain control system documentation, engineering standards, configuration records, network drawings, operating procedures, and technical specifications while coordinating with OEMs, contractors, and service providers.
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned to support the safe, efficient, and reliable operation of the facility.