Lead Electrical Engineer – MW-Class Power Conversion

Approach Venture LLC; Hawthorne (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Job summary

Approach Venture LLC in Hawthorne, CA is seeking a hands-on Lead Electrical Engineer to own the power conversion stack between a megawatt-class generator and the load or grid. You will write requirements, manage suppliers, bring hardware up on the test stand, and drive the design from demonstrator to production.

You will work directly with technical founders, shaping make-versus-buy decisions, leading in-house components, and coordinating with turbomachinery and test engineers to ensure

Qualifications

• B.S. or higher in Electrical Engineering or a closely related field.
• Solid fundamentals across electrical machines, motor drives, power conversion, grounding, protection, or EMI/EMC.
• Track record specifying, integrating, testing, or operating high-power electrical equipment.

Responsibilities

• Own the complete electrical path from generator output to load and grid connection.
• Write technical requirements for the high-speed generator, active rectifiers and drives, DC-link components, transformers, switchgear, protection, grounding, and EMI/EMC mitigation.
• Run supplier evaluation, selection, and procurement for the power conversion system, then manage those partners through delivery.
• Review vendor designs, datasheets, proposals, and test data, and make clear tradeoff calls.
• Integrate the generator, drive, controls, and supporting power electronics, staying hands-on through checkout, commissioning, debugging, and test campaigns.
• Scale the system from a MW-class demonstrator toward production with a focus on cost and manufacturability.
• Define make-versus-buy strategy for the electrical stack and lead design and development of in-house components.
• Partner closely with turbomachinery, controls, and test engineers to keep the full system integrated.

Skills

High-power fundamentals

Lead electrical design

Education

B.S. in Electrical Engineering

Tools

CAN

EtherCAT

Modbus

Job description

Lead Electrical Engineer – Architect the MW-Class Power Conversion Stack Behind a New Generation of Turbines

Hawthorne, CA | On-site

Opportunity Summary

We are looking for a hands-on electrical lead to take full ownership of the power conversion system that sits between our high-speed generator and the load or grid. Working directly with the technical founders, you will write the requirements, choose and manage suppliers, bring hardware up on the test stand, and carry the design from a megawatt-class demonstrator into production.

This is a first-principles seat with real authority. Once the initial test campaign wraps, you will also help decide which parts of the electrical stack we build ourselves and which we keep sourcing, then lead the in-house designs that come out of that call.

About Us

We are a venture-backed, post-stealth energy hardware startup building compact, modular power generation systems to meet fast-growing electricity demand, including on-site power for data centers. Our founders bring decades of turbomachinery design, analysis, and test experience. Hardware is already in house, testing is active, and a megawatt-class unit is being built to run on natural gas first, with additional heat sources on the near-term roadmap.

Job Duties

• Own the complete electrical path from generator output to load and grid connection
• Write technical requirements for the high-speed generator, active rectifiers and drives, DC-link components, transformers, switchgear, protection, grounding, and EMI/EMC mitigation
• Run supplier evaluation, selection, and procurement for the power conversion system, then manage those partners through delivery
• Review vendor designs, datasheets, proposals, and test data, and make clear tradeoff calls
• Integrate the generator, drive, controls, and supporting power electronics, staying hands-on through checkout, commissioning, debugging, and test campaigns
• Scale the system from a MW-class demonstrator toward production with a focus on cost and manufacturability
• Define make-versus-buy strategy for the electrical stack and lead design and development of in-house components
• Partner closely with turbomachinery, controls, and test engineers to keep the full system integrated

Qualifications

• B.S. or higher in Electrical Engineering or a closely related field
• Solid fundamentals across electrical machines, motor drives, power conversion, grounding, protection, or EMI/EMC
• Track record specifying, integrating, testing, or operating high-power electrical equipment
• Sound technical judgment when weighing vendor proposals, test results, and design tradeoffs
• Hands-on experience with electrical bring-up, instrumentation, troubleshooting, and test execution
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with a willingness to both learn and mentor

Preferred Experience

• High-speed rotating electrical machines (10,000+ RPM) and the high-frequency drives that run them
• Generator and drive integration on turbomachinery or other rotating equipment
• MW-class power electronics and grid or load synchronization
• Connecting drives, inverters, or power electronics to control systems over CAN, EtherCAT, Modbus, PLCs, or comparable protocols
• Working knowledge of industrial electrical safety, isolation, grounding, protection, and code-compliant installation
• Prior early-stage startup experience

Why Join Us

• Own a critical system end to end, from architecture through production
• Work side by side with technical founders on first-of-its-kind energy hardware
• Real hardware and live testing now, not years from now
• Meaningful early-stage equity with room to grow as the team scales
• Company-wide medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Fully stocked kitchen with coffee, snacks, and lunch provided

Compensation Details

$180,000 – $260,000 + equity