Electrical Engineer (Power & Controls)

Wind Harvest; Davis (CA); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Vision, and Dental insurance

Paid Time Off & Holidays

Professional Development Stipend

Job summary

Wind Harvest International is seeking an Electrical Engineer to own the electrical hardware design of our turbines, including power and control systems, panels, and wiring documentation. You’ll support field installation and commissioning in Texas, moving designs from documentation to field testing and production.

You’ll collaborate with controls, firmware, SCADA, mechanical, and installation teams. A hands-on role with travel and startup experience is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or related field is required.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in electrical design for industrial or power systems.
• Experience with electrical panel design (DIN rail) and applicable codes (NEMA, NEC, NFPA).
• 3-phase motor control and VFD implementation; controls interfacing.
• PLC programming (ladder logic) and Modbus/RS-485 communications.
• Ability to work hands-on in the field and travel to Texas for site work.

Responsibilities

• Produce and maintain electrical design documents: schematics, wiring diagrams, panel layouts, BOMs.
• Own electrical BOM: source current components with good lead times.
• Specify and support build of control panels and enclosures per standards.
• Implement motor control and drives; develop control interfaces.
• Program PLCs and ensure Modbus/RS-485 communications.
• Design grounding, bonding and lightning protection per NEC/NFPA.
• Support installation and commissioning in Texas; assist test procedures.

Skills

Electrical design

PLC programming (ladder logic)

Modbus/RS-485 communications

Motor control & VFDs

Electrical drawings & BOMs

Field travel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Job description

Wind Harvest International is a renewable energy company developing and commercializing innovative vertical-axis wind turbine technology. As we prepare our next-generation turbine for certification testing and commercial production, we’re looking for a hands-on Electrical Engineer who wants to help bring emerging renewable energy technology to market. You’ll design, document and commission the electrical and control systems that make our turbines safe, reliable and grid-ready.

Compensation

Base Salary: $115,000 - $145,000 annually, depending on experience, qualifications, and demonstrated expertise.

Incentive Compensation: May be eligible for performance-based incentive compensation, subject to an applicable company plan and its terms. Details will be communicated as the program is established.

Work Arrangement

Hybrid position based in Davis, California, with an expectation of approximately three days per week in the office. This role involves travel to Texas for installation and commissioning. Travel expectations, including approximate frequency and duration of Texas site visits, will be discussed during the interview process.

Benefits

Health, Vision, and Dental coverage; Paid Time Off and Holidays; Professional Development Stipend

The Role

The Electrical Engineer owns the electrical hardware design of Wind Harvest’s turbines: the power and control systems, control panels, and the wiring documentation and bill of materials that go with them. You will also support installation and commissioning in the field, including time on site in Texas. This is a hands-on role. You will see your designs move from engineering documentation into field testing and production.

You will work closely with our controls, firmware and SCADA engineers, our mechanical engineers, the installation team and outside electrical contractors. Firmware, software, data acquisition and cloud work sit in a separate role.

What You’ll Do

• Electrical design documents. Produce and maintain schematics, wiring diagrams, junction box layouts, panel layouts and cable lists, updating existing designs for the new turbine.
• Bill of materials and sourcing. Own the electrical and control BOM: start from earlier BOMs, replace obsolete parts, and select current, cost-effective components with short lead times that meet performance, safety, reliability and quality requirements.
• Control panels and enclosures. Specify control panels and enclosures (DIN rail controls and DIN panel design to NEMA, NEC, NFPA and other electrical standards, with attention to signal integrity) and support their in-house build.
• Motor control and drives. Implement 3-phase motor control and variable frequency drives, including the controls interface.
• PLC and communications. Program PLCs in ladder logic and implement Modbus/RS-485 communications, working with the firmware and SCADA engineers.
• Grounding, bonding and lightning protection. Design the grounding and bonding configuration to comply with NEC, NFPA, UL and other standards, and document it in the site-level electrical drawings.
• Installation and commissioning. Support installation at the Texas site: provide technical oversight to installation contractors, verify wiring against approved drawings, and help develop and execute test and commissioning procedures.
• Grid interconnection and protection. Specify the grid-protection relay and its settings (IEEE 1547 and 1547.1) to meet the utility and test-site requirements, and support the interconnection.
• Design for production. D ocument designs so they can be reproduced across future turbines, and favor proven, cost-effective components that meet performance and reliability requirements.

What Success Could Look Like in Your First 6 - 12 Months

• Complete the electrical drawings and bill of materials for the next-generation turbine, so that the control cabinets can be built and checked.
• Specify the grid-protection relay and support the grid interconnection at the test site.
• Help execute safe, reliable installation and commissioning at the Texas site.
• Establish accurate, repeatable electrical drawings, panel documentation and bills of materials for future production.

What You Bring

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• 5+ years of progressive experience in electrical design for industrial or power systems
• Industrial power and control systems: electrical panel design (DIN rail and DIN panel), applicable codes and standards (NEMA, NEC, NFPA), and signal integrity
• 3-phase motor control and VFD implementation and controls interfacing
• PLC programming (ladder logic) and Modbus/RS-485 communications, with the ability to collaborate effectively with controls, firmware and SCADA engineers
• Electrical drawings (schematics, wiring diagrams, panel layouts, cable lists) and BOMs
• Comfortable with hands-on field work, travel to Texas, and providing technical direction to installation contractors
• Willingness to do hands-on work yourself, and the judgment to work independently in a startup environment
• Professional judgment and discretion when handling confidential technical information

Preferred

• Experience with utility-connected or distributed power-generation systems, including electrical requirements and specifications
• Embedded systems design for machine control
• Familiarity with SCADA integration and industrial communications
• Utility-connected wind turbine specific electrical and controls experience
• Grounding, bonding and lightning protection design
• Familiarity with IEEE 1547 and UL 1741 interconnection requirements

We care most about capability, curiosity, and initiative.

Wind Harvest International actively seeks diverse candidates and is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.