Principal SCADA Engineer

Enchanted Rock Management•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Principal SCADA Engineer & Team Lead will set the technical direction for, and lead the team responsible for, the design, implementation, integration, and administration of our VTSCADA and real-time operational systems supporting distributed energy assets. This is a senior role that combines deep engineering expertise, enterprise-level system ownership, and people leadership. You will be accountable for the SCADA roadmap and for building, developing, and directing a high-performing team of SCADA engineers, while designing scalable architecture that enables rapid fleet growth and proactively improving system reliability to reduce downtime and operational risk. You will serve as the senior technical authority across SCADA architecture, integrations, grid support telemetry, and real-time operations systems, and as a trusted partner to Operations, IT, Cybersecurity, and IT leadership reporting to the Senior IT Infrastructure Manager.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)
10+ years of SCADA (VTSCADA, Siemens, Emerson or similar) engineering experience within energy, gas or electric utility environments
7+ years of hands-on experience supporting real-time operational systems
Deep experience designing and implementing ICCP integrations, including utility data exchange with ERCOT, RTOs, or other ISOs
Familiarity with CAD and electrical schematics.
Experience with Autosol ACM or comparable utility-grade SCADA platform
Strong understanding of grid support operations, dispatch protocols, and telemetry architecture
Experience supporting distributed energy resources (DER), microgrids, or gas generation assets
Strong knowledge of distributed systems, infrastructure technologies (Windows servers, virtualization, networking, cybersecurity), and relational databases (e.g., MS SQL)
Proven ability to troubleshoot complex, multi-layer communications and telemetry systems
Experience establishing and improving alarm management, change management, and system governance standards
Demonstrated track record of improving system reliability, reducing operational risk, and enhancing real-time system performance
Demonstrated ability to set technical vision and architect enterprise-scale SCADA solutions across a rapidly growing fleet
3+ years of formal people leadership (team lead, supervisor, or manager) directing SCADA, controls, or real-time systems engineers, including hiring, performance management, and coaching
Proven track record of building and developing high-performing engineering teams and growing technical talent into senior roles
Experience planning and prioritizing multi-project portfolios, managing budgets, and leading vendors and contractors to deliver on schedule
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence Operations, IT, Cybersecurity, and executive leadership and to explain complex technical topics to non-technical audiences
Experience leading incident response and on-call support for 24x7 mission-critical operations, including root cause analysis and corrective action programs
Sound judgment in making and owning architecture and risk decisions, and in resolving competing priorities across teams

Responsibilities

Own the long-term SCADA strategy, roadmap, and architecture supporting ERock’s distributed generation and microgrid fleet
Develop and maintain SCADA systems, partnering with cross-functional teams to enhance data flow, system performance, and operational visibility
Provide technical design oversight, set team priorities, and serve as the final escalation authority for SCADA issues
Serve as technical authority for Autosol ACM and related real-time systems
Define and enforce enterprise standards for telemetry, tag structure, alarm management, and data integrity
Ensure engineering support and on-call coverage for our 24x7 Microgrid Control Center
Design scalable solutions enabling rapid site onboarding and fleet growth
Ensure compliance with cybersecurity protocols and company SCADA standards.
Lead ICCP strategy, configuration, and utility data exchange with ERCOT and other market participants
Architect telemetry models supporting ERCOT compliance and grid participation
Ensure secure, reliable data flow across field devices, SCADA platforms, and external entities
Oversee engineering and commissioning of new site integrations
Maintain performance, resilience, and uptime of real-time operational SCADA systems
Provide technical review of site SCADA drawings; architect monitoring and control schemes; establish tag/point standards; and oversee configuration and programming of SCADA, including HMIs, historians, and controllers.
Support upgrades, migrations, and technology enhancements
Partner with IT and Operations to ensure secure, hardened infrastructure and operational readiness during grid events
Drive automation, tooling, and database enhancements to improve scalability and visibility
Strengthen change management and deployment governance across the SCADA environment
Ensure all changes to the SCADA system are governed by a change management process
Develop SCADA budgets, capital project plans, and vendor relationships; represent SCADA in cross-functional planning and executive discussions
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of SCADA engineers and technicians, setting clear expectations, goals, and career development paths
Plan and allocate team resources across concurrent site onboarding, commissioning, and operations support work
Conduct performance reviews, provide regular coaching and feedback, and participate in hiring, onboarding, and succession planning
Establish engineering best practices, design review standards, documentation, and knowledge sharing across the team
Build a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement, and foster strong collaboration with Operations, IT, and Cybersecurity
Manage on-call rotations and incident response, and lead post-incident reviews and root cause analysis to drive lasting improvements
Coordinate and direct contractors and vendors, holding them to company standards for quality, schedule, and security