Principal Engineer – Systems/Controls & Safety Devices

UL Solutions; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits (medical, dental, vision)

Annual bonus compensation

Paid time off (vacation, holidays, personal days)

Job summary

UL Solutions is seeking a Principal Engineer in the United States who will lead as a Global Subject Matter Expert on Controls. This full-time hybrid position requires expertise in Functional Safety, Artificial Intelligence, and programmable software technologies. Responsibilities include developing standards and certification services, collaborating with global teams, and providing thought leadership in the industry. The estimated salary range is $145,000 to $170,000, along with a target annual bonus, health benefits, and paid time off.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of directly related work experience or equivalent education and experience.
• Experience with UL IEC 60730 is required.
• Ability to travel 10-25% for technical committees.

Responsibilities

• Act as Global Subject Matter Expert for Controls standards development.
• Train staff and build competencies.
• Collaborate with various teams to translate needs into solutions.

Skills

Technical expertise in Functional Safety

Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence

Cross-functional leadership

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

Education

University Degree in Engineering

Tools

Control standards (IEC, UL, CSA)

Testing technology understanding

Job description

Job Description

The Consumer Principal Engineer team is seeking a Principal Engineer with expertise in the functionality and evaluation of automatic electrical controls and control systems intended for use in electrical products, fuel-fired equipment, building automation, HVACR, appliances, etc. The candidate shall have technical knowledge of the principles of Functional Safety, Artificial Intelligence, and programmable and embedded software. This role is a cross‑functional technical leader who blends deep technical expertise with business strategy and global influence. This role serves as the Global Subject Matter Expert and single point of technical contact for Controls within UL Solutions' Consumer Division.

This is a full‑time hybrid (3 days a week) position located at any United States UL Office.

Responsibilities

• Global Subject Matter Expert for Controls related standards development and development of new certification, testing and auditing services to support vitality of UL Solutions portfolio. Act as a key technical liaison for compliance and certification requirements.
• Serves as an external thought leader on key technical committees, industry forums, codes development, trade associations, regulatory committees, etc. Publishes articles demonstrating our technical expertise. Studies and understands test standards, testing technology, and regulations for scope of responsibility.
• Strengthens our regulatory knowledge and relevance, drives innovation in product security by applying knowledge of well‑known procedures, standards, and regulations to implication to products and services across industries we serve.
• Evaluates emerging technologies and regulations, and recommends solutions aligned with business goals. Ensure scalability, safety, consistency, reliability or services proposed.
• Collaborates closely with GMs, business, product managers, industry leaders, marketing, customers, account managers, sales, global operations, engineers, and regions to help translate needs into our solutions. In partnership with rest of the business, develops new standards, new service offerings, new programs and builds capabilities needed globally.
• Provides training to staff and builds competencies when necessary. Manages and reviews related internal documents for accuracy and consistency.
• Becomes a trusted partner to our key accounts, gaining deep understanding of their roadmaps and how to enable it for them. Acts with sense of urgency and demonstrates collaboration with research to address implied and stated concerns that increase our relevance and strengthen our mission.
• Integrates continuous improvement concepts and techniques into all aspects of the job for a region or global office. Manages and reviews related internal documents for accuracy.
• Identifies emerging technologies and anticipates industry trends, assessing their applicability to the ULS safety mission through alignment with business growth objectives, new service creation, standards development roadmaps and thought leadership initiatives.
• Standard and regulatory responsibilities for the position include familiarity in Control standards such as IEC/UL/CSA 60730 series, UL 244A, UL 244B, UL 508, UL 873, UL 916, UL 863, UL 353, UL 372, etc.
• Participate and influence the IEC TC 72 and associated national TAG/SDO as well as the IECEE‑CTL Expert Task Force (ETF4) for CONT category with an assertive mindset, business acumen, and risk differentiation.
• Exhibits expertise in functional‑safety and artificial intelligence related to a product's programmable control electronics (i.e., hardware and embedded software), but also products with hardware‑implemented functions only, Sensors, Cloud‑connected controls, Edge computing, and OTA Software updates.
• Apply artificial intelligence, functional safety, and hazard‑based safety engineering to assess controls and safety devices in certified products and components.
• Train and lead global high‑performing technical subject matter experts across the Electrical Controls technologies and product categories to ensure consistent application of requirements.
• Strong customer‑centricity and a proactive approach to understanding client needs and innovation trajectories, to support relevance and vitality of the ULS portfolio.
• Partners with end‑product Principal Engineers and Standards owners to advance the adoption of aligned control requirements.
• Acts as a trusted advisor both internally and externally by providing technical oversight, ensuring alignment with global market requirements, and consistently delivering results with disciplined execution.
• Possesses outstanding leadership qualities, innovative problem‑solving abilities, excellent communication skills, and adeptness in stakeholder management within complex, ambiguous environments.
• Performs cross‑functional collaboration to support systems‑level initiatives and efforts toward global technical leadership.
• Read and follow the Underwriters Laboratories Code of Conduct, and follow all physical and digital security practices.

Qualifications

• University Degree in Engineering, Engineering Technology, Industrial Technology, Manufacturing Technology, or Physics from an accredited program plus generally 10+ years of directly related work experience or equivalent education and experience.
• Experience with UL IEC 60730 is required.
• 10-25% travel is required in this role to serve on technical committees on behalf of UL Solutions, attending domestic and international thought leadership events.

Total Rewards

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. The estimated salary range for this position is $145,000 to $170,000 and is based on multiple factors, including job‑related knowledge/skills, experience, geographical location, as well as other factors. This position is eligible for annual bonus compensation with a target payout of 20% of the base salary. This position also provides health benefits such as medical, dental and vision; wellness benefits such as mental and financial health; and retirement savings (401K) commensurate with the standard rewards offered in each individual location or country. We also provide full‑time employees with paid time off including vacation (15 days), Holidays (9 days), Personal days (3 days) and sick time off (72 hours).

About Us

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions (NYSE: ULS) transforms safety, security and sustainability challenges into opportunities for customers in more than 110 countries. UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings, that support our customers’ product innovation and business growth. The UL Mark serves as a recognized symbol of trust in our customers’ products and reflects an unwavering commitment to advancing our safety mission. We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains, and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.

About The Team

Imagine getting your hands on new technology before it hits the shelves. To dig deep and figure out exactly how it works. That’s what we do. We lift the lid and test the boundaries on a huge range of products, from health‑monitoring smart watches monitoring to electric vehicles loaded with the latest software. We’re always looking for people who are passionate about innovation, embrace change and love new and exciting challenges. Join our team, influence emerging technology and forge a successful career at the center of safety science.