Power Generation - Controls SME

Power Generation – Controls SME

Job Description

Department: Manufacturing

Job Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Salary-Exempt

Reports To: SME Engineering Manager

Location: Houston, TX (Channelview Area)

Amount of Travel Required: Varies

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Positions Supervised: N/A

AIP Level: 6

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Controls SME serves as the technical authority for power generation control systems across gas turbine and reciprocating engine platforms, associated auxiliary systems, and balance of plant controls. This role provides advanced expertise in controls architecture, programming, sequencing, integration, troubleshooting, and lifecycle support; supports new product development, Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), commissioning, root cause analysis, and sustaining engineering; and drives the standardization of controls philosophies, programming practices, system architectures, and technical standards across the power generation portfolio.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: (The following duties and responsibilities are all essential job functions, as defined by the ADA, except for those that begin with the word "may.")

- Serve as the technical authority for power generation control systems, including gas turbines, reciprocating engines, generators, auxiliary systems, and balance of plant controls.

- Provide technical expertise for turbine control platforms, including Woodward GAP/Micronet, GE Mark VIe, Siemens, Allen Bradley, and other industrial control platforms used across the power generation portfolio.

- Develop, review, troubleshoot, and optimize control system software, including start/stop sequencing, permissives, interlocks, trips, alarms, fuel control, speed control, temperature control, and load control functions.

- Provide technical expertise for generator synchronization, load sharing, real and reactive power control, frequency and voltage control, load shedding, and integration with Power Management Systems (PMS) and microgrid controllers.

- Develop and review control system architectures, network architectures, I/O configurations, control narratives, Cause & Effect matrices, functional descriptions, and system interface requirements.

- Develop and standardize control philosophies, programming standards, software architectures, alarm philosophies, naming conventions, and engineering best practices.

- Provide technical oversight for integration among turbine controls, generator controls, excitation/AVR systems, protective relays, PMS, emissions systems, auxiliary equipment, and customer control systems.

- Develop and support industrial communication interfaces using Modbus TCP/RTU, OPC UA, Ethernet/IP, PROFINET, DNP3, and other applicable industrial communication standards.

- Lead complex controls troubleshooting and root cause analysis activities involving turbine trips, failed starts, control instability, communication failures, instrumentation issues, sequencing problems, and equipment performance concerns.

- Analyze control system and telemetry data to identify failure mechanisms, operational trends, control system anomalies, and reliability or performance improvement opportunities.

- Support the development of condition monitoring, predictive analytics, and AI based diagnostic capabilities using control system and telemetric data.

- Develop and execute control system testing and validation procedures for sequencing, protection, interlocks, communications, system interfaces, and functional performance before deployment.

- Support field commissioning and startup activities, including controls checkout, loop checks, first fire activities, synchronization, load testing, performance validation, and troubleshooting.

- Review and technically approve vendor control system designs, software, drawings, documentation, and integration requirements for compliance with company standards and product requirements.

- Collaborate with Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Product Engineering, Product Service Engineering, Remote Operations, and Field Operations on control system integration and technical issues.

- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Controls Engineers, Product Service Engineers, commissioning personnel, and field teams.

- Evaluate emerging control platforms, automation technologies, simulation tools, communication technologies, and OEM solutions for potential application across current and future power generation products.

- Incorporate lessons learned from commissioning, field operations, failures, and root cause analysis into control standards, software libraries, and future product designs.

- Develop and maintain technical documentation, training materials, troubleshooting guides, and knowledge repositories.

- Interface with turbine OEMs, controls vendors, customers, engineering partners, and other technical stakeholders to resolve complex controls and system integration issues.

- Promote technical excellence, functional safety, standardization, configuration control, engineering ownership, and continuous improvement across power generation control systems.

- Performs other related duties as assigned to assist with successful operations and business continuity.