Principal Electrical Engineer – Chillers

ESP Enterprises, Inc.; Plano (TX); Hybrid; USD 171,000 - 192,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Hybrid work arrangement

Competitive compensation

Job summary

ESP Enterprises, Inc. seeks a Principal Electrical Engineer for its chilling systems division in Plano, TX. The role leads U.S. electrical engineering from quoting to commissioning, translating codes into clear inputs for our Japan team and owning the electrical scope of each project.

You will engage with customers, cert bodies, and suppliers, driving electrical design authority, documentation, and field support while maintaining change control and robust architectures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical/controls engineering or related field.
• 12+ years in related roles with 7+ years leading scope.
• Ability to translate codes into specifications and design inputs.
• Experience with industrial electrical systems and VFDs.

Responsibilities

• Translate U.S. electrical and safety requirements into quotation specs and design inputs.
• Lead electrical engineering from requirements through quotation and detailed design with overseas team.
• Create and maintain electrical interface specs and scope definitions.
• Own electrical change control to prevent drift and unmanaged changes.
• Incorporate FAT/SAT requirements and testing into design deliverables.
• Serve as main electrical technical contact for U.S. customers and suppliers.
• Engage with AHJs and certification bodies for approvals and questions.
• Represent electrical aspects during FAT, installation, and commissioning.

Skills

Code to standards

Electrical leadership

Customer-facing

Change control

FAT/SAT experience

UL/NEC knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Electrical/Controls Engineering

Tools

Power distribution systems

Protection schemes

Control panels

VFDs

Instrumentation

Job description

Principal Electrical Engineer – Chillers

Location: Plano, TX (Hybrid; onsite for the first 30 days)
Employment Type: Direct Hire
Compensation: $171,000 – $192,000 base
Relocation: Up to $25,000 in relocation assistance
Travel: Up to 25%

About the Opportunity

Our client, a global leader in industrial and energy technology, is building a new division focused on data center cooling solutions across North America. As a new division, it offers long-term stability and room to grow. They are seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer to be the U.S. electrical engineering lead for their centrifugal chiller business. This is not a role spent entirely on detailed design. The focus is translating U.S. codes, standards, and customer requirements into clear design inputs for the engineering team in Japan, and owning the electrical side of each project from quotation through commissioning and field support.

What You'll Do

• Translate U.S. electrical and safety requirements (UL, NEC, IEEE) into clear quotation specifications and design inputs.
• Lead electrical engineering from customer requirements through quotation and detailed design, in partnership with the engineering team in Japan.
• Create and maintain electrical interface specifications and clear scope definitions across subsystems.
• Own electrical change control to prevent unmanaged changes and design drift.
• Build certification, compliance, and test requirements into design deliverables and FAT/SAT documentation.
• Serve as the main electrical technical contact for U.S. customers, system integrators, and key suppliers.
• Lead engagement with certification bodies and AHJs, including submissions, technical questions, and corrective actions.
• Represent the electrical side during FAT, installation, commissioning, and early field issues, driving root-cause analysis and design updates.
• Help develop U.S.-specific electrical design rules and standard architectures.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in electrical engineering, controls engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 12+ years of related experience, including 7+ years leading electrical engineering scope across quotation, design, and change management for industrial or packaged equipment.
• Proven ability to turn codes and standards into specifications, design documents, and quotation inputs.
• Hands-on experience with industrial electrical systems, including power distribution, protection, control panels, VFDs, and instrumentation.
• Ability to review and judge single-line diagrams, panel layouts, wiring diagrams, and I/O documentation.
• Strong engineering execution skills: requirements definition, risk management, technical decision-making, and change control.
• Comfort serving as a customer-facing technical lead and working with an overseas design team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with UL certification, NEC compliance, and NRTL/AHJ interactions for U.S.-market industrial equipment.
• Background in centrifugal chillers, large HVAC equipment, rotating machinery, or complex packaged systems.
• FAT, SAT, and field commissioning experience, including feeding field issues back into design.
• Experience building standard electrical architectures and configurable design options.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license or related certification.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision coverage; 401(k) with company match; paid vacation and sick time; 15 paid holidays; and strong growth potential in a newly launched division.

Candidates must be authorized to work in the U.S. without current or future sponsorship.