Principal Instrumentation & Control Engineer [HOU]

Position Overview

You will serve as the principal engineer for instrumentation, controls, and automation systems across onshore power and microgrid projects. The role establishes plant-wide and microgrid control architectures, including DCS, PLC-based systems, SIS, EMS, PMS, and SCADA, and defines control philosophies and interface standards governing coordinated operation of generation assets, BESS, and backup systems to meet high availability and reliability requirements typical of data-center-driven microgrids.

Key Responsibility

• Lead the development, review, and approval of core I&C deliverables, including control philosophies, I/O lists, loop diagrams, datasheets, alarm rationalization, and cause-and-effect matrices.
• Provide technical leadership for control system upgrades, migrations, and expansions, ensuring continuity, cybersecurity, and operational resilience.
• Lead and support FAT, SAT, commissioning, and startup activities, resolving complex technical and integration issues.
• Serve as the primary technical interface with EPC contractors, OEMs, system integrators, and clients.
• Drive improvements in control and instrumentation systems to enhance plant reliability, availability, and performance.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety, regulatory, and industry requirements (NERC, OSHA, EPA), including SIS and alarm management standards.
• Enforce QA/QC and Management of Change (MOC) processes, maintaining accurate and auditable project documentation.
• Review specifications and client requirements for contractual alignment and prepare formal technical responses to RFIs, comments, and deviations.
• Conduct technical evaluations and feasibility studies to assess system performance, reliability, and risk.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers and designers, ensuring consistent quality of deliverables.
• Maintain and govern discipline documentation, including instrument indices, standards, specifications, and as-built records.
• Stay current with emerging technologies, standards, and best practices in instrumentation, controls, and automation.

Qualification

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, Control Systems Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in Instrumentation & Control engineering within power generation facilities, including projects serving high reliability or mission critical loads.
• Hands-on experience with major DCS and PLC platforms, including Emerson Ovation/DeltaV, Siemens, Honeywell, ABB, and Rockwell Automation.
• Strong foundation in industrial instrumentation, control loops, automation systems, and overall plant controls.
• Demonstrated ability to read, develop, and review P&IDs, wiring diagrams, logic diagrams, and control narratives.
• Experience supporting procurement activities for Instrumentation & Control systems, including preparation and technical review of RFQs, bid evaluations, and vendor selection for instruments, control systems, and automation packages.
• Knowledge of project procurement workflows and coordination with engineering, construction, and commissioning teams to support schedule-driven purchasing activities.
• Experience with Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) and applicable standards, including IEC 61511 and ISA 84, with experience supporting functional safety lifecycle activities.
• Experience with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and/or integrated hybrid power or microgrid systems, including control and system integration aspects.
• Proficiency with CAD software and engineering design tools used for instrumentation and control engineering.
• Prominent leadership and mentoring capability, with experience leading engineering teams and complex design efforts.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and technical decision-making skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with gas turbine, combined-cycle, renewable, nuclear, or hybrid power generation facilities, including greenfield and brownfield projects.
• Experience supporting power systems serving mission-critical or high-availability loads, such as data centers, industrial campuses, or critical infrastructure.
• Familiarity with high-availability power architectures, including redundancy concepts (N, N+1), fault tolerance, and recovery strategies designed to minimize load interruption.
• Exposure to fast transfer, ride-through, and seamless transition philosophies, including grid-connected and islanded operating modes.
• Experience with plant or microgrid control strategies that support rapid response to disturbances, load changes, and grid events.
• Understanding of reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) principles as applied to power generation and distribution systems.
• Experience working on projects with stringent uptime, performance, or operational continuity requirements, whether driven by utilities, IPPs, industrial customers, or data-center operators.