Senior Controls Engineer, Power Plant Controller (PPC)

Qcells USA is a leading provider of utility-scale solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage systems, headquartered in Houston, CA. The Senior Controls Engineer will provide critical engineering support for the design, project development, and commissioning of power plant controller products, ensuring reliable plant operation and compliance with project requirements.

Responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end Power Plant Controller (PPC) software delivery for utility-scale PV, BESS, and hybrid projects, from requirements definition through release, commissioning, and operations support
• Translate owner, EPC, utility, ISO, and interconnection requirements into practical plant-control functions, test plans, and project-specific configurations
• Coordinate PPC integration with plant SCADA, EMS/BMS, inverters/PCS, metering, substation systems, and vendor interfaces to support reliable plant operation
• Lead software validation, factory/site acceptance testing, commissioning, and utility witness testing; ensure controls perform safely, predictably, and in compliance with project requirements
• Serve as senior escalation owner for field issues, leading troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, corrective actions, and clear technical communication across internal and external stakeholders
• Develop reusable engineering standards, commissioning procedures, documentation, and mentoring practices that improve software quality, field readiness, and execution consistency
• Travel expected approximately 30% depending on project phase; must be comfortable working in active construction, substation, and power plant environments while following site and electrical safety procedures
• Create product testing requirements and develop standard practices
• Assist with the creation and/or revision of product installation and maintenance manuals
• Develop and manage product FMEA documents and reports
• Facilitate product certification through direct engagement with external test labs
• Build and refine economic models including component cost, supply logistics, installation labor, and product performance
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and established design codes
• Perform value engineering on existing components to optimize and reduce cost
• Resolve product issues by performing root-cause failure analysis
• Confidently communicate design recommendations to peer and management level audiences
• Convert market requirements into engineering specifications
• Meet with cross-functional teams to align product strategy and execution
• Conduct research and stay current on market trends and influences
• Engage with suppliers to optimize designs around manufacturing capabilities
• As a remote employee, demonstrate professional ethics to manage your time and deliver on project schedule expectations
• Regular attendance, in accordance with company's attendance policy and supervisory assignment, is an essential job duty requirement for this position
• Perform other duties and special projects, as assigned by Management

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, controls engineering, Computer Science, Power Systems, or related field or equivalent (advanced degrees are valued and may be applied to the professional experience requirements)
• 7+ years in power systems, controls, automation, SCADA, renewable energy, or power plant control systems; 5+ years directly supporting PPC, PV plant controls, BESS controls, or inverter-based resources
• Hands-on commissioning and troubleshooting experience for utility-scale PV, BESS, or hybrid plants, including work under COD schedule pressure
• Strong knowledge of plant-level active/reactive power control, voltage regulation, power factor control, frequency response, ramp-rate limits, curtailment, POI metering, and grid-code/interconnection requirements
• Development experience with industrial control platforms and tools such as Codesys or AcSELerator for SEL RTAC
• Practical experience with Modbus TCP/RTU, DNP3, IEC 61850, OPC UA, Ethernet/IP, SCADA HMI, network diagnostics, and time synchronization
• Ability to interface effectively with EPCs, owners, utilities, ISOs, OEMs, inverter/PCS suppliers, EMS/BMS vendors, SCADA vendors, and field crews
• Advanced analytical and mathematical skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience with Typhoon HIL, IEC 61131-3 languages, Structured Text, Function Block, C/C++, Python, or similar
• Utility/ISO witness testing and renewable interconnection compliance in markets such as CAISO, ERCOT, PJM, MISO, SPP, NYISO, or ISO-NE
• Familiarity with IEEE 2800, IEEE 1547, NERC-related requirements, utility generator interconnection requirements, and site-specific grid codes
• Simulation/modeling exposure using PSCAD, PSS/E, PSLF, TSAT, MATLAB/Simulink, or similar tools; experience with automated regression testing is a plus
• PE license
• Solar industry experience
• Demonstrable experience delivering on engineering requirements in a process-driven product development environment