Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer – Data Center Power Generation

Brunel • Pike County, Ohio, OH

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

Brunel has partnered with SB Energy to hire an Instrumentation & Controls (I&C) Engineer to support development and execution of large-scale power generation and data center infrastructure projects across the U.S. The role provides owner-side technical leadership and oversight for instrumentation, controls, and automation systems on simple-cycle and combined-cycle gas generation projects, from engineering and procurement through construction, commissioning, and turnover.

The engineer oversees I&C design and system integration, coordinates interfaces between major equipment packages and plant control systems, reviews engineering deliverables, resolves technical issues, and supports testing and final turnover. The position also helps integrate power-generation controls with data center load requirements and utility and grid-operator systems. The work is hybrid or remote, with approximately 25% travel to project sites in Pike County, Ohio.

SB Energy is a fast-growing energy and infrastructure company backed by SoftBank Group and Ares Infrastructure. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, it develops, builds, owns, and operates large-scale power and data center infrastructure across the United States. Since launching in 2019, the company has grown to more than 3 GW in operation and a multi-GW pipeline of energy and data center infrastructure nationwide.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation & Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.
• 7–10+ years of professional experience, including I&C engineering experience within gas-fired power generation.
• Direct experience with simple-cycle and/or combined-cycle power generation projects.
• Strong understanding of power plant instrumentation, process controls, DCS and PLC systems, turbine controls, and balance-of-plant controls.
• Experience coordinating technical interfaces between major equipment OEMs, EPC engineering teams, and control system suppliers.
• Ability to independently review control narratives, logic diagrams, cause-and-effect matrices, P&IDs, instrument specifications, I/O lists, loop drawings, and control system architecture.
• Working knowledge of process measurement, instrument selection, control valves, loop control, industrial communications, and control system integration.
• Experience reviewing or testing plant operating sequences, alarms, permissives, interlocks, and protective functions.
• Experience working with utilities and ISOs/RTOs on generator interconnection controls, communications, telemetry, commissioning, or testing.
• Familiarity with instrumentation, control system, and industrial cybersecurity standards.
• Strong technical judgment, including the ability to identify design risks, evaluate technical issues, and develop practical recommendations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to collaborate effectively with project managers, contractors, OEMs, consultants, and operations teams.
• Ability to work remotely and travel approximately 25% to project sites in Pike County, Ohio.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with both simple-cycle and combined-cycle gas generation projects.
• Previous experience serving as an owner’s engineer or technical representative for a developer, asset owner, or utility.
• Experience with gas generation facilities supporting or co-located with large-scale data center campuses.
• Experience coordinating plant-level load controls, turbine controls, and data center power management systems.
• Experience with major power generation DCS and turbine control platforms.
• Familiarity with HRSG controls, steam cycle controls, water treatment systems, emissions monitoring, and other balance-of-plant systems.
• Familiarity with substation SCADA, RTUs, and high-voltage electrical/control interfaces.
• Experience with FAT, site acceptance testing, commissioning, startup, and operating plant troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with safety instrumented systems, functional safety practices, and operational technology cybersecurity.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license and/or relevant instrumentation, controls, or automation certification.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the owner’s I&C engineering subject matter expert for simple-cycle and combined-cycle gas generation projects from initial design through commissioning and closeout.
• Review I&C design criteria, specifications, drawings, control narratives, logic diagrams, equipment selections, and control system architecture.
• Provide technical oversight of DCS, PLCs, turbine control systems, HMIs, historian systems, instrumentation, control valves, and industrial communication networks.
• Evaluate control strategies, operating sequences, alarms, permissives, interlocks, and trips for alignment with process requirements, equipment protection, and operating philosophy.
• Coordinate I&C interfaces across gas turbines, steam turbines, HRSGs, generators, balance-of-plant equipment, OEM packages, EPC contractors, and control system suppliers.
• Define and coordinate control narratives, signal lists, communication protocols, data maps, time synchronization, and command/status interfaces.
• Support integration between generation controls and data center power requirements, including load changes, operating modes, dispatch signals, and responses to loss of generation or load.
• Lead and participate in I&C design reviews and resolve technical comments and open engineering issues.
• Develop and coordinate technical responses to RFIs, equipment submittals, vendor drawings, technical deviations, and proposed substitutions.
• Review proposed design and configuration changes for impacts on plant safety, reliability, operability, cost, and schedule.
• Develop or review I&C specifications, technical requisitions, procurement packages, and supplier proposals.
• Participate in Factory Acceptance Testing and testing of DCS, PLC, and packaged control systems, including simulation of interfaces, operating sequences, alarms, and interlocks.
• Coordinate with utilities, ISOs/RTOs, OEMs, and EPC contractors on generator interconnection controls, communications, telemetry, dispatch, and remote-monitoring requirements.
• Provide technical support during construction, installation, calibration, loop checks, site acceptance testing, commissioning, startup, and performance testing.
• Support troubleshooting of control systems and equipment interfaces during commissioning and initial plant operations.
• Review as-built drawings, final control narratives, software/configuration backups, test reports, instrument records, and other closeout documentation.
• Partner with Engineering, Project Management, Construction, Operations, Procurement, QA/QC, and Cybersecurity teams to ensure successful project execution.

Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Generous paid time off and 11 paid holidays.
• 12 weeks of parental leave.
• Life, AD&D, and long-term disability coverage.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for medical, dependent care, transit, and parking.
• Mental, physical, and social wellness support.
• Flexible work arrangements and hybrid office setup benefits.
• Monthly reimbursement for phone, internet, and data.
• Optional legal and pet insurance plans.
• Device purchase support.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior