Senior Electrical Engineer - Microgrid Controls & Automation Architecture

Ameresco • Knoxville, TN

8d

About The Position

Ameresco is seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer to lead development and integration of control systems for utility-scale generation, distributed energy resources, battery energy storage systems, renewable assets, and mission-critical data center microgrids. The role defines the hierarchy and interfaces among plant distributed control systems, microgrid controllers, energy management systems, generator controls, protection systems, utility interconnections, and supervisory SCADA platforms. It combines controls and power systems expertise with technical leadership, multi-vendor integration, commissioning, and client-facing communication. The position may be based in Knoxville, Tennessee; Phoenix, Arizona; or Dallas, Texas. Occasional travel to customer locations, project sites, vendor facilities, and commissioning activities is required.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• At least 8 years of experience in power generation, utilities, industrial automation, microgrids, or distributed energy systems, including significant plant-level controls integration experience.
• Demonstrated experience developing or integrating microgrid controls architecture for grid-connected and islanded systems.
• Ability to review confidential US security information.
• Strong working knowledge of DCS, SCADA, PLC, EMS, microgrid controllers, generator controls, synchronizing systems, protective relay integration, and power management systems.
• Experience with industrial communications protocols such as IEC 61850, DNP3, Modbus TCP/IP, OPC UA, and Ethernet/IP.
• Ability to produce and review technical specifications, control narratives, logic diagrams, network architectures, and commissioning procedures.
• Systems thinking and ability to understand and communicate interactions across generation, storage, utility, protection, controls, and customer load systems.
• Clear communication skills, including translating complex technical issues into actionable recommendations for engineers, project managers, executives, and customers.
• Ability to align multidisciplinary teams, OEMs, vendors, utilities, and field personnel.
• Problem-solving skills and ability to drive complex technical issues to resolution while maintaining safety, reliability, cybersecurity, schedule, and commercial awareness.
• Ability to remain calm and decisive under schedule pressure, particularly during commissioning, startup, operational events, and troubleshooting.
• Strong organization and attention to detail, with ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining technical rigor.
• Adaptability and intellectual curiosity, including interest in emerging technologies and evolving microgrid applications.
• Mentoring skills and willingness to strengthen engineering practices, develop junior staff, and contribute to reusable standards and lessons learned.
• Customer focus and comfort leading technical workshops, design reviews, risk discussions, and executive-level presentations.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with utility-scale or data center microgrids, or hybrid plants integrating RICE, gas turbines, fuel cells, renewable generation, and BESS.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing, real-time simulation, dynamic modeling, or controls validation.
• Knowledge of IEEE, UL, NFPA, utility interconnection, and mission-critical resiliency requirements.
• Professional Engineer licensure or the ability to obtain licensure.

Responsibilities

• Develop integrated controls and automation architectures for microgrids, distributed generation plants, and behind-the-meter power systems.
• Define interfaces among plant DCS, microgrid controllers, EMS, SCADA, generator controls, BESS controls, protection relays, and utility systems.
• Prepare control philosophies, functional specifications, sequence-of-operations documents, cause-and-effect matrices, and communications architecture diagrams.
• Develop operating strategies for islanding, synchronization and resynchronization, black start, load following, generation dispatch, reserve management, voltage and frequency control, and fast load shedding.
• Lead multi-vendor controls integration and coordinate technical requirements with generation OEMs, BESS suppliers, microgrid controller vendors, protection engineers, utilities, EPC teams, and customers.
• Review vendor submittals and support factory acceptance testing, site acceptance testing, commissioning, performance testing, and operational troubleshooting.
• Incorporate secure control system architecture and applicable cybersecurity requirements, including ISA/IEC 62443 and NERC CIP where applicable.
• Support power system studies and ensure control strategies align with protection, short-circuit, dynamic stability, grounding, and utility interconnection requirements.
• Perform other duties as required.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement plans
• Paid time off
• May be eligible for performance incentives, bonuses, commissions, or equity, depending on the role
• People-oriented insurance, investment, and incentive plans

What This Job Offers

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