Microgrid Controls Engineer, Energy Storage

Microgrid Controls Engineer, Energy Storage

Responsibilities will include:

• Design, develop, and implement plant-level microgrid control algorithms for BESS operating in both grid-following (GFL) and grid-forming (GFM) modes, from concept through validated deployment.
• Design and architect the site controller to manage GFL inverters in direct P/Q, power factor, and voltage/frequency droop modes, and to process Vref and Fref commands to the GFM inverter.  
• Implement active and reactive power control (P/Q), voltage and frequency control (V/F), and droop-based control strategies to coordinate generating assets operating as GFL with BESS as GFM master.
• Design control systems that integrate BESS with other assets including solar PV, gensets, and loads for applications spanning utility-scale power plants, off-grid and islanded microgrids, and data center power.
• Develop and modify control algorithms in PSCAD and/or MATLAB/Simulink, and verify performance through simulation and HIL environments including RTDS and/or Typhoon HIL.
• Verify MGC behavior under normal operating conditions and abnormal system events, including fault scenarios, mode transitions, and disturbances, using simulation, HIL, and field testing.
• Develop simulations and workflows to test and troubleshoot BESS site controller behavior prior to and during field deployment.
• Translate validated control designs into clear implementation specifications for production software teams, and support integration and commissioning activities as needed.
• Collaborate with controls, power systems, firmware, and software engineers to define control behaviors, validation scenarios, test cases, and performance requirements driven by customer and grid needs.

Desired Qualifications:

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, or Controls Engineering.
• 3 to 6 years of hands-on experience designing and implementing microgrid or BESS plant controllers, with direct experience taking control designs from Simulink into a real-time site controller platform.
• Strong foundation in control systems, including linear control theory, PI controllers, low-pass filtering, limiters, and anti-windup techniques.
• Solid understanding of GFL and GFM inverter concepts, including frequency and voltage droop for both inverters and synchronous generators.
• Clear understanding of what a plant or site controller does for BESS in both grid-connected and islanded modes.
• Demonstrated experience with HIL validation using RTDS and/or Typhoon HIL.
• Practical experience with islanded microgrid operation including black start, resynchronization, and mode transitions.
• Practical understanding of P/Q control and energy management, including SoC-based charge and discharge constraints.
• Familiarity with microgrid protection concepts and the ability to reason about fault behavior across different operating modes.
• Experience supporting commissioning, troubleshooting, or operational validation of BESS or power systems in a lab or field environment.
• Familiarity with utility interconnection requirements and grid operations is a plus.
• Proficiency in Rust and/or C++ for real-time or embedded control applications is a plus.
• Comfortable collaborating across disciplines and communicating clearly with power systems, firmware, software, and field engineering teams.