Lead Power Electronics Engineer

Switchgear Magazine; Stafford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Switchgear Magazine is looking for a Power Electronics Engineer to join their team in Stafford. In this role, you will work on HVDC applications, with responsibilities including designing and validating power electronic topologies.

The ideal candidate will have a degree in engineering and over 10 years of experience. Opportunities for international travel are available, along with a chance to innovate in a cutting-edge field.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in design, development, and validation of power converters.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Experience in commissioning projects and developing power electronic solutions.

Responsibilities

• Generate project documentation for testing and design reports.
• Design, model, and validate power electronic topologies for HVDC applications.
• Perform routine and type test specifications and fault analysis.

Skills

Power electronics design

MATLAB/Simulink

Communication skills

International travel

Circuit simulation

Voltage-Sourced Converters knowledge

Education

Degree in Engineering

Tools

PLECS

LTSpice

PSCAD

Job description

As Power Electronics Engineer, you will report to the Valve Converter Electrical Team Lead within the Valve Converter Engineering & Technology Function (Team who deliver development project and customer projects for the HVDC Valve Converter). The successful candidate will be part of a highly motivated, dynamic and rapidly growing team of engineers working on the project activities related to HVDC applications. This is a very exciting and dynamic field of power engineering in which GE’s leading contribution has worldwide recognition.

The role gives an excellent opportunity for a motivated candidate to innovate, expand their design skill and personal development within an internationally recognised expert in this exciting field. Whilst based at the HVDC Centre of Excellence in Stafford there will be international travel opportunities to collaborate with other GE units, test laboratories and customer sites.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Generate project documentation (such as type test specification, type test reports, design reports ...)
• Validation of key component ratings (Size of the Valve Converter, Calculation of losses, RAM study...).
• Working against customer specification at project stage (Clause by Clause, Risk analysis).
• Design, model, analyze and validate power electronic topologies, converters and components for Voltage Source Converters (VSC), Modular Multilevel Converters (MMC) and Line Commutated Converter (LCC) for HVDC and FACTS applications.
• Integration with other engineering departments for product definition (System design, Main Scheme, Layout, Commercial).
• Circuit simulation for design and future testing as part of project awarded.
• Product design and validation for high voltage power electronic including IGBT and thyristor and passive component used in valve converter.
• Design or application experience on IGBT and thyristor driver circuit.
• Design experience on the protection and control circuit for IGBT and thyristor.
• Performing routine and type test specifications and pre-commissioning testing. It is required to have technical skills and analytic thinking to perform fault analysis and design improvement, this includes performing bench level and high voltage testing.
• Product support during complete life cycle from development to tender and commissioning of project.
• Support site activities during installation of the valve converter, pre-commissioning and training for customer.
• Expectation to travel 20% of the time across the world.

Required Qualifications

• Degree in an Engineering field with a minimum of 10 years of experience in design, development and validation of power converters.
• Proficiency with MATLAB / Simulink and/ or PLECS, Psim, LTSpice, PSCAD or equivalent modelling software, for the converter and component simulation of VSC-HVDC applications or complex multi-level converters.
• Experience in commissioning projects and developing power electronic solutions for industrial and AC transmission grid applications.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Ability and willingness to travel 30% of the time, including international, and must comply with all relevant company travel and tax policies.
• Depth and/or breadth of knowledge of power electronics devices and power converter topologies including voltage sourced converters and current source converters.
• Deep understanding of power semiconductors devices such as IGBTs, Thyristors, Medium Voltage (MV) Power modules, etc., their control, testing, packaging, and thermal management.
• Have extensive electrical, power electronics and thermal experience in designing Voltage-Sourced Converters (VSC) or Line-Commutated Converters (LCC) or complex multilevel converters.
• Have wide experience in the design, specification and testing of power electronic components such as capacitors, inductors, and filters.
• Depth and/or breadth of knowledge of compliance with Electro-Magnetic Interference (EMI), and/or ensuring the converters are EMI-robust/compliant.
• Analogue and digital electronics in a power-electronics environment, such as the design and testing of gate drivers and control electronics.
• Experience sizing and designing power system solutions (main circuit design, key component specifications such filters and transformers, Layout, project, commercial, etc.), or strong liaison with the relevant departments.
• Understanding of power systems (operation, stability, static operation, protection, etc.).
• Strong communication skills and ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to take an innovative idea from a concept to a product.