Controls Engineer, Power Generation and Microgird at OpenAI · LumiJobs

Responsibilities

We are seeking a Controls Engineer to design, program, integrate and commission on-site power generation and microgrid control systems serving large AI data center campuses. You will own control architecture and functional requirements across generation packages, balance-of-plant systems, electrical protection, microgrid controls, and data center monitoring. You will work from concept through factory testing, site commissioning, performance validation, and operational improvement.
This role requires hands-on experience with industrial control systems, including PLC and DCS programming, plant-level control sequences, equipment integration, simulation, testing and commissioning. The engineers will work with equipment vendors, system integrators and the broader data center team to make sure the complete power system operates safely and reliably across normal and failure conditions.
Power Generation and Microgrid Controls
Design, program and commission plant power controllers (PPCs) and microgrid control systems for gas turbine and reciprocating engine power plants.
Develop control sequences for grid-connected, islanded and transition modes, including startup, shutdown, synchronization, load sharing, import/export control, load shedding, black start, restoration and resynchronization.
Coordinate active power, reactive power, voltage and frequency controls across generators, energy storage, MV UPS and other distributed energy resources.
Define how the plant responds to generator trips, loss of utility power, large load changes, equipment failures and loss of communication.
Work with OEMs to define the boundaries between turbine or engine controls, generator controls, the PPC, protection systems and data center controls.
Electrical systems and utility interconnection
Review utility and transmission-provider interconnection requirements and translate them into plant control, protection, metering, communications and testing requirements.
Work with utility and equipment vendors to define controls and interfaces at the point of interconnection, including power limits, voltage and frequency response, reactive, power factor, telemetry and dispatch.
Review interconnection studies, operating procedures and test requirements, and track the actions needed to demonstrate compliance.

Qualification

Strong hands-on experience with PLCExperience with plant power controlAbility to troubleshoot across softwareBachelor's degree in controlsExperience with network redundancyExperience with IEC 61850 (MMS

Required

8+ years of hands-on experience designing, programming, integrating and commissioning industrial controls for power generation, industrial plants, utilities, or mission-critical infrastructure.
Strong hands-on experience with PLC, DCS, SCADA, historian, industrial-networking, and control-system integration.
Experience with plant power control, generator controls, synchronization, load sharing, islanding and load-shedding schemes.
Experience integrating controls with power generation equipment, protective relays, SCADA/EPMS and other plant systems.
Experience developing functional specifications, sequences, I/O, alarms, graphics, and factory or site test procedures.
Ability to troubleshoot across software, instrumentation, electrical, mechanical, communications, and operating-process boundaries.
Understanding of industrial cybersecurity, redundancy, failover, and change-control practices.
Bachelor's degree in controls, electrical, mechanical, chemical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field.

Preferred

Experience with major turbine or reciprocating-engine control platforms and microgrid controllers.
Experience with data center power systems and rapidly changing AI or GPU loads.
Experience integrating gas generation with BESS, MV UPS and grid-forming or grid-following inverters.
Experience with EMT studies and model validation for weak-grid or islanded power systems.
Experience developing automated simulation tests and regression test libraries.
Experience with network redundancy, industrial protocols, OT cybersecurity and remote support for critical facilities.
Experience transitioning from temporary generation to permanent power systems.
Experience with IEC 61850 (MMS, GOOSE, SV), Modbus, OPC UA, DNP3, EtherNet/IP, or comparable industrial protocols.

Controls Engineer, Power Generation and Microgird

Responsibilities

Qualification

Required

Preferred

Company

OpenAI

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