Principal Electrical Engineer

Umbilical Advanced; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Umbilical Advanced is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer to define global data center electrical architectures. You’ll consolidate guidelines, set scalable standards, and lead cross-regional teams of engineers, EPC partners and vendors.

The role focuses on technology, architecture and standards rather than firefighting individual projects, with international project exposure and a strategic influence on design approaches.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in large-scale data centers.
• Expert in LV, MV and HV design and power distribution.
• Experience with international projects and global standards.

Responsibilities

• Consolidate and document existing design standards for global deployment.
• Develop further guidance for internal teams, EPC partners and vendors.
• Engage with regional teams to navigate voltage, grounding and local codes.
• Bridge engineering across regions to align technically and commercially.

Skills

LV design

MV design

HV design

Data center expertise

Global standards

Vendor & EPC collaboration

Job description

PRINCIPAL ELECTRICAL ENGINEER || GLOBAL || DATA CENTERS

MOST ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS DESIGN DATA CENTERS.

THIS ONE GETS TO HELP DEFINE HOW THEY'RE DESIGNED GLOBALLY.

Picture a global data center portfolio. Multiple regions. Different customer requirements. Different electrical codes and approaches to power distribution.

The challenge isn't simply finding a design that works. It's establishing an electrical architecture that can be deployed globally without forcing every region into a solution that doesn't suit its market.

That's where this role comes in.

At Umbilical, we've been retained as part of a wider project to find the person who bridges this gap.

Principal Electrical Engineer | Global | Data Centers

This is a strategic technical position, working to shape the electrical design approach across a global portfolio.

Your focus isn't firefighting individual projects. It's the technology, architecture and standards behind them.

So, where do you start?

The existing design standards need consolidating, documenting and developing further. Some are already written down. Others exist in the experience and knowledge of the people delivering projects.

You’ll bring those together, challenge what's there, and establish clear, scalable guidance for internal engineering teams, EPC partners and vendors worldwide.

Here’s where the technical depth matters.

We're talking MV and LV distribution, transformers, generators, UPS, busway, data hall distribution and metering.

The HV and substation interface as campuses scale.

And increasingly, battery energy storage, grid interaction and the challenges created by AI workloads.

But technical knowledge alone won't be enough.

The global experience is what separates this role.

European and US electrical systems don't simply differ in voltage. Distribution configurations, grounding and earthing practices, and local standards all influence how systems should be designed.

You’ll need to understand those differences and navigate them in practice, rather than assume one region's approach works everywhere.

You’ll also work closely with vendors and EPC partners, bridging engineering teams across regions and aligning stakeholders around solutions that work technically and commercially.

There won't always be one right answer.

Your job is to understand the trade-offs, explain them clearly and build consensus without compromising engineering rigor.

Who we think this is...

Someone with deep LV, MV and HV design expertise, 10+ years in large-scale data centers, and genuine international project experience.

Someone who can challenge established approaches, influence global standards and bring a strong technical point of view without needing to be the loudest voice in the room.

High performance, low ego.

If you want to move beyond designing individual projects and help define how data centers are engineered globally, I'd like to talk.