Central Tower Solar Field Engineer I

Reporting Line

The Central Tower (CT) Solar Field Engineer will report to the CT Solar Field Specialist / Engineering Technical Coordinator.

Job Scope

The Central Tower (CT) Solar Field Engineer executes scheduled, corrective, and emergency maintenance activities across an expansive Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) solar field. Reporting directly to the CT Solar Field Specialist, this role focuses on maximizing the operational availability, optical precision, and thermal reliability of the central tower infrastructure. The engineer utilizes operational knowledge of Central Tower systems to perform technical troubleshooting, calibration, and hands-on maintenance, ensuring all operations align with authorized safety protocols, technical standards, and plant availability targets.

Asset Scope

Shared technical responsibility for the field-level execution of maintenance and optimization programs across:

• A 70,000 dual-axis tracking heliostat field
• A 260+ meter solar tower
• A high-temperature Molten Salt Receiver (MSR) system
• The Solar Field Intelligent Network Control System (SFINCS) server infrastructure used to control and monitor the entire system

Key Accountabilities

Field Operations & Task Execution
Execute daily field operations, preventative maintenance schedules, and rapid corrective responses across the 70,000 heliostat field.
Provide technical direction to field technicians and contractors, ensuring tasks are completed efficiently across the massive plant footprint.
Identify operational bottlenecks or skill gaps on the floor and assist the Specialist in delivering technical and safety toolbox training.

Heliostat Field, Tracking & SFINCS Maintenance
Perform routine calibration programs, including optical alignment, closed-loop tracking calibration, and kinematic error compensation to minimize spillage.
Troubleshoot, repair, and maintain mechanical and electrical field distribution networks, including drive motors, gearboxes, localized control boards, and communication lines.
Support field washing and cleaning schedules to fight mirror soiling and optimize reflectivity.
Monitor the SFINCS server to ensure high network availability, performance efficiency, and rapid diagnostic response.
Implement tracking layouts, kinematic calculations, and aimpoint commands processed by the SFINCS (HAPA) server to keep strict optical target precision at the receiver.
Execute periodic SFINCS server firmware updates, database backups, and check communication fail-safes across the localized field networks.
Utilize SFINCS server diagnostics to identify localized field control card failures, communication drops, or tracking anomalies, leading rapid corrective dispatch.
Conduct routine field mirror reflectivity measurements and input soiling/degradation values into the SFINCS server to update flux map algorithms and protect the MSR from overheating.

Molten Salt Receiver (MSR) & Tower Infrastructure Support
Perform technical maintenance and regular inspections on the Molten Salt Receiver (MSR) at the top of the tower, focusing on heat exchanger tubes operating at fluid temperatures up to 565°C.
Assist operations and maintenance teams in monitoring trace heating and insulation systems to prevent molten salt from freezing (maintaining temperatures above the critical 290°C threshold).
Maintain, test, and calibrate the specialized camera and thermal monitoring systems tasked with enforcing the exclusion and non-flux zones on the MSR.
Execute immediate corrective field actions or server overrides when camera monitoring detects safety violations or hazardous structural anomalies within the MSR exclusion zone to prevent material degradation

Outage Management
Participate in the effective forecasting of manpower, budget and material requirements to ensure timely availability of resources and spares for effective execution of I&C outage maintenance plans.
Support in the planning and execution of the shutdown maintenance of critical I&C machinery, as per the recommendation of the OEM, and provide technical support to ensure the EHS, scope, cost, and timeline objectives are met.

Documentation
Ensure availability of engineering documentation.
Keep proper records of documentation generated related to I&C engineering activities (i.e. root cause analysis, troubleshooting support, performance analysis, integrity inspections, etc.).
Ensure that all maintenance documentation related to CT SF for the I&C activities are completed correctly including the Maintenance Log, outlining the fault, method of repair and the time, labour and materials used to support timely availability of information.

Minimum Qualifications
Degree in Mechanical/Electrical/Instrumentation Engineering
Minimum Experience:
Minimum of 5 – 7 years of hands-on engineering experience in utility-scale power plants, with a strong preference for Central Tower CSP or large-scale automated tracking installations.

Skills

Required Technical Competencies
CSP System Operation: Direct operational knowledge of Central Tower systems, including heliostat dual-axis tracking, flux management, and high-temperature molten salt cycles.
SFINCS & Automation Proficiency: Practical familiarity with SFINCS Server architectures, HAPA server aimpoint logic, field communication networks, and automation control cards.
Asset Management Tools: Working knowledge of computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) like SAP or Maximo for tracking work orders, KPIs, and asset histories.
Problem-Solving Frameworks: Capability to assist in Root Cause Analysis (RCA), downtime analysis, and Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) methodologies.