Head of Product Engineering – Large Power Transformers

Beyond Sof; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading advanced manufacturing firm in Austin, Texas is seeking a Head of Product Engineering to lead design and manufacturability initiatives for large power transformers. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in transformer design, proficiency in related software, and a solid educational background in Electrical Engineering. This critical leadership role involves guiding a team to establish design standards and integrate advanced tools for automation in manufacturing. U.S. citizenship is required due to the nature of the work.

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience in power transformer design/manufacturing.
• Deep understanding of core/winding design and insulation coordination.
• Strong grasp of Design for Manufacturability (DfM).
• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency required.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end electrical and mechanical design of LPTs.
• Translate design requirements into scalable manufacturing workflows.
• Implement advanced modeling and simulation environments.
• Ensure adherence to IEEE, ANSI, IEC, DOE specifications.
• Recruit, mentor, and grow the core transformer design team.

Skills

Power transformer design/manufacturing

Core/winding design

Thermal management

Design for Manufacturability (DfM)

Proficiency with transformer design software

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering

PhD or PE license preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

ANSYS Maxwell

COMSOL

Flux

Job description

Job Overview

The client is a defense-grade advanced manufacturer, automating heavy‑industrial production for critical U.S. infrastructure. Our first facility will produce Large Power Transformers (≥100 MVA, 138 kV–500 kV class), delivering the precision, reliability, and speed required to strengthen and expand America’s grid. We are building the first automated LPT manufacturing platform in the United States uniting modern robotics and digital twin design to accelerate transformer production and deployment.

Job Description: The Head of Product Engineering will join the founding team to lead all design, materials, and manufacturability initiatives for Terminus’ transformer product line. This role will define the company’s technical DNA—translating decades of power‑engineering know‑how into modern, automated, and scalable production. This is a critical leadership role, necessary to architect Terminus’ first generation of 100–500 MVA power transformers, establish internal design standards, and integrate advanced design tools (CAD, FEA, digital twins) with manufacturing automation.

Key Responsibilities

• Product Design Leadership: Lead end‑to‑end electrical and mechanical design of LPTs (core, windings, tank, OLTC, bushings, cooling, insulation systems).
• Design for Manufacturability: Translate design requirements into scalable manufacturing workflows optimized for automation, repeatability, and quality.
• System Integration: Define and validate electrical, thermal, and mechanical performance parameters for ≥100 MVA, 34.5–500 kV transformers.
• Toolchain Development: Implement advanced modeling and simulation environments with Digital Infrastructure team (e.g., SolidWorks, COMSOL, ANSYS Maxwell, EMTP‑RV).
• Compliance & Standards: Ensure adherence to IEEE, ANSI, IEC, DOE, and utility specifications; lead design qualification and type testing programs.
• Supplier & Utility Interface: Support technical engagement with utilities, EPCs, and component vendors (core steel, windings, insulation, bushings, OLTC, etc.).
• Team Building: Recruit, mentor, and grow the core transformer design and product‑engineering team.

Desired Qualifications

• 10+ years experience in power transformer design/manufacturing, preferably at Siemens Energy, ABB/Hitachi Energy, GE Grid Solutions, WEG, or a major utility/EPC (Burns & McDonnell, Black & Veatch, etc.).
• Deep understanding of core/winding design, insulation coordination, dielectric testing, loss optimization, and thermal management.
• Proficiency with transformer design software (e.g., EFACE, Flux, ANSYS Maxwell, COMSOL, or in‑house proprietary tools).
• Strong grasp of Design for Manufacturability (DfM) and familiarity with automated or semi‑automated production methods.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical Engineering (Power Systems focus); PhD or PE license preferred.
• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency (due to defense‑grade program requirements).