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xAI is seeking a Manager of Engineering to lead the design, build-out, commissioning, and continuous improvement of automation, controls, and electrical systems at a critical power generation facility in Southaven, MS. This facility provides high-reliability power and utilities for xAI's supercomputing infrastructure and must deliver mission-critical uptime and response standards.
The role encompasses ownership of gas and steam turbine control systems, switchgear lineups, plant electrical distribution networks, SCADA/DCS systems, control loops, and supporting utility systems (water, wastewater, fuel gas, HVAC, cooling). You will lead a team of automation and controls engineers and technicians in a fast-paced, high-reliability environment.
As a hands-on technical leader, you will review and approve control philosophy documents, I/O lists, single-line diagrams, electrical schematics, and control panel designs. You will drive standardized DCS/PLC/SCADA architecture, cybersecurity posture, and engineering practices across the facility. You will interface with internal engineering teams, construction partners, OEMs (turbine, HRSG, BOP, and electrical equipment vendors), and contractors to develop statements of work, negotiate contracts, and manage contractor work to keep controls and electrical scope integrated and on schedule.
Key responsibilities include owning field commissioning for automation, controls, and electrical systems (loop checks, functional testing, protection testing, start-up, and hand-off), driving root-cause investigations and reliability improvements on operating assets, and scaling both the team and systems as generation capacity and AI compute load grow. You will ensure compliance with NFPA 70/70B/70E, NESC, and IEEE standards.
The role requires 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. You must be able to work extended hours and weekends as needed and provide 24/7 on-call support for emergencies. On-site presence at the Southaven facility is required, with potential travel to other xAI sites.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 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 QUALIFICATIONS:
- Hands-on experience with DCS, PLC, HMI, and SCADA platforms (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, HRSG controls, plant-wide DCS integration, BOP, water treatment, wastewater, fuel gas, or process cooling systems
- 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
- 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 (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
- Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted
