Senior Power Plant Engineer

Berkeley, CAfull timeOn Site

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senior

$129k–$169k

H1B: no

Formenergy The Senior Power Plant Engineer at Formenergy supports modeling and validation of power plant controls related to grid interconnection. This role involves hardware-in-the-loop testing and coordination with third-party equipment and controls suppliers.

Responsibilities

Support modeling and validation of our power plant controller (PPC) against grid interconnection requirements, partnering closely with senior staff on test planning and execution
Serve as a key point of contact with third-party conversion equipment and controls suppliers, managing interface documentation, tracking open items, and professionally coordinating Form's hardware and controls requirements, interface specs, and test results across organizations
Build and run hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test cases (e.g., in Typhoon HIL) verifying that our DC/DC converters and DC bus behavior integrate cleanly with plant inverters in our DC-coupled architecture
Develop and maintain simulation models in Simulink and PSCAD representing plant-level electrical behavior and control interactions ahead of hardware validation
Validate grid compliance behavior (e.g., IEEE 1547, IEEE 2800) once DC bus dynamics are factored into overall plant response
Support integration and testing of SCADA interfaces and meter data as part of plant controls validation
Document test plans, results, and findings, translating HIL/simulation outcomes into clear recommendations for senior staff and the broader controls team
Troubleshoot discrepancies between simulated and hardware-in-the-loop results, escalating root causes as needed
What you'll bring:
Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering or related discipline, with a focus on power systems or power electronics
3+ years of experience in power systems, power electronics, or controls engineering — internship, co-op, research, or equivalent strong academic project experience welcome
Foundational knowledge of power systems fundamentals (per-unit analysis, three-phase power, grid interconnection basics)