Control Systems Engineer

Location: Spokane, WA (Onsite) (US)

Description

Control Systems Engineer – Energy Accounting

We are seeking a Control Systems Engineer – Energy Accounting to support critical applications and data systems used in electric utility operations. This role sits at the intersection of utility operations, control systems, software applications, databases, and energy accounting.

The position may be filled at the Control Systems Engineer or Senior Control Systems Engineer level based on experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Configure, maintain, troubleshoot, and enhance energy accounting and related operational applications supporting a 24x7 utility environment.
• Maintain application interfaces, displays, data fields, reports, and configurations to improve data accuracy, usability, and operational effectiveness.
• Investigate and resolve application, database, telemetry, communications, data-exchange, and system integration issues.
• Support data flows between energy accounting systems, EMS and operational systems, data historians, scheduling/tagging applications, and third-party data sources.
• Plan and implement application updates, patches, upgrades, and configuration changes while maintaining system availability and data integrity.
• Support utility energy scheduling, tagging, transmission, market, and electronic data-exchange applications.
• Use SQL and related tools to investigate data issues, support reporting, validate information, and provide compliance evidence.
• Develop, maintain, or modify custom applications and interfaces when commercial solutions do not fully meet operational requirements.
• Participate in software testing, code reviews, source control, change management, and application lifecycle activities.
• Troubleshoot application and network communications using tools such as Wireshark or comparable technologies.
• Maintain technical documentation, operating procedures, troubleshooting guides, configuration records, and system support practices.
• Support cybersecurity and regulatory compliance activities for critical utility systems, including change documentation, patching, failover testing, configuration management, and applicable NERC CIP requirements.
• Collaborate with operations, engineering, IT/cybersecurity, energy-market personnel, vendors, utilities, and other external partners.

Level of Responsibility

Control Systems Engineer

Independently supports and maintains energy accounting applications, interfaces, databases, and associated data exchanges. Troubleshoots operational and application issues, performs system updates and configuration changes, responds to data requests, supports compliance activities, and develops expertise in interconnected utility control, accounting, and market systems.

Senior Control Systems Engineer

Provides advanced technical ownership of energy accounting systems and integrations. Leads complex troubleshooting, application upgrades, configuration changes, testing, code reviews, and technical coordination. Supports custom software and interfaces, diagnoses cross-system data and communications issues, leads configuration of energy scheduling/tagging applications, assists with vendor and contractor coordination, and mentors less-experienced team members.

Qualifications

Candidates should bring a combination of the following qualifications, with experience appropriate to the level of the position:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a related technical discipline; additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Control Systems Engineer: approximately 3+ years of experience maintaining applications or systems supporting critical 24x7 operations.
• Senior Control Systems Engineer: approximately 6+ years of relevant experience, including significant experience supporting energy accounting, energy scheduling/tagging, or comparable utility applications.
• Experience with energy accounting, utility scheduling/tagging, EMS, operational data historians, or related utility systems is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of relational databases and SQL for troubleshooting, analysis, reporting, and system support.
• Understanding of application development, system integration, client-server architecture, services/APIs, and software engineering practices.
• Programming or application-support experience with technologies such as .NET, Java, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, C++, or similar technologies.
• Experience with source-control tools such as Git or comparable platforms.
• Understanding of network and application communications; experience with packet-analysis tools is beneficial.
• Knowledge of NERC standards, NERC CIP, cybersecurity controls, patch management, change management, and regulatory compliance is preferred.
• Utility experience and knowledge of energy markets are highly desirable.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, technical documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• EIT or PE credentials are beneficial but not required.

Ideal Candidate

A strong candidate will understand how operational power-system data moves between control systems, telemetry, data historians, energy accounting applications, scheduling/tagging platforms, and external data exchanges.

This position is particularly well suited to an engineer who enjoys solving problems that cross traditional boundaries between utility operations, software applications, databases, networking, and operational technology.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, or a related technical discipline; additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Control Systems Engineer: approximately 3+ years of experience maintaining applications or systems supporting critical 24x7 operations.
• Senior Control Systems Engineer: approximately 6+ years of relevant experience, including significant experience supporting energy accounting, energy scheduling/tagging, or comparable utility applications.
• Experience with energy accounting, utility scheduling/tagging, EMS, operational data historians, or related utility systems is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of relational databases and SQL for troubleshooting, analysis, reporting, and system support.
• Understanding of application development, system integration, client-server architecture, services/APIs, and software engineering practices.
• Programming or application-support experience with technologies such as .NET, Java, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, C++, or similar technologies.
• Experience with source-control tools such as Git or comparable platforms.
• Understanding of network and application communications; experience with packet-analysis tools is beneficial.
• Knowledge of NERC standards, NERC CIP, cybersecurity controls, patch management, change management, and regulatory compliance is preferred.
• Utility experience and knowledge of energy markets are highly desirable.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, technical documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• EIT or PE credentials are beneficial but not required.