Principal Electrical Engineer - Data Center UPS Systems

Viridan Group; United States; On-site; USD 190,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

ON.energy is seeking the Principal Electrical Engineer (Product/Hardware) to own the hardware roadmap for multi-megawatt BESS and 1500VDC MV grid integration at hyperscale data centers.

You will define standard topologies, drive ISO/RTO grid interconnection strategies, and partner with Tier-1 battery and PCS OEMs to deliver safe, scalable power platforms. You will mentor senior engineers and communicate with C-suite stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in EE with specialization in power electronics or utility power systems.
• Active PE license highly preferred.
• 10–15+ years leadership in utility-scale energy storage, HV data centers, or large-scale grid tie-ins.

Responsibilities

• Define the hardware roadmap for multi-megawatt BESS and 1500VDC MV grid integrations.
• Define standard product topologies for modular, utility-scale power platforms.
• Lead strategic vendor and OEM selection and set procurement specs.
• Serve as escalation point for RCA on power electronics failures and thermal anomalies.
• Shape testing and certification roadmaps (UL 9540, UL 1741, NFPA 855).
• Mentor engineers to scale technical capability across the org.

Skills

Power electronics

High voltage systems

EMS/SCADA integration

Modbus/DNP3 comms

Power system simulation

Executive communication

Education

Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering

Professional Engineer (PE) license

Tools

ETAP

SKM

PSCAD

Job description

Our client ON.energy is building the backbone of energy and AI infrastructure powering grid-safe data centers and mission-critical facilities. The company supplies and operates hyperscale power systems that solve the toughest resilience challenges, delivering custom solutions for AI data centers, mission-critical facilities, and front-of-the-meter assets. ON recently announced a 5GW partnership, with 3GW currently under construction across multiple hyperscale data center campuses. With patented technology and proprietary software, ON.energy develops projects worldwide that set new benchmarks for resilience.

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 1500VDC topologies and medium-voltage (MV) grid integrations, ensuring perfect, zero-transfer-time uptime for the world’s largest hyperscale AI data centers.

Key Responsibilities (What Changes at the Principal Level)

• 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 (SME) 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.

For US-based roles - What you’ll get:

• Competitive salary + annual performance-based bonus eligibility