Battery Service Engineer

ABB Inc.; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 83,000 - 133,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401k with company contributions

Paid holidays

Job summary

ABB Richmond, VA is seeking a Battery Service Engineer to oversee deployment, maintenance strategy, and readiness of UPS battery infrastructure, guiding from hands-on work to program ownership.

You will coordinate field engineers and vendors, ensure safety compliance (OSHA/NFPA 70E, EPA disposal), analyze data, and drive improvements across battery types including VRLA, NiCad, and Li‑Ion.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Engineering with minimum 6 years in field service for industrial UPS systems.
• Experience with VRLA, NiCad, and Li-Ion batteries.
• Experience commissioning or troubleshooting Lithium-Ion ESS (BESS).
• Familiarity with IEEE 450/1188/1679 and NFPA 70E; EPA disposal rules.
• Proficiency with CMMS, data analytics, and project software.
• Willingness to travel domestically 50-75% initially.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and manage UPS battery maintenance programs; oversee field staff and vendors.
• Use diagnostic tools to isolate cell failures and degradation.
• Oversee Battery Monitoring Systems installation and data reporting.
• Enforce safety protocols per OSHA, NFPA 70E, and EPA disposal rules.
• Lead RCA investigations and implement preventative actions.

Skills

3-phase UPS

VRLA batteries

Li-Ion batteries

CMMS

Power BI

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Tools

Digital multimeters

Battery impedance testers

Load banks

Modbus

SNMP

Job description

At ABB, we help industries run leaner and cleaner-and every person here makes that happen. You'll be empowered to lead, supported to grow, and proud of the impact we create together. Join us and help run what runs the world.

This position reports to: Service Engineering Manager

The work model for the role is: Onsite, Richmond, VA

Your role and responsibilities

In this role as Battery Service Engineer, you will have the opportunity to oversee the deployment, maintenance strategy, and operational readiness of our UPS battery infrastructure. In this role, you will transition from hands‑on execution to program‑level ownership- responsible for the entire lifecycle of critical backup power storage-including installation, commissioning, preventive maintenance, diagnostic troubleshooting, and replacement of various battery technologies (VRLA, Flooded Lead–Acid, Lithium‑Ion), while ensuring absolute compliance with safety and environmental standards.

You will act as the primary interface between field operations, engineering, and client stakeholders to ensure maximum uptime, reliability, and safety for our clients' critical infrastructure, directly managing how energy storage systems interact with, support, and communicate with UPS topology.

You will be mainly accountable for:

• Develop, implement, and manage comprehensive programs for installation, startup, configuration, maintenance, and testing of UPS battery strings; Oversee internal Field Service Engineers and third‑party service vendors. Define Scope of Work (SOW) documents, manage Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and audit field service reports to ensure work meets strict technical standards.
• Serve as the program‑level expert on how to utilize advanced diagnostic tools (internal resistance/conductance testers, thermal imagers, and data loggers) to isolate cell failures, thermal runaway risks, and capacity degradation.
• Oversee the installation, program, and maintenance of Battery Monitoring Systems. Ensure accurate data reporting, alarm thresholds, and communication protocols (Modbus, SNMP) between the BMS and the UPS or building management systems; Analyze capacity test data, internal resistance trends, and runtime calculations to predict end‑of‑life cycles.
• Standardize and enforce safety protocols across all programs, ensuring strict alignment with OSHA, NFPA 70E (Arc Flash), and environmental regulations regarding EPA‑certified battery disposal, recycling, and spill containment.
• Serve as the escalation point for major battery failures, thermal runaway events, or UPS integration issues. Lead root‑cause analysis (RCA) investigations and implement preventative actions.

Qualifications for the role

• Bachelor degree in Engineering PLUS minimum 6 years of experience in field service specifically working with industrial UPS systems (3-phase preferred) and large-scale battery plants
• Strong foundational knowledge of 3-phase UPS systems and the distinct operating characteristics of VRLA, NiCad, and Lithium‑Ion battery
• Expert‑level experience with digital multimeters, battery impedance testers (e.g., Alber, Megger, Midtronics), load banks, etc.
• Experience commissioning or troubleshooting Lithium‑Ion Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and their complex internal management systems, a plus
• Robust understanding of IEEE standards for battery maintenance and testing (IEEE 450, IEEE 1188, IEEE 1679); NFPA 70E Electrical Safety Certification, a plus
• Proficiency with computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), data analytics tools (Excel, Power BI), and project management software.
• Willingness to travel to domestic customer sites (typically 50%-75% in the beginning and reducing as a team is developed)
• Candidates must already have work authorization that would permit them to work for ABB in the US.

More about us

ABB Smart Power provides energy distribution solutions for data centers, industrial and manufacturing plants, critical infrastructure and commercial buildings. The Division's technical teams work closely with industry partners, delivering advanced solutions that support rapid growth, energy transition, and sustainability objectives. The Division's portfolio includes industrial circuit breakers, low‑voltage systems, motor starting applications, and safety devices like switches and relays. Its Power Protection unit supports the world's largest data center companies with advanced energy‑efficient UPS solutions. The Division's ABB Ability Energy Manager provides a scalable, easy‑to‑use platform that helps organizations save energy and reduce CO2 emissions.

Why ABB?

ABB is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmitive Action employer for protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities at ABB.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their- sex (gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation), marital status, citizenship, age, race and ethnicity, inclusive of traits historically associated with race or ethnicity, including but not limited to hair texture and protective hairstyles, color, religious creed, national origin, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, genetic information, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal and state law.

For more information regarding your (EEO) rights as an applicant, please visit https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf

As an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmitive Action Employer for Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities, applicants may request to review the plan of a particular ABB facility between the hours of 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. EST Monday through Friday by contacting an ABB HR Representative at 1-888-694-7762.

Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access ABB's career site as a result of your disability. You may request reasonable accommodations by calling an ABB HR Representative at 1-888-694-7762 or by sending an email to [e-mail]. Resumes and applications will not be accepted in this manner.

ABB Benefit Summary for eligible US employees

[excludes ABB E-mobility, Athens union, Puerto Rico]

Go to MyBenefitsABB.com and click on "Candidate/Guest" to learn more

Health, Life & Disability

• Choice between two medical plan options: A PPO plan called the Copay Plan OR a High Deductible Health Plan (with a Health Savings Account) called the High Deductible Plan.
• Choice between two dental plan options: Core and Core Plus
• Vision benefit
• Company paid life insurance (2X base pay)
• Company paid AD&D (1X base pay)
• Voluntary life and AD&D - 100% employee paid up to maximums
• Short Term Disability - up to 26 weeks - Company paid
• Long Term Disability - 60% of pay - Company paid. Ability to "buy-up" to 66 2/3% of pay.
• Supplemental benefits - 100% employee paid (Accident insurance, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Health Advocate support resources for mental/behavioral health, general health navigation and virtual health, and infertility/adoption
• Employee discount program

Retirement

• 401k Savings Plan with Company Contributions
• Employee Stock Acquisition Plan (ESAP)

Time off

ABB provides 11 paid holidays. Salaried exempt positions are provided vacation under a permissive time away policy.

While base salary is determined by things such as the successful applicant's qualifications and experience, this position is expected to pay between $83,300 and $133,280 annually.

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