Principal Electrical Engineer

ON.energy; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 250,000 - 380,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

ON.energy is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer (Product/Hardware) to own the hardware ecosystem for multi‑megawatt BESS and 1500 VDC platforms. You will define architectures and lead the next generation of power electronics, transformers, and switchgear to ensure uptime for hyperscale AI data centers.

You will drive ISO code compliance, vendor partnerships with Tier‑1 OEMs, and mentoring across electrical, controls, and project engineering teams to scale technical capability.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering with a heavy specialization in Power Electronics or Utility Power Systems.
• Professional Engineer (PE) License is highly preferred.
• 10–15+ years of engineering leadership in utility-scale energy storage or high‑voltage data center projects.

Responsibilities

• Architectural Ownership: Define standard topologies for modular, utility-scale power platforms.
• Grid Interconnection & ISO Authority: Lead SME on grid codes (ERCOT, PJM, CAISO) and transient events.
• Strategic Vendor & OEM Selection: Define procurement specs for Tier‑1 battery and PCS OEMs.
• Ultimate Escalation Point: RCA for power electronics failures and thermal anomalies in field.
• Regulatory & Compliance Strategy: Guide testing and certification roadmaps (UL 9540, UL 1741, NFPA 855).
• Technical Mentorship: Develop engineering capability across the team.

Skills

Power Electronics

PE License

Executive Communication

Grid Interconnection

Education

MS/PhD in Electrical Engineering

Professional Engineer License (preferred)

Tools

ETAP

SKM

PSCAD

Job description

ON.energy is building the power infrastructure that makes the AI era possible. As AI demand surges past what the grid and traditional data centers can support, ON.energy provides a new class of power technology proven at gigawatt scale and trusted by the world’s leading cloud and AI companies. Our systems are already deployed across 2.5 GW of hyper‑scale campuses, validated by top U.S. national labs, and certified for grid‑safe operation by major utilities. With real products in the field, we’re scaling faster than the grid can, transforming power from a bottleneck into a competitive advantage for the companies building the future.

Role Overview

The Principal Electrical Engineer (Product/Hardware) is the supreme technical authority for ON.energy’s hardware ecosystem. This role is responsible for the overarching technology roadmap of multi‑megawatt Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and high‑voltage UPS systems. You will lead the next‑generation architecture of 1500 VDC topologies and medium‑voltage (MV) grid integrations, ensuring perfect, zero‑transfer‑time uptime for the world’s largest hyperscale AI data centers.

Key Responsibilities

• Architectural Ownership: Define the standard product topologies for modular, utility‑scale power platforms. You choose the underlying electrical framework for how the next generation of power electronics, transformers, and switchgear seamlessly combine.
• Grid Interconnection & ISO Authority: Serve as the company’s leading Subject Matter Expert on complex ISO/RTO grid codes (such as ERCOT, PJM, and CAISO). You orchestrate how the hardware behaves during transient grid events and voltage ride‑through testing.
• Strategic Vendor & OEM Selection: Establish strategic technical partnerships with Tier‑1 battery (e.g., CATL, Sungrow) and Power Conversion System (PCS) OEMs. You define the custom procurement specifications that OEMs must meet to fit ON.energy's product stack.
• Ultimate Escalation Point: Act as the highest engineering escalation point for critical root‑cause analysis (RCA) regarding power electronics failures, thermal anomalies, or major system interactions in the field.
• Regulatory & Compliance Strategy: Partner with compliance divisions to dictate the testing, listing, and certification roadmaps (such as UL 9540, UL 1741, and NFPA 855) for all new product introductions (NPI).
• Technical Mentorship: Drive engineering excellence across the organization, mentoring senior electrical, controls, and project engineers to scale the technical capability of the team.

Required Qualifications & Technical Skills

• Education: Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with a heavy specialization in Power Electronics or Utility Power Systems. A active Professional Engineer (PE) License is highly preferred.
• Experience: 10 to 15+ years of definitive engineering leadership in utility‑scale energy storage, high‑voltage data center substations, or large‑scale industrial grid tie‑ins.
• Deep Hardware & Controls Synthesis: Extensive experience modeling battery sizing, degradation lifecycles, and validating how EMS/SCADA plant controllers communicate (via Modbus/DNP3) with localized hardware components.
• Advanced Simulation Mastery: Mastery of advanced power system analysis tools (like ETAP, SKM, or PSCAD) to oversee complex short‑circuit, protective device coordination, harmonic distortion, and arc flash studies.
• Advanced Standards Authority: Beyond knowing the codes, you have a deep history of physically leading products through NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories like UL, CSA, Intertek) certification programs, specifically regarding thermal runaway testing (UL 9540A).
• Executive Communication: Proven track record of presenting complex technical concepts, risk mitigations, and design optimization strategies directly to C‑suite leadership and enterprise cloud/hyperscale clients.

Benefits – US‑Based Roles

• Competitive salary + annual performance‑based bonus eligibility
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays

Benefits – Mexico‑Based Roles

• Competitive salary + annual performance bonus eligibility
• Major medical expenses and life insurance
• Paid time off and holidays (per local policy)

Benefits – All Roles

• Professional development and growth opportunities
• Opportunity to grow with a mission‑driven team shaping the future of clean energy
• Equal Opportunity: ON.energy is committed to equal employment opportunity and to maintaining a work environment free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation.
• Benefits vary by role and location and are subject to change.