Senior Control Systems/PLC Engineer

Job Overview

This position is based in our Powerstar Offices in Sheffield. This is a contract position suitable for PSC for an immediate start. We are also looking to recruit a Staff based person to cover this role long term on a permanent basis.

We are seeking a Senior Control Systems & SCADA Engineer/PLC to design and integrate ultra-reliable microgrid control solutions for mission-critical infrastructure (Defence, Pharma, Semiconductor, and 24/7 continuous-runtime facilities). You will unify generators, renewables, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) into high-availability automation platforms where downtime is not an option. This role spans the full project lifecycle, from writing high-integrity design philosophies to ensuring seamless, secure multi-interface interoperability using advanced PLC platforms, including Beckhoff systems.

Key Responsibilities

Functional Design & Philosophy

• Write Functional Design Specifications (FDS). Author detailed engineering documents mapping automation logic for fault-tolerant operations.
• Develop control philosophies. Define sequence-of-operations for seamless islanding, black-start recovery, and uninterruptible power transitions.
• Incorporate high-availability logic. Design N+1 and 2N redundant control topologies to eliminate single points of failure.
• Ensure regulatory compliance. Align control documentation with strict GAMP5 (Pharma), defence security standards, and semi-fab power quality guidelines (e.g., SEMI F47).

Interoperability & Integration

• Bridge multi-vendor interfaces. Ensure deterministic data exchange between disparate OEM controllers, microgrid controllers, and SCADA systems.
• Standardize industrial protocols. Align communication channels across Modbus TCP/RTU, DNP3, IEC 61850, and OPC UA.
• Manage interface registers. Coordinate complex memory maps with third-party BESS inverters, generator governors, and active power filters.
• Enforce OT cybersecurity. Design secure network architectures compliant with IEC 62443, NIS 2, or Defence-specific cyber frameworks.

SCADA & Control Development

• Program high-reliability PLCs. Develop logic for dynamic load shedding, peak shaving, and millisecond-level spinning reserve deployment using standard IEC 61131-3 languages.
• Utilise advanced PC-based control. Apply Beckhoff TwinCAT ecosystems for fast, high-performance processing and high-speed data acquisition where required.
• Design mission-critical SCADA. Build intuitive, high-performance HMI displays focused on situational awareness and rapid alarm triage.
• Implement automated dispatch. Optimize real-time balancing between BESS, renewables, and backup diesel generators to protect critical facility busbars.
• Architect historian configurations. Set up robust data logging and failover databases for audit trails, compliance tracking, and post-incident root-cause analysis.

Required Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree. Required in Electrical, Automation, Control Systems, or Electronic Engineering.
• 7+ years experience. Proven track record in control systems engineering, with at least 3 years focused on critical environments (e.g., data centres, cleanrooms, defense sites, continuous-process pharma).
• Lead engineering background. Demonstrated success owning the complete FDS and control philosophy creation process for hybrid power systems.

Technical Skills

• Multi-asset orchestration. Expert knowledge in orchestrating the concurrent operation of solar inverters, battery energy storage controllers, and generator governors to manage grid stability, frequency, and voltage control.
• Beckhoff PLC expertise. Strong familiarity with Beckhoff hardware, TwinCAT 3 development environments, EtherCAT networking, and real-time PC-based control architectures.
• Interoperability expert. Deep technical understanding of protocol translation, network topologies, and industrial gateways to link disparate generation assets.
• Redundancy mastery. Practical experience configuring hot-standby PLCs, redundant SCADA servers, and ring network topologies (PRP/HSR/MRP).
• Power systems engineering. Strong grasp of generator synchronization, automatic voltage regulators (AVRs), and inverter-based resource (IBR) grid-forming controls.
• Platform proficiency. Broad experience with top-tier industrial platforms (e.g., Siemens S7-1500H, Rockwell ControlLogix, AVEVA/Wonderware, Ignition, or Emerson Ovation).

Preferred Skills & Attributes

• Hybrid asset integration. Practical field experience troubleshooting complex interaction loops, active/reactive power sharing issues, or hunting effects between generator sets and battery inverters.
• Simulation testing. Experience utilizing Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing or digital twins to validate control logic and asset co-ordination before site deployment.
• Validation experience. Familiarity with commissioning protocols (IQ/OQ/PQ) within strictly regulated, validated environments.