MANAGER OF CONTROLS & AUTOMATION ENGINEERING

Carter Machinery•Mechanicsville, VA

5d•$200,000 - $240,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Controls & Automation Engineering Manager is responsible for leading the design, integration, and lifecycle management of automation, controls, and monitoring systems supporting mobile and modular distributed power plants utilizing natural gas turbines and natural gas reciprocating engines. These systems are deployed in both grid-interconnected and behind-the-meter applications serving data centers, utilities, oil & gas, and industrial customers. You'll provide technical leadership throughout the project lifecycle, including front-end engineering and design (FEED), system integration, commissioning, remote monitoring, operations support, and continuous fleet optimization. The Manager establishes controls standards across the fleet and ensure automation systems deliver safe, reliable, and highly available power generation.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related engineering discipline
Minimum eight years of experience designing and implementing industrial automation systems within power generation or heavy industrial facilities
Experience with natural gas turbines, reciprocating engines, or utility-scale generation facilities
Experience with synchronization, generator controls, load sharing, and utility interconnection
Experience leading multidisciplinary controls projects from design through commissioning
Thorough knowledge of natural gas turbines, reciprocating engines, or utility-scale generation facilities
Thorough familiarity with synchronization, generator controls, load sharing, and utility interconnection
Experience leading multidisciplinary controls projects from design through commissioning
Familiarity with industrial cybersecurity standards and best practices
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills
Excellent attention to detail
Valid driver’s license
Excellent driving record
Willingness to travel and work hours required for job and customer demand
Frequent travel is required – overnight or out town via car or airplane

Nice To Haves

Professional Engineer (PE) license, preferred
Experience with Emerson, Rockwell Automation, Siemens, Schneider Electric, GE, or Caterpillar control platforms, preferred
Experience with Energy Management Systems (EMS) and remote operations centers, preferred
Experience supporting mission-critical facilities such as data centers, preferred
Knowledge of IEC, IEEE, ISA, and NFPA standards, preferred

Responsibilities

Lead Controls & Automation Engineering function supporting distributed power generation projects across the full project lifecycle
Develop and maintain company standards for controls architecture, automation, instrumentation, SCADA, and communication systems
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to controls engineers, programmers, and system integrators
Ensure consistency, cybersecurity, reliability, and scalability across all automation platforms
Lead controls engineering during project development and conceptual design
Define control philosophies, system architecture, and communication strategies for modular power plants
Support project feasibility studies, engineering reviews, and technical due diligence
Evaluate control system alternatives to optimize reliability, maintainability, and lifecycle cost
Lead engineering and integration of: PLC-based control systems, Distributed Control Systems (DCS), SCADA systems, Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI), Energy Management Systems (EMS), Generator control systems, Turbine and reciprocating engine controls, Protective relay interfaces, Synchronization and load-sharing controls, Plant sequencing and automation, Utility interconnection controls, Remote monitoring and diagnostics, Communications networks utilizing industrial Ethernet and fiber optic infrastructure
Ensure seamless integration between generation equipment, balance-of-plant systems, electrical infrastructure, and customer facilities
Develop and maintain enterprise SCADA architecture for remote fleet monitoring and operational visibility
Support Energy Management System (EMS) integration for plant optimization and dispatch
Develop dashboards, alarming strategies, reporting tools, and performance analytics
Ensure secure and reliable communications between field assets and centralized operations
Lead controls commissioning activities, including PLC programming validation, I/O checkout, loop testing, system integration, and functional testing
Support startup and synchronization of generation equipment
Verify plant automation sequences and performance under normal and contingency operating conditions
Resolve commissioning issues in collaboration with engineering, OEMs, and field operations
Provide advanced troubleshooting support for operating assets
Analyze control system performance and identify opportunities to improve reliability, efficiency, and availability
Support software updates, configuration management, and lifecycle planning for automation systems
Lead root cause investigations related to control system events and equipment performance
Develop automation standards aligned with recognized industrial cybersecurity best practices
Support secure remote access solutions for field assets
Coordinate with IT and Operations to maintain network integrity and system availability
Maintain documentation and change management for control system modifications
Partner with Mechanical and Electrical Engineering to develop integrated plant designs
Support Commercial Engineering during customer presentations and technical solution development
Coordinate with Project Management to meet engineering and commissioning schedules
Collaborate with Field Operations during startup, maintenance, and long-term operations
Work in coordination with team to achieve Continuous Improvement goals and objectives
Perform other related duties as assigned