Director, Controls and SCADA Engineering
Clearway Energy · San Diego, California, United States
What The Role Is
The Director of Controls & SCADA Engineering leads the strategy, engineering, deployment, performance, and lifecycle management of plant control systems and SCADA across the company’s utility-scale solar, wind, and battery energy storage portfolio. This role provides technical leadership across the full asset lifecycle, including development, design, engineering, construction, commissioning, operational readiness, and ongoing fleet operations. The Director establishes engineering standards, control system architectures, and technology strategies to ensure safe, reliable, secure, and optimized generation assets that meet grid interconnection requirements, regulatory obligations, and commercial performance objectives.
This role will lead, develop, and mentor a team of controls and SCADA engineering professionals, establish team’s organizational structure, staffing plans, technical competencies, and resource allocation aligned with portfolio growth and operating fleet needs. The role partners closely with Development, Project Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, Operations & Maintenance (O&M), Asset Management, NERC Compliance, Information Technology (IT), Cybersecurity, Clearway’s Remote Monitoring Center, and third-party technology providers. The Director will also provide technical governance for EPC contractors, OEMs, integrators, and external engineering consultants.
A key objective is to standardize and modernize controls and SCADA capabilities across the operating fleet and new-build projects while improving plant availability, operational visibility, grid responsiveness, cybersecurity, and overall asset performance.
What You'll Be Doing
- Develop and implement controls and SCADA strategy for Clearway’s development pipeline and operating fleet. This includes wind, solar, and BESS facilities. Develop and implement design and performance standards for the plant controls and SCADA
- Lead development of controls strategy for facilities comprised of multiple generation resources serving data centers behind a common Point of Interconnection. This may require islanded operation and balancing for net zero MW at the POI.
- Manage a group of Controls and SCADA engineers responsible for developing project specific scope, review of design provided by contractors/integrators, commissioning, troubleshooting, and final completion for new build/retrofit projects. Manage assignments, tracking and reporting of the ongoing work controls and SCADA team
- Define and implement a development and training program for Controls and SCADA engineers
- Serve as the subject matter expert for controls and SCADA Systems and their data interfaces including Bazefield, EMS, GMS, and third-party systems. (Bazefield, EMS, and GMS are supported by IT)
- Coordinate Controls and SCADA activities across Development, Project Engineering, Commissioning, Construction, Plant Operations, and the Remote Monitoring Center for both new and operating plants.
- Design and write requirements for Plant Controller upgrades on operating wind, solar, and battery storage systems that meet local compliance requirements and optimize energy capture and site usability
- Lead efforts to troubleshoot, analyze, and upgrade plant Controls on operating and sites under commissioning
- Manage a configuration database and change management program for Control software and firmware
- Manage a configuration database and change management for relay and protection settings, software, and firmware in partnership with team electrical engineers
- Develop and support remote trouble shooting practices and maintenance activities.
- Serve as a subject matter expert for OEM software revisions and upgrades. Review all proposed modifications for impact to the site and interconnected systems. Track revisions and upgrades to ensure completion and application across the fleet, where applicable.
- Support strengthening of O&M capability for local troubleshooting and on-site support through training and manuals.
- Research and provide recommendations on technology improvements that are business case positive for the operating fleet
- Lead lessons learned to prevent recurrence of known issues for controls and SCADA.
- Support process improvement in Engineering Department’s best practices and standards.
Support the Electrical Regulatory and Compliance team through controls testing and model verification.
What You'll Bring
- Bachelor’s degree in electrical, mechanical or control systems engineering
- 12+ years of progressive experience in controls engineering, SCADA, industrial automation, power generation, or related engineering disciplines.
- 5+ years of leadership experience managing engineering teams, technical functions, major projects, or multidisciplinary engineering resources.
- Demonstrated experience with utility-scale renewable energy generation, including solar PV, wind, and battery energy storage systems.
- Experience supporting both new-build projects and operating assets, including design, integration, commissioning, troubleshooting, and lifecycle management.
- Proven track record delivering complex control system integrations involving multiple OEMs, plant controllers, SCADA platforms, communications networks, and grid interfaces.
- Experience managing engineering contractors, equipment vendors, system integrators, budgets, schedules, and technical risks.
- Demonstrated ability to lead root-cause investigations and implement fleet-wide engineering improvements.
- Utility-scale solar PV plant controls, inverter integration, and SCADA systems.
- Wind turbine control systems, turbine SCADA, OEM interfaces, and plant-level coordination.
- BESS controls and integration, including PCS, BMS, EMS, safety interfaces, and coordinated plant operation.
- Power Plant Controllers (PPCs), PLCs, RTUs, SCADA platforms, industrial communications, and control system networking.
- Active and reactive power control, voltage regulation, frequency response, ramp-rate control, curtailment, dispatch, and grid-support functions.
- Communications protocols and interfaces such as Modbus TCP/RTU, DNP3, IEC 61850, OPC UA, and relevant utility telemetry protocols.
- OT network architecture, industrial cybersecurity, remote access, redundancy, historian systems, and data integration.
- Engineering design reviews, FAT/SAT, commissioning, functional testing, troubleshooting, and configuration management.
- Ability to interpret NERC, ERCOT, WECC, PJM, and CAISO regulations. Applicable interconnection requirements, grid codes, and industry standards.
- Knowledge of network security protocols and cyber security standards
- Experience with SEL RTAC / IEC 61131 Logic Engine, or comparable substation control devices
- Experience with Software change management best practices
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Knowledge of latest industry trends
What Would Be Nice
- Knowledge of electrical substations and relays systems preferred
No visa sponsorship or any kind of sponsorship for employment authorization is available for this role, now or in the future.
#LI-Hybrid
The pay rate for the successful candidate will depend on geographic location, skills, relevant and demonstrated experience, education, training and certifications, and other factors permitted by law. This role is eligible to earn an annual cash bonus, subject to personal and company performance goals.
Salary Range Across all U.S. Locations$200,000—$225,000 USDClearway Energy Group is leading the transition to a world powered by clean energy. Along with our public affiliate Clearway Energy, Inc., our portfolio comprises approximately 11.6 GW of gross generating capacity in 26 states, including 9.1 GW of wind, solar, and battery energy storage assets, and over 2.5 GW of conventional dispatchable power generation providing critical grid reliability services. As we develop a nationwide pipeline of new energy pro