Controls Engineer

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Hanwha Energy USA, headquartered in Houston, Texas, is part of the Hanwha Group-a FORTUNE Global 300 company and one of South Korea's most respected business enterprises. With over a decade of experience delivering high-quality, utility-scale energy projects across North America, Hanwha Energy USA has evolved into a comprehensive energy solutions provider. Our portfolio now spans utility-scale renewables, natural gas generation, retail electricity, and strategic partnerships that power America's growing data center industry.

Our expertise covers the entire energy value chain-from project development and engineering to construction, operations, and maintenance. By integrating advanced technologies, proven processes, and strong partnerships, we deliver reliable, customized solutions that meet the dynamic needs of local energy markets.

Hanwha Energy USA is actively advancing strategic initiatives in natural gas generation and data center development, including hyperscaler solutions on both sides of the meter. We are proud to serve as the parent company of:

• Hanwha Renewables - specializing in utility-scale solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS)
• Chariot Energy - providing retail electricity services for residential, commercial, and industrial customers in deregulated markets

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Principal Instrumentation & Controls Engineer is accountable for the overall control, automation, and operational intelligence of utility-scale gas-fired power plants, including gas turbine- and gas fired reciprocating engine-based generation facilities.

This role serves as the owner-side technical authority for all instrumentation & control-related systems across the full project lifecycle-from early development and Pre-FEED through EPC execution, commissioning, and operations. The Principal defines control philosophy, governs EPC and OEM designs, and ensures reliable, high-availability operation, particularly for mission-critical loads such as data centers.

This position owns the integration and performance of multi-layer control architectures, including engine package controllers, plant-level PMS, and supervisory EMS.

The employee may be required to perform other job-related duties as requested by management. All duties will be assigned in accordance with applicable laws and company policies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Control & Automation Technical Authority (Owner-Side)

• Establish and own the overall control, protection, and automation philosophy for gas-fired power plants (SCGT, CCGT, and gas fired reciprocating engines).
• Act as the final technical decision-maker for control system architecture, design acceptance, and performance-related issues.
• Define company-wide standards for:
• DCS, PLC, and SCADA architecture
• Control system redundancy and fail-safe strategies
• Protection, sequencing, and interlock philosophies

Multi-Layer Control Architecture -Reciprocating Engine Gas Fired Power Plants

• Define and govern the hierarchical control architecture for gas reciprocating engine-based power plants, including:
• Engine package controllers (OEM scope)
• Unit- or block-level controllers
• Plant-level Power Management System (PMS)
• Supervisory Energy Management System (EMS)
• Clearly define control boundaries, interfaces, and responsibilities between OEMs, EPCs, system integrators, and the owner.
• Ensure stable coordination across all control layers during:
• Start-up and shutdown
• Load changes and transient events
• Islanded and grid-connected operation
• Abnormal and failure scenarios

Power Management System (PMS) Ownership

• Own and define PMS architecture and control philosophy, including:
• Generator and engine dispatch logic
• Load sharing and load shedding / restoration schemes
• Islanding, black start, and resynchronization logic
• Frequency and voltage control coordination
• Govern PMS implementation by EPCs and integrators to ensure compliance with owner requirements and performance targets.

Energy Management System (EMS) & Supervisory Control

• Provide technical leadership for EMS concepts supporting plant- and campus-scale power systems.
• Define EMS strategies for:
• Energy dispatch and operational optimization
• Coordination between engines, BESS, and…