Director, Generation Controls, Protection, and Automation — Power and Energy (AI Infrastructure)

Location: Houston, TX; remote considered within the US, with regular site and vendor travel

Salary: $190,000–$300,000 USD base per year, plus potential bonus, equity, and/or commission.

Company

Nscale develops sovereign generative AI infrastructure using high-performance GPUs and sustainable data centers, including behind-the-meter generation and islanded microgrids for AI workloads.

What you will do

• Own the controls and protection philosophy for multi-gigawatt islanded microgrids serving AI data center loads.
• Define power management, generation dispatch, load sharing, frequency and voltage regulation, BESS controls, and transient-response architectures.
• Lead protection schemes, relay settings, coordination studies, arc flash studies, and settings management across generation, BESS, and distribution systems.
• Direct EMT modeling, dynamic stability validation, controller and protection hardware-in-the-loop testing, FAT, commissioning, energization, and integrated systems testing.
• Own plant automation, SCADA, substation communications, time synchronization, operator interfaces, and OT cybersecurity requirements.
• Build and lead controls and protection teams while managing OEMs, EPC partners, consultants, and specialist engineering firms.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in power systems controls, protection, or automation engineering, with significant experience in islanded, industrial, or microgrid systems.
• Deep protective relaying expertise, including scheme design, coordination studies, and settings development for modern digital relay platforms.
• Experience with power management systems, governor and excitation coordination, grid-forming or grid-following inverter controls, and BESS.
• Working knowledge of EMT and dynamic stability studies, short-circuit and arc flash analysis, PSCAD or equivalent, and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Experience with SCADA, substation automation, IEC 61850, DNP3, Modbus, and OT cybersecurity practices.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field; PE license preferred. Regular travel to project sites and vendor facilities is required, typically 25%.

Nice to have

• Experience with high inverter-based resource penetration and limited fault current.
• Exposure to behind-the-meter generation, mission-critical facilities, or large-scale BESS projects.
• PE license and experience building engineering standards, reference designs, and small technical teams.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative, supportive, and innovative environment focused on AI infrastructure.
• Flexible workplace with autonomy in delivering results.
• US medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match.
• Generous PTO, US federal holidays, and potential parental leave.
• Base compensation may be supplemented by bonus, equity, and/or commission programs.