Research Engineer (Open Rank)

Georgia Tech; Forest Park (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Georgia Tech's NEETRAC center in Forest Park, GA seeks an experienced mechanical engineer to develop and conduct applied research in its high voltage and medium voltage laboratories. You will lead research and testing projects and act as principal investigator, contributing to safety and reliability improvements in power delivery.

The role involves coordinating activities, writing test and research reports, presenting findings to engineers, and engaging with utilities and manufacturers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related field.
• Engineering license in any state or ability to obtain within one year.
• Experience with standards development and testing in electric utilities is valued.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage research and testing projects.
• Serve as Principal Investigator of research projects.
• Write detailed test plans and follow international standards.
• Coordinate testing activities, schedules, resources, technicians, etc.
• Coordinate project activities with other NEETRAC engineers as needed.
• Hands-on testing in laboratory settings when required.
• Analyze test data and write extensive reports.
• Prepare and deliver technical presentations to groups of engineers.
• Communicate project status and results with customers.

Skills

Team collaboration

Test procedure design

Data analysis

Multitask on projects

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Master's degree in mechanical engineering

Doctoral degree

Job description

Job ID: 301296

Location: Forest Park, GA

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Summary

The National Electric Energy Testing, Research and Applications Center (NEETRAC) is looking for an experienced mechanical engineer to develop and conduct applied research projects in its high voltage and medium voltage testing laboratories located in Forest Park, GA, just south of downtown Atlanta.

NEETRAC strives to be a globally recognized center of excellence in electric power research and applications by advancing industry knowledge. The center operates as a membership‑focused consortium that includes electric utilities, equipment manufacturers and related entities in the electric energy arena. The mandate is to solve unique non‑standard problems for which partner enterprises do not have in‑house capabilities.

You will work at the limits of knowledge in the electric power transmission and distribution industry. Electric utility and product manufacturers call NEETRAC when they need to solve unique non‑standard problems for which they do not have in‑house capabilities. Engineers at NEETRAC become internationally recognized experts, providing unbiased, fact‑based information that increases the safety and reliability of the electric grid.

As a part of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, NEETRAC provides solid benefits and competitive compensation packages. The job level will depend on the relevance of the candidate's skills, experience and degree(s).

Visit www.neetrac.gatech.edu for more information about our impact on the power delivery industry.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage research and testing projects, which involves:
• Serving as Principal Investigator of research projects
• Conceptualizing and developing scopes, schedules, and budgets
• Writing detailed test plans and following international standards
• Coordinating testing activities, schedules, resources, technicians, etc.
• Coordinating project activities with other NEETRAC engineers as needed (projects are frequently multifaceted, requiring multiple experts on a project)
• In many cases, you will be actively involved in the testing itself, so you should be hands‑on and capable of working in a laboratory setting
• Analyzing test data
• Writing test reports
• Writing extensive research reports
• Preparing and delivering technical presentations to groups 45+ engineers
• Communicating with customers on project status and results

Develop as an industry expert in your field, which involves:

• Building a book of work addressing real world power delivery issues
• Consulting with Member utilities and manufacturers on individual topics
• Presenting work at board meetings, forums, and international committee meetings
• Attending or serving in leadership positions on various standards development committees meetings (IEEE, ASTM, ANSI, etc.)
• Publishing technical papers and articles
• Serving as a NEETRAC representative at industry conferences and events

Required Qualifications

This position vacancy is an open rank announcement. Final job offer will be dependent on candidate qualifications in alignment with Research Faculty ranks as outlined in section 3.2.1 of the Georgia Tech Faculty Handbook.

Research Engineer I

• A Bachelor's degree

Research Engineer II

• A Master's degree and three (3) years of relevant full‑time experience after completion of that degree, or
• A Master's degree and five (5) years of relevant full‑time experience after completion of a Bachelor's degree, or
• A Doctoral degree.

Senior Research Engineer

• A Master's degree in related area, and seven (7) years of relevant full‑time experience after completion of that degree, or
• A Master's degree in related area, and nine (9) years of relevant full‑time experience after completion of a Bachelor's degree, or
• A Doctoral degree in related area, and four (4) years of relevant full‑time experience after completion of a Bachelor's degree.

Preferred Qualifications

Education and licenses

• A Bachelors, Masters (preferred), or PhD degree in mechanical engineering or a closely related degree
• An engineering license in any state or territory or the ability to obtain a license within one year

Experience

• Experience in electric utility standards, line design, line operations, operations and maintenance, research, protection and controls, testing, or other areas
• Experience in a test laboratory including environmental, mechanical, high voltage, medium voltage, and high power
• Experience in design of electric utility products
• Experience in failure analysis and component evaluation
• Experience in asset management or operations research with an emphasis on component population statistics, managing physical infrastructure, risk characterization and mitigation, etc.
• Experience using standards and specifications, with a preference for standards development with standards development organizations (IEEE, ASCE, ASTM, UL, CSA or similar). Experience serving/contributing on standards development committees would be valuable.
• Experience using hand tools and instruments, as well as a willingness to perform hands on work

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Skills

• Ability to work in a team, leveraging other engineers' expertise
• Ability to work at depth and breadth
• Depth in test procedure design, methods and data analysis
• Breadth in types products tested
• Ability to design custom/unique test methods
• Ability to work on multiple projects in parallel
• Ability to explain complex technical issues to pseudo‑technical audiences in reports and presentations
• Ability to travel to standards development committee meetings at least two weeks per year. Candidates with more international standards development involvement and/or customer business development involvement will be able to travel more frequently.

Contact Information

For additional information about this job opening, please contact:

Linda Dillon: [e-mail]

Shalonda Williams: [e-mail]

Lucretia Allen: [e-mail]

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The Institute is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for all. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and Institute policy, Georgia Tech provides equal opportunity to all faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the Georgia Tech community, including applicants for admission and/or employment, contractors, volunteers, and participants in institutional programs, activities, and services. Georgia Tech complies with all applicable laws and regulations governing equal opportunity in the workplace and in educational activities.

Equal opportunity and decisions based on merit are fundamental values of the University System of Georgia ("USG") and Georgia Tech. Georgia Tech prohibits discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of an individual's race, ethnicity, ancestry, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, disability, genetics, or veteran status in its programs, activities, employment, and admissions. Further, Georgia Tech prohibits citizenship status, immigration status, and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing, and recruitment, except where such restrictions are required in order to comply with law, regulation, executive order, or Attorney General directive, or where they are required by Federal, State, or local government contract.

Background Check

A successful candidate must be able to pass a background check. Please visit: https://usg.policystat.com/policy/19298143/latest