Lead Control Engineer - design authority Power Plant/MicroGrid Controller

We are looking for a Lead Control Engineer to contribute to the design, development and validation of advanced control solutions for power generation plants, microgrids and energy storage systems.

• The successful candidate will be responsible for developing control architectures and algorithms for active and reactive power regulation, voltage and frequency control, ramp-rate management and curtailment, coordinating inverters, battery energy storage systems (BESS), conventional generation and loads.

• The role will also involve the development of advanced grid-support functionalities, including grid-forming capabilities, virtual synchronous machine control, synthetic inertia, islanding, resynchronization and black-start functions.

• The candidate will work on industrial control platforms and communication protocols, contributing to system modelling, hardware-in-the-loop validation and regression testing. They will also provide technical support during grid-code certification and commissioning activities, analyse field events and define corrective actions.

• The role includes responsibility for technical design documentation, configuration change control and mentoring other engineers within the team.

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Automation Engineering or Power Electronics. A PhD in converter control or electrical power systems is considered a plus.

• Proven hands-on experience in developing a Power Plant Controller, microgrid controller, Energy Management System (EMS) or BESS controller deployed in real-world installations.

• Strong knowledge of control theory and the dynamics of power systems with converter-based generation.

• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) validation platforms, such as Typhoon HIL, OPAL-RT or equivalent solutions.

• Programming experience on PLC or soft-PLC platforms compliant with IEC 61131-3, or in C/C++ for real-time systems.

• Experience with industrial control platforms such as Beckhoff TwinCAT, CODESYS and SEL RTAC.

• Knowledge of communication protocols, including IEC 61850, Modbus, DNP3 and IEC 60870-5-104.

• Experience in modelling and simulation using MATLAB/Simulink.

• Fluency in English; knowledge of Italian is considered a plus.

Preferred qualifications

• Publications or patents in grid-forming technologies, virtual synchronous machines or synthetic inertia.

• Experience with grid-code certification, including VDE-AR-N 4110/4120, EN 50549, CEI 0-16 or UL 1741.

• Experience with power system modelling tools such as DIgSILENT PowerFactory or PSCAD.

• Knowledge of secure development practices for Operational Technology (OT) products, particularly IEC 62443-4-1.

• Experience working on microgrids and isolated power networks, including projects in emerging markets.