Controls Engineer (Early Career)

About K1 Industries

For the first time in decades, power demand growth in the US has jumped 5x, driving multi-year lead times for critical power infrastructure. K1 builds and deploys modular power packages at scale, now.

This is a small, early-stage team. You will have influence on every major technical decision, and see your work running on real hardware within months, not years.

The Role

We are hiring an early-career Controls Engineer to help build the controls and electrical systems for K1's turbine-generator power plants. You will work alongside senior engineers across the full stack: PLC logic, generator synchronization, protection, instrumentation, and supervisory control. Over time you will take ownership of meaningful pieces of the system.

We do not expect a decade of plant commissioning experience. We do expect real hands-on exposure to hardware and controls, whether from a lab, a capstone, an internship, a robotics or competition team, or your own projects. If you have written code that made a physical system move, sensed, or shut itself down safely, we want to talk.

What You'll Work On

Controls and Programming

• Help design and implement PLC control logic for turbine-generator operation: start sequencing, steady-state generation, and shutdown
• Write and test control code (structured text, ladder, or function block) with guidance from senior engineers
• Contribute to control system architecture: I/O allocation, network topology, and HMI design
• Help build control narratives, cause-and-effect matrices, and alarm strategies

Electrical and Hardware

• Help specify and review control panels, cabinets, junction boxes, and power distribution
• Read and help produce electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and panel layouts
• Select sensors, transmitters, relays, power supplies, and communication interfaces
• Coordinate with panel fabricators to keep builds on spec and on schedule

Commissioning and Testing

• Support controls commissioning at our test facility: loop checks, functional tests, and start/stop sequencing
• Help write test procedures, pre-start checklists, and interlock verification plans
• Collect and analyze engine and generator performance data during test campaigns
• Troubleshoot electrical, controls, and instrumentation issues in the field

Documentation and Tooling

• Help maintain controls specs, interface documents, and as-built records
• Build scripts, dashboards, and data pipelines to support engineering workflows

You Might Be a Great Fit If...

• You have a degree (or are finishing one) in Electrical, Mechatronics, Controls, Computer Engineering, or a related field
• You have hands-on experience with controls or embedded systems from a lab, capstone, internship, competition team, or personal project
• You have written code that controlled real hardware (PLCs, microcontrollers, data acquisition, or similar)
• You can read or produce a basic electrical schematic, or are eager to learn fast
• You understand core controls and electrical fundamentals and want to go deep on power generation
• You like owning problems, asking for help when stuck, and moving fast

Bonus Points For Any Of:

• PLC programming exposure (Siemens TIA Portal, Allen-Bradley, or similar)
• Coursework or project work with rotating equipment, power systems, or generators
• Familiarity with industrial communication protocols (Modbus, PROFINET, Ethernet/IP, serial)
• Software skills beyond controls: Python, data acquisition, dashboards, or test automation
• Exposure to engine control units (FADEC) or aviation/aeroderivative engines
• Time in a startup, lab, or small-team environment with real ownership

Compensation

Competitive salary and meaningful early-stage equity. As one of the first hires at a venture-backed company, your equity participation will reflect the impact and ownership this role carries. Standard benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance.

Location

This role is based in the Reno / Carson City, NV area with regular time at K1's test facility outside Reno, NV. We need someone who is local or willing to relocate. If you are not local, significant and regular travel to the site will be required.