[Hiring] Instrumentation Engineer @Terabase Energy

Role Description

We are seeking an Instrumentation Engineer with deep experience in utility-scale solar to lead the specification, integration, commissioning, and lifecycle support of field instrumentation and industrial communication protocols, including Modbus RTU/ASCII, Modbus TCP, and DNP3. You will own the end-to-end telemetry chain—from met station sensors and data loggers to SCADA/EMS points—ensuring accurate, reliable, secure, and standards-compliant data exchange for real-time control, performance analytics, and regulatory reporting.

You’ll collaborate closely with SCADA, controls, performance engineering, EPCs, and O&M partners to deliver highly available plant data systems that scale.

What You’ll Do

• Design & Specification
  • Define instrumentation architecture for met stations (irradiance, ambient temp, module temp, wind, barometric pressure), grid interconnection points, and balance-of-plant systems.
  • Author bill of materials (BOM), wiring diagrams, loop sheets, panel layouts, and instrument datasheets per project standards.
  • Select sensors, transducers, loggers, gateways, and protective devices aligned with IEC/IEEE/NEMA and utility requirements.
• Protocol Integration
  • Configure and map points for Modbus RTU/TCP, DNP3 (secure/authenticated where applicable), and vendor-specific interfaces.
  • Develop point lists, registers, scaling, units, deadbands, and exception reporting to SCADA/EMS/Historian systems.
  • Implement time synchronization (NTP/IRIG-B), event logging, and sequence-of-events (SOE) requirements.
• Commissioning & Validation
  • Plan and execute FAT/SAT for met stations and plant instrumentation; perform end-to-end signal checks (sensor → controller → gateway → SCADA).
  • Create and run test scripts for protocol polling, quality flags, and fallback logic; verify data accuracy against handheld calibrators and reference instruments.
  • Troubleshoot field issues (noise, grounding, shielding, RS-485 biasing/termination, baud rate/link-layer settings, device IDs, master/slave roles).
• Reliability, Cybersecurity & Compliance
  • Apply best practices for failover, redundancy, and health monitoring (watchdogs, heartbeats, CRC validation).
  • Support secure configurations (role-based access, encrypted transport for TCP variants, DNP3 Secure Authentication, network segmentation/VLANs).
  • Ensure compliance with utility interconnection, RTO/ISO telemetry specifications, and relevant standards (e.g., IEEE, IEC, NERC CIP collaboration with IT/OT teams).
• Operational Excellence
  • Build dashboards and alarming for sensor drift, data gaps, calibration due dates, and instrument health KPIs.
  • Author SOPs, calibration procedures, and maintenance schedules; train field techs and O&M teams.
  • Provide root-cause analysis for data anomalies impacting performance models and production guarantees.

Qualifications

• 5+ years hands-on experience in utility-scale solar (100 MW+ projects preferred), focusing on plant instrumentation and SCADA/OT integration.
• Proven expertise with Modbus RTU/ASCII, Modbus TCP, and DNP3 (points mapping, scaling, polling strategies, exception reporting, time sync).
• Strong knowledge of meteorological station instrumentation (pyranometers, reference cells, anemometers, temp probes, pressure sensors), data loggers, and gateways.
• Proficiency with RS-485 physical layer (termination, biasing, shielding), industrial Ethernet, and serial-to-TCP conversions.
• Ability to read and produce P&IDs, single-line diagrams, wiring/loop sheets, and panel layouts (AutoCAD or equivalent).
• Experience commissioning instrumentation in the field, including calibration, verification, and troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with SCADA/Historian systems (e.g., Ignition, Wonderware/AVEVA, PI, ClearSCADA) and OT networking fundamentals.
• Excellent documentation, communication, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with DNP3 Secure Authentication, TLS-enabled gateways, and OT security best practices; exposure to NERC CIP environments.
• Background with IEC 61850, MQTT, or OPC-UA integrations.
• Knowledge of power plant controls (PCS/PPC), inverter telemetry, capacitor/reactor banks, switchgear, and protection relays (SEL, GE, ABB).
• Familiarity with performance analytics (PR calculations, data QA/QC, sensor uncertainty, shading & soiling analysis).
• Hands-on experience with FAT/SAT processes and test plan development.
• Experience working with EPCs, utilities, and ISOs/RTOs on telemetry and compliance packages.
• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Instrumentation/Controls, or related discipline (advanced degree a plus).

Tools & Technologies

• Protocol analyzers (Modbus/DNP3), serial sniffers, and network analyzers.
• Calibration tools for irradiance, temperature, and wind sensors; traceable standards.
• AutoCAD or equivalent for drawings; EPLAN/ETAP exposure is a plus.
• SCADA/Historian clients; scripting for test automation (Python, PowerShell, or similar).

Key Outcomes (First 12 Months)

• Commission multiple met stations with fully validated telemetry (quality flags, accurate scaling, synchronized timestamps).
• Deliver complete point lists and interface control documents (ICDs) for Modbus/DNP3 across inverters, meters, reclosers, and met stations.
• Establish instrumentation health monitoring and calibration program reducing data gaps by ≥ 50%.
• Improve data quality feeding performance models and regulatory reporting, cutting QA/QC rework by ≥ 30%.

Travel

~15–30% to project sites, vendors, and FAT/SAT locations (domestic/international as needed).

Benefits

• Generous time off and holiday policy
• Remote flexibility
• Flexible time off
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Career progression
• 401k match
• Stock options
• Home office set up allowance
• And much more!