Senior Controls & Automation Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Position Summary

The Senior Controls & Automation Engineer owns the protection, control and automation engineering that makes Forgent Power's equipment operate as designed — PLC and HMI programming, protective relay configuration, communications and SCADA integration, and the sequences of operation behind generator paralleling switchgear, automatic transfer schemes, load management and power monitoring.

The role spans the full life of a control system: design and programming, factory and site acceptance testing, field commissioning, and the modernization and retrofit of legacy controls on installed equipment. It is the technical escalation point for automation and controls issues that Field Service Engineers cannot close in the field, and the authority behind the A&C work scope.

This is a hands-on engineering role rather than a pre-sales one. Application and specification review remain part of the job where controls content drives feasibility, cost or risk, but the center of gravity is building, testing and commissioning working control systems.

Requirements:

Key Responsibilities

Controls Design & Programming

• Create and modify PLC programs for generator paralleling switchgear, automatic and closed-transition transfer schemes, load management, load shed and source selection.

• Develop and adapt HMI applications, including project-specific modification of standard template programs.

• Author sequences of operation and control narratives, and translate them into verifiable logic and test plans.

• Produce and review I/O lists, control schematics, panel layouts, bills of material and point lists.

• Ensure control designs comply with NEC, NFPA, UL 1558 and UL 508A, and with customer specifications.

Protection & Relay Engineering

• Configure protective relays across major platforms (SEL, GE/Multilin, ABB/Hitachi, Siemens, Schneider) and implement approved settings files.

• Build and verify relay logic, including interlocking, breaker failure, transfer and restoration schemes.

• Implement arc-flash mitigation schemes such as maintenance mode, zone-selective interlocking and light-and-current sensing.

• Support implementation and field validation of coordination, short-circuit and arc-flash study outputs.

Communications, SCADA & Integration

• Design and implement communication architectures using IEC 61850 (including GOOSE), Modbus TCP and RTU, DNP3, EtherNet/IP and CANbus.

• Integrate equipment with customer SCADA, EPMS, BMS and historian platforms; own data mapping, tag databases and point-to-point verification.

• Specify and configure gateways, protocol converters, managed switches and time synchronization.

• Apply operational-technology cybersecurity practice — network segmentation, device hardening, credential management and patching — consistent with customer requirements and recognized frameworks.

Testing & Commissioning

• Lead controls content of Factory Acceptance Testing, factory witness testing and Site Acceptance Testing, including simulation of logic before shipment.

• Support field commissioning of A&C scopes, remotely and on site, including pre-energization checks, point-to-point verification, functional testing and integrated systems testing.

• Serve as the technical escalation point for Field Service Engineers on control, protection and communication faults.

• Capture commissioning findings and feed them back into standard programs, templates and documentation.

Modernization & Retrofit

• Engineer controls retrofits on installed and legacy switchgear, including relay replacement, obsolescence remediation and communication upgrades.

• Reverse-engineer undocumented legacy control schemes and produce accurate as-built documentation.

• Define retrofit scope, sequencing, risk and cutover strategy alongside project management and field leadership.

• Identify modernization opportunities during service and commissioning work and route them through the appropriate channel.

Standards, Documentation & Field Enablement

• Build and maintain standard program libraries, HMI templates, naming conventions and version control so that work is repeatable rather than bespoke.

• Own the settings and program repository, including software licensing, revision history and controlled release.

• Train Field Service Engineers and technicians on relay configuration software, PLC and HMI fundamentals, and communication troubleshooting.

• Serve as content authority for the Protection & Controls domain of the Field Service Skills Matrix and the related Technical Qualification Program modules.

Customer & Project Support

• Review customer specifications and drawings for controls and automation content, and assess feasibility, risk and cost impact.

• Develop controls scope, estimates and technical proposals for automation and controls work, including retrofit and integration packages.

• Lead technical discussions with customers, consultants and commissioning agents on control philosophy and system behavior.

• Mentor junior controls and applications engineers, and review their work.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation, Controls Engineering or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience will be considered.

• 8+ years in controls and automation engineering, with demonstrable hands-on programming rather than oversight only.

• Hands-on PLC programming on at least one major platform (Rockwell / Allen-Bradley, Siemens, Schneider / Modicon, GE), and the ability to work across others.

• HMI and SCADA development experience (FactoryTalk View, WinCC, AVEVA / Wonderware, Ignition or equivalent).

• Demonstrated protective relay configuration and settings implementation on at least one major platform.

• Working fluency in industrial communication protocols — Modbus, DNP3, IEC 61850 and EtherNet/IP.

• Ability to read, author and redline one-line diagrams, AC and DC schematics, control diagrams and sequences of operation.

• Practical knowledge of LV and MV switchgear, automatic transfer switches, generator paralleling and power distribution equipment.

• Commissioning experience — FAT, SAT and field startup on live projects.

• Working knowledge of NEC, NFPA 70E, UL 1558 and UL 508A.

• Valid driver's license with an acceptable motor vehicle record; ability to travel 25–35%, sometimes on short notice.

Preferred

• SEL ecosystem depth — AcSELerator QuickSet, SEL-5030, RTAC logic and automation programming.

• IEC 61850 engineering experience including GOOSE configuration, SCD/ICD file management and network design.

• Data center experience — EPMS and BMS integration, and Level 4 / Level 5 integrated systems testing.

• Microgrid, BESS, renewable integration or utility interconnection experience.

• OT cybersecurity familiarity (IEC 62443, NERC CIP) as applied to substation and critical power networks.

• AutoCAD Electrical, EPLAN or equivalent control design tooling.

• Transformer monitoring and control experience — LTC controls, cooling control, temperature and gas monitoring devices.

• Experience building standard libraries and templates for an engineered-to-order business.

• Mentoring or technical leadership experience.

Core Competencies & Behaviors

• Hands-on depth — writes, debugs and commissions real code and real settings; credibility here comes from working systems, not from specifications.

• Field pragmatism — designs control systems that can be commissioned, troubleshot and maintained by field engineers at two in the morning.

• Documentation discipline — treats version control, settings management and as-built accuracy as part of the engineering, not paperwork after it.

• Systems thinking — understands how protection, controls, communications and the primary equipment interact, and where the failure modes sit between them.

• Communication — explains control behavior clearly to field crews, project managers, customers and commissioning agents.

• Standardization instinct — converts one-off solutions into reusable standards rather than accumulating bespoke programs.

• Mentorship — builds controls capability in field engineers rather than becoming a permanent single point of failure.

Performance Metrics

• First-pass yield at Factory Acceptance Testing on controls scope.

• Commissioning rework and field punch items attributable to controls or settings.

• Resolution time on controls escalations from Field Service Engineers.

• Adoption of standard program libraries and templates across new projects.

• Currency and completeness of the settings and program repository, including as-built accuracy.

• Growth in field capability — Protection & Controls ratings across the field organization in the Skills Matrix.

Working Conditions & Travel

• Primarily remote engineering work, with regular time on the factory test floor and at customer sites.

• Travel 25–35%, including short-notice travel for commissioning milestones and field escalations.

• Site work may involve energized electrical environments, industrial and construction settings, noise and heights.

• Must be able to wear required PPE including arc-rated clothing, hard hat, gloves, safety glasses and hearing protection.

• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs (23 kg), climb ladders and stairs, and work in confined or elevated areas as required.

 

Disclaimer

The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, or skills required. Forgent Power reserves the right to modify, interpret, or apply this job description as needed. Employment may be contingent upon successfully passing applicable screenings (e.g., background check, drug/alcohol testing) and meeting site-specific customer requirements.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Forgent Power is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected class.

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