Senior Test Engineer - HIL

ON.energy; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary + annual bonus

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and company holidays

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

ON.energy is seeking a skilled HIL Test Engineer to develop and operate hardware-in-the-loop and real-time simulation for storage and power conversion products. You will integrate controllers and firmware with simulations, run comprehensive test campaigns, and generate thorough reports to support design reviews and product releases.

This role is hands-on in a lab setting, collaborating with controls, firmware, modeling, and product engineering teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in electrical engineering, power systems, controls engineering, or related discipline.
• Four+ years in HIL testing, real-time simulation, controls validation, or lab testing of grid-connected power electronics.
• Direct experience on at least one real-time simulation platform (RTDS/RSCAD, Typhoon HIL, or OPAL-RT).

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain real-time models of plant, grid, and equipment behavior for controller testing.
• Configure and operate the HIL environment and data acquisition.
• Integrate product controllers and firmware with the simulation environment.
• Plan and execute functional, performance, fault, and regression test campaigns.
• Prepare test reports documenting methods and results.
• Maintain laboratory safety and records.

Skills

HIL testing

Real-time simulation

Controls validation

Python

Test automation

Data analysis

Communication

Reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or related field

Tools

RTDS/RSCAD

Typhoon HIL

OPAL-RT

MATLAB/Simulink

SCADA & industrial protocols

Job description

ON.energyis 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.energydevelops projects worldwide that set new benchmarks for resilience.

Role Summary

The HIL Test Engineer develops and operates hardware-in-the-loop and real-time simulation capability for ON.energy storage and power conversion products. The role covers real-time model development, integration of controllers and firmware with the simulation environment, execution of structured test campaigns, and the reporting that supports design reviews and product release.This is a hands-on laboratory and integration role, working closely with the controls, firmware, modeling, and product engineering teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain real-time models of plant, grid, and equipment behavior for use in controller testing.
• Configure and operate the HIL environment, including real-time simulator, I/O interfaces, signal conditioning, and data acquisition.
• Integrate product controllers, control software, and firmware builds with the simulation environment, and maintain those configurations under version control.
• Integrate supplier-provided equipment models and develop equivalent models where required.
• Plan and execute functional, performance, fault, boundary-condition, and regression test campaigns against defined acceptance criteria.
• Verify control performance across normal operation, disturbances, abnormal conditions, and recovery.
• Compare test results against offline simulation studies and laboratory measurements, and resolve discrepancies.
• Develop scripts and tooling to automate test execution, data processing, and reporting.
• Investigate failures with controls and firmware engineers, support root-cause analysis, and re-test to closure.
• Prepare test reports documenting method, configuration, results, limitations, and recommendations.
• Maintain laboratory safety, equipment, configuration records, and documentation.

Key Requirements

• Four or more years in HIL testing, real-time simulation, controls validation, or laboratory testing of grid-connected power electronics.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in electrical engineering, power systems, controls engineering, or a related discipline.
• Direct experience on at least one real-time simulation platform, such as RTDS/RSCAD, Typhoon HIL, or OPAL-RT.
• Working capability with offline simulation tools such as MATLAB/Simulink and PSCAD, and an understanding of what has to change when a model is made to run in real time.
• Grounding in inverter controls, energy storage systems, and power system dynamics.
• Python, or a comparable language, used in earnest for test automation and data analysis.
• Test plans, procedures, and acceptance criteria you have authored yourself, and the analytical rigor to stand behind the results.
• Familiarity with SCADA systems and industrial communication protocols such as Modbus, DNP3, CAN, and IEC 61850.
• Comfort on the bench with power supplies, oscilloscopes, transducers, and data acquisition hardware.
• The ability to present technical findings credibly to engineering audiences and clearly to field and commissioning personnel.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with grid-forming and grid-following inverter control.
• Experience with uninterruptible power supply systems, microgrids, or facilities serving critical load.
• Familiarity with ISO or utility interconnection requirements, model quality testing, or third-party product certification.
• Continuous-integration pipelines driving automated test suites, with version control applied to models as rigorously as to code.
• Prior collaboration with national laboratories or university test centers.

For US-based roles - What you’ll get:

• Competitive salary + annual performance-based bonus eligibility
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays

For Mexico-based roles - What you’ll get:

• Competitive salary + annual performance bonus eligibility
• Major medical expenses and life insurance
• Paid time off and holidays (per local policy)

For all roles:

• Professional development and growth opportunities
• Opportunity to grow with a mission-driven team shaping the future of clean energy
• Equal Opportunity: ON.energy is committed to equal employment opportunity and to maintaining a work environment free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation.
• Benefits vary by role and location and are subject to change.