A DAY IN THE LIFE
Serving as a recognized technical leader within the Major Projects Group, the Lead Controls Engineer drives design quality, consistency, and innovation across concurrent projects spanning the wind, solar, battery energy storage (BESS), and gas business unit segments focusing on Controls and Systems Integration Engineering support in development and/or project execution phases. The Lead Controls Engineer is the overall SCADA and Controls systems architect for large scale multi-technology projects, supports cross-department standards and initiatives, and prioritizes “We over Me” — placing collective success and team development above individual contribution. May lead a team of Senior Engineers, Engineer I/II staff, and CAD Designers, providing technical direction, mentorship, and professional development.
STEP INTO THE ROLE
Leads and/or is responsible to provide technical support during the controls engineering lifecycle from pre-award development through design delivery, simulation, FAT/SAT, commissioning, and closeout — with emphasis on robust design development, schedule conformance, and financial impact.
Owns the control and data contract between the facility energy controller and third-party power plant controllers; defines the objects, fields, units, update rates, and staleness behavior that cross the boundary in each direction.
Defines the sequences of operation executed by the facility energy controller — normal operation, generation shortfall, source transitions, blackstart, and emergency shed — along with the degradation behavior for each.
Specifies the point maps, interlocks, and constraint classes that vendors build against; prototypes integrations, tests point maps against live devices, and holds vendors to them through factory (FAT) and site (SAT) acceptance testing.
Translates between electrical and software disciplines — turns electrical and generation constraints into requirements software can build, and software and data constraints into terms plant vendors and Engineer of Record (EOR) teams will accept.
Proves the controls interface in simulation prior to energization, covering every constraint class and mode transition, and carries that work forward into automated commissioning.
Serves as the lead controls engineering point of contact to Owners and EOR teams on submittal milestones, review timelines, procurement deliverables, page turns, and Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) outreach.
Ensures designs satisfy the facility's design requirements through compliance with local, state, and national codes, Owner contracts, and company best practices. Champions a quality-first culture across the team.
Supports Basis of Design (BOD) development and RFI management for assigned projects across wind, solar, BESS, and gas scopes focusing on controls and systems integration.
Performs drawing and design reviews, including control narratives, point lists, and network architectures, to ensure designs meet industry standards, Blattner's best practices and standards, and support safe work practices in the field; performs constructability and commissionability assessments on complex projects.
Validates controls equipment, I/O, and network material takeoffs; coordinates with electrical, protection, and software leads to establish design schedules, resource plans, and cross-discipline coordination across the project portfolio.
Performs contract and subcontract reviews and provides technical recommendations; challenges vendor scope and internal assumptions with data rather than opinion. Escalates high-risk issues to leadership as appropriate.
Leads coordination with Integrated Supply Chain (ISC), Estimating, and Construction teams on equipment and material selection and approval; partners with program management so field teams have the plans, point maps, and parameters needed to build and commission.
Champions change management discipline — ensures scope changes, point list changes, and design deviations are…