Manager, Engineering (Power Generation &… at xAI · Southaven

ABOUT THE ROLE:

We are looking for a Manager of Engineering to own the design, build-out, commissioning, and continuous improvement of automation, controls, and electrical systems at SpaceX’s power generation facility in Southaven. This plant is critical infrastructure for SpaceX’s AI supercomputers: it must deliver high-reliability power and supporting utilities at scale, with the uptime and response expected of a mission-critical compute campus.

If it has a gas or steam turbine control system, a switchgear lineup, a plant electrical distribution network, a SCADA/DCS point, a control loop, or a supporting utility/process system (water, wastewater, fuel gas, HVAC, cooling) that must run reliably, this team designs it, specifies it, commissions it, and keeps it running. As a Manager, you will lead a team of engineers in a high-reliability, fast-paced environment. This is a hands-on technical leadership role — you will review P&IDs, challenge control philosophies, dive into DCS/PLC architecture, electrical protection schemes, and commissioning details, not just manage a roadmap. You will scale both the team and the systems as generation capacity and AI compute load grow.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own automation, controls, and electrical scope for power generation assets (gas turbine simple cycle, combined cycle, and steam turbine systems) and plant electrical systems, including DCS/SCADA architecture, PLC systems, turbine control interfaces, switchgear, protection and metering, plant distribution, instrumentation, and control networks — from control philosophy through commissioning and reliability, in compliance with NFPA 70/70B/70E, NESC, and IEEE standards.

• Lead controls scope for mechanical and electrical balance-of-plant and supporting utilities, including fuel gas, HVAC, fire protection, compressed air, cooling water, raw water intake, demineralization, wastewater treatment, and industrial gas systems that keep the plant and downstream compute campus online.

• Build, mentor, and manage a team of automation and controls engineers and technicians; scale the team with power generation capacity growth and AI supercomputer demand.

• Review and approve control philosophy documents, I/O lists, control narratives, single-line diagrams, electrical/pneumatic schematics, cause-and-effect diagrams, and control panel designs; drive standardized DCS/PLC/SCADA architecture, cybersecurity posture, documentation, and engineering practices across the Southaven facilities.

• Interface with internal engineering, construction, OEMs (turbine, HRSG, BOP, and electrical equipment vendors), and contractors; develop SOWs, negotiate, and manage contractor work to keep controls and electrical scope integrated and on schedule.

• Own field commissioning for automation, controls, and electrical systems (loop checks, functional testing, protection testing, start-up, and hand-off) and drive root-cause investigations and reliability improvements on operating assets.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Automation Engineering, or related engineering field.

• 8+ years of experience in automation and controls engineering, with direct experience on industrial power generation projects (gas turbine, combined cycle, or steam systems preferred) or large-scale critical power infrastructure.

• 3+ years of experience directly managing or leading a team of engineers (and preferably technicians).

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES:

• Hands-on experience with DCS, PLC, HMI, and SCADA platforms used in power generation or heavy industry (e.g., Emerson, ABB, Siemens, Allen-Bradley, SEL, Ignition), including IEC 61131 programming, industrial networking (IT/OT), and protocols such as Modbus and DNP3.

• Direct experience with gas turbine or combined-cycle plant controls (turbine control systems, HRSG controls, plant-wide DCS integration, and BOP), plus water treatment, wastewater, fuel gas, or process cooling systems supporting generation.

• Working knowledge of utility-scale and low-voltage electrical power systems, switchgear, protection, metering, and their interface with automation and controls.

• Experience designing or reviewing industrial control panels and electrical schematics (NFPA 79 / UL 508A; EPLAN, AutoCAD Electrical, or similar) across the full project lifecycle: design, procurement, construction support, commissioning, and operations.

• Experience managing EPC and OEM interfaces on multi-discipline power or capital projects, and scaling a controls engineering function in a fast-growing organization.

• PE license in Electrical or Controls Engineering (or willingness to pursue); familiarity with ICS cybersecurity frameworks (e.g., NERC CIP); experience supporting high-availability generation for critical or data center loads.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to remain deeply technical while mentoring engineers.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Willingness to perform hands-on work in all environments (heat, cold, rain), in tight quarters or at heights, while remaining focused in hazardous environments and wearing appropriate PPE; ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted.

• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as needed, and to provide 24/7 on-call support for emergencies, to support power generation and critical compute operations.

• Must be able to work on-site at the Southaven power generation facility, with potential travel to other SpaceX sites.