Director, Generation Controls, Protection, and Automation — Power and Energy

Nscale•Houston, TX

23h•Hybrid

About The Position

Nscale is seeking a Director, Generation Controls, Protection, and Automation to lead the development and implementation of stable, protected, and controllable multi-gigawatt, island-mode power systems for AI data center loads. This role is critical for Nscale's Power and Energy group, which manages behind-the-meter generation, battery energy storage systems, and medium- and high-voltage distribution operating as islanded microgrids. The position requires hands-on technical leadership to define control and protection philosophies, drive engineering through all project phases (design, testing, commissioning, operation), and manage engineering teams, consultants, and OEM technical teams. The role involves close collaboration with a peer Director, Generation Electrical Engineering, who is responsible for the power system equipment itself, while this role focuses on its control and protection. The position is based in Houston, TX, with remote work considered for US-based candidates, requiring regular travel to sites and vendors.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in power systems controls, protection, or automation engineering, with significant time on islanded, industrial, or microgrid power systems.
Deep protective relaying expertise: scheme design, coordination studies, and settings development on modern digital relay platforms, ideally including systems with high inverter-based resource penetration and limited fault current.
Hands-on experience with plant or microgrid control systems: power management systems, governor and excitation coordination, and grid-forming or grid-following inverter controls.
Working fluency with power systems studies and models: EMT (PSCAD or equivalent), dynamic stability, short circuit, coordination, and arc flash.
Solid grounding in SCADA and substation automation, communications protocols (IEC 61850, DNP3, Modbus), and OT cybersecurity practices.
Experience taking controls and protection scopes through commissioning and energization on major projects.
Proven ability to direct OEMs, consultants, and EPC engineering teams.
Proven ability to make technically defensible decisions under schedule pressure.
Proven ability to build standards, processes, and small teams in a fast-scaling environment.
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
Willing and able to travel to project sites and vendor facilities regularly (typically 25%, higher during factory testing and energization campaigns).

Nice To Haves

Direct experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing (RTDS or equivalent).
Exposure to behind-the-meter generation, BESS, or mission-critical facilities.
PE license preferred.

Responsibilities

Own the microgrid control architecture, including power management, generation dispatch, frequency and voltage regulation in island mode, and coordinated response to load transients and contingencies.
Define control philosophies and functional specifications for plant master controllers, engine governor and AVR coordination, and grid-forming BESS controls.
Direct dynamic performance requirements and verification, including control tuning, load acceptance/rejection behavior, black start logic, and load ramp coordination.
Oversee EMT and dynamic modeling of the microgrid using platforms like PSCAD to validate stability and controller interactions.
Own the protection philosophy for islanded systems with high inverter penetration, including relaying schemes, coordination, arc flash studies, and settings management.
Review and approve protection designs, relay settings, and coordination studies from EPC partners, OEMs, and consultants.
Direct controller and protection hardware-in-the-loop (CHIL/HIL) testing campaigns.
Establish settings management discipline, including version control, change management, and documentation.
Own the plant automation and SCADA architecture for the generation scope, including control system topology, substation automation, communications design, and time synchronization (IEC 61850).
Define signal lists, alarm philosophy, and operator interfaces for safe plant operation.
Set OT network and cybersecurity requirements for controls and protection systems.
Ensure automation designs integrate with data center building management and Nscale's operational data platforms.
Carry the controls and protection scope through the project lifecycle: design reviews, FAT, site functional testing, energization, and integrated systems testing.
Support root cause analysis of controls, protection, and power quality events during startup and operations.
Develop Nscale's engineering standards, specifications, and reference designs for microgrid controls, protection, and automation.
Build and lead a team of controls and protection engineers, and direct specialist consultants and studies firms.
Manage the technical relationship with OEMs for relays, controls, BESS, and switchgear.
Partner closely with the Director, Generation Electrical Engineering to ensure coherent system engineering.
Coordinate with data center operations and controls teams on the generation and campus load interface.
Communicate complex power systems issues clearly to project leadership, commissioning teams, and executives.