Critical Energy
Senior Electrical Engineer, Controls
Hawthorne, CA · Senior · Full-time
Sponsorship not specified$140k-$200kDetected 25 days ago
PythonProcurementAutoCADSystems EngineeringPLCMechanical DesignElectrical EngineeringControlsCommunicationSCADA
About the role
- This role will also be part of the commissioning team, including factory acceptance testing and onsite deployments at customer sites.
- This is a full-time, on-site position located in our Hawthorne, CA facility.
Responsibilities
- Architect, develop, and commission PLC-based control systems for ORC power plant processes including working fluid pumps, air-cooled condensers, heat exchangers, and auxiliary systems
- Design and implement HMI and SCADA applications providing operators with clear process visibility, alarm management, and control functionality
- Develop control strategies for key process loops including pressure control, working fluid flow regulation, heat source management, and startup/shutdown sequencing
- Design and lay out industrial electrical control panels compliant with NEC, NFPA 79, and UL 508A, manage panel builds, field wiring, and loop checkout
- Implement and maintain safety instrumented functions per IEC 61511 principles including SIL verification, cause and effect matrix development, and SIS logic implementation
- Develop and maintain controls documentation including I/O lists, network architecture diagrams, functional descriptions, cause and effect matrices, and FAT/SAT procedures
- Support factory acceptance testing and field commissioning of control systems for future plant deployments
- Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, and systems engineering teams to ensure controls architecture supports plant performance, safety, and reliability requirements
- Contribute to development of controls standards, templates, and reusable code libraries to drive consistency across future plant designs
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field
- 5+ years of hands-on experience designing, programming, and commissioning industrial control systems
- Experience with Structured Text (ST) or similar IEC 61131-3 standard language
- Proficiency reading and producing electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and P&IDs
- Experience with industrial fieldbus and communication protocols (EtherCAT, Modbus TCP, OPC-UA, or equivalent)
Nice to have
- Experience with ORC, geothermal, Rankine-cycle, or other power generation systems
- Experience with VFD-driven motor systems including tuning, commissioning, and integration with PLC control loops
- Familiarity with IEC 61511 safety instrumented systems and SIL classification
- Experience with data historian platforms and process data infrastructure
- Python experience for data acquisition, analysis, or PLC/SCADA integration
- Experience with AutoCAD Electrical or EPLAN for controls documentation
- Exposure to API 670 machinery protection systems
- Experience supporting hardware bring-up, FAT, SAT, and commissioning in field environments
Compensation
- Base salary ranges from $140-200k per annum
- Daily catered lunch
- Free EV charging
- Several annual social and team building outings
Benefits
- Equity options
- 100% company-covered Platinum or HD/HSA (with company contribution) medical
- 100% company-covered dental and vision
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- 401k retirement options
Company info
- To build an abundant, low-cost, 100% clean energy future through groundbreaking geothermal innovation.
- We are a team of passionate engineers, designers, and visionaries building cutting-edge solutions to meet the world's energy needs with 100% clean energy.
- We are in the initial stages of development and building our team.
- This is your chance to join on the ground floor of something big!
- If you are ready to work at a fun, fast-paced, groundbreaking organization that is positioned to revolutionize geothermal energy, apply today!
- Critical Energy is an innovative, early-stage, venture-backed cleantech company on a mission to accelerate the global energy transition through abundant, low-cost clean energy.
- Founded by an ex-SpaceX engineer, Critical Energy designs and manufactures factory-built, modular power plants.
- These rapidly deployable systems convert heat into electricity using a closed-loop thermodynamic cycle and can be installed in just weeks.
- Critical Energy's technology delivers high-efficiency, 24/7 power for geothermal applications and waste heat recovery (including from data center gas turbines), making clean energy practical and cost-effective for demanding sectors like AI hyperscalers and data centers.
- Backed by top climate and technology investors, Critical Energy is scaling rapidly.
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