Senior VFD Technician

Ambient Enterprises; Canton (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

Ambient Enterprises seeks a senior VFD Technician to lead startup, commissioning, retrofit, and ongoing service for drive systems. The role is customer-facing and requires independent project leadership across sites.

Ideal candidates have deep ABB drive experience, strong electrical know-how, and proven ability to guide teams from initial setup to long-term support. Travel to customer sites may be required.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of hands-on experience with industrial Variable Frequency Drives.
• Strong working knowledge of ABB VFD platforms strongly preferred.
• Proven experience with drive startup, commissioning, and field service in an industrial/commercial environment.
• Ability to read electrical schematics, single-line diagrams, and control drawings.
• Familiarity with electrical safety standards and lockout/tagout procedures.
• Willingness to travel to customer sites as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead startup and commissioning of new VFD installations and tune motors.
• Coordinate with engineering, project management, and customer teams for smooth handoffs.
• Perform pre-commissioning checks and energy verification.
• Evaluate legacy drive systems and recommend retrofits or replacements.
• Provide field service support including troubleshooting and preventive maintenance.

Skills

VFD startup & commissioning

Customer-facing engineering

Electrical troubleshooting

Root cause analysis

Project coordination

NFPA 70E knowledge

Education

Associate’s degree or technical certification in Electrical Technology, Industrial Maintenance, or related field

Tools

ABB drive platforms

Allen-Bradley PLCs

Siemens PLCs

HMI/SCADA systems

Modbus/Profibus/EtherNet/IP

Job description

About Us

MIH Systems Group is a growing company in the HVAC services field, and we work to make buildings work better. We specialize in optimizing complex HVAC systems in buildings. Our diverse team delivers value to our clients from the design stages of new construction through the operation of existing buildings. Our HVAC service team provides start-up services for complex HVAC equipment from a wide range of manufacturers, as well as ongoing preventive maintenance, break/fix repair, and equipment retrofit services. Our Ambient team includes experienced professionals who focus on cost-effective solutions for our clients.

Job Description

MIH is seeking a highly experienced Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) Technician to serve as our in-house Product Specialist for all drive-related activities, including startup, commissioning, retrofit, service, and maintenance. This is a senior-level, customer-facing technical role for someone who can independently lead drive projects from initial startup through long-term service support. A strong preference will be given to candidates with deep, hands-on experience with ABB drive platforms. This individual will be the go-to expert across the organization - and for customers - on all things VFD.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead startup and commissioning of new VFD installations, including parameter configuration, motor tuning, and system verification
• Coordinate with engineering, project management, and customer teams to ensure smooth project handoff and go-live
• Perform pre-commissioning checks (megger testing, wiring verification, power quality checks) prior to energizing drives
• Evaluate legacy drive systems and recommend retrofit or replacement solutions
• Lead retrofit projects, including drive swaps, panel upgrades, and integration with existing motor and control systems
• Support customers transitioning from legacy VFD platforms to current ABB technology
• Provide field service support, including troubleshooting, repair, and preventive/predictive maintenance for VFDs across customer sites
• Diagnose drive faults, motor control issues, and communication/network integration problems
• Perform root cause analysis on recurring failures and recommend corrective action
• Maintain service documentation, drive configuration backups, and maintenance records for all serviced equipment
• Serve as MIH's internal subject matter expert on VFD products, particularly ABB drives
• Support sales and engineering teams with technical guidance on drive selection, sizing, and application
• Provide technical training to internal staff, junior technicians, and customers on drive operation and best practices
• Maintain relationships with ABB and other drive manufacturers for technical support, training, and product updates
• Stay current on new drive technology, firmware updates, and industry trends to keep MIH's offerings competitive

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of hands-on experience working with industrial Variable Frequency Drives
• Strong working knowledge of ABB VFD platforms strongly preferred
• Proven experience with drive startup, commissioning, and field service in an industrial/commercial environment
• Solid understanding of three-phase power systems, motor theory, and motor control fundamentals
• Experience programming and configuring drive parameters, macros, and I/O
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, single-line diagrams, and control drawings
• Familiarity with industrial communication protocols (Modbus, Profibus, EtherNet/IP, DeviceNet)
• Strong troubleshooting, diagnostic, and root-cause analysis skills
• Comfortable working directly with customers in a field service/technical advisor capacity
• Working knowledge of NFPA 70E arc flash safety standards and lockout/tagout procedures
• Valid driver's license and ability to travel to customer sites (regional/occasional overnight travel as needed)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for customer interaction, documentation, and cross-team coordination
• Active electrical license (journeyman or master electrician) - strongly preferred
• ABB drive certification(s) or manufacturer-specific training credentials
• Experience with PLC platforms (Allen-Bradley, Siemens) and HMI/SCADA systems - preferred
• Associate’s degree or technical certification in Electrical Technology, Industrial Maintenance, or related field
• Prior experience in a field service, systems integration, or drives distributor/OEM environment
• Familiarity with predictive maintenance tools (vibration analysis, thermal imaging, power quality analysis)
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs
• Ability to work in industrial environments, including exposure to noise, heat, and confined spaces
• Ability to work at heights, in electrical rooms, and around energized equipment following proper safety protocols
• Availability for travel to customer sites and occasional on-call/emergency response

Estimated Hourly Rate: $65-$75 with flexibility based on experience and skills.

Ambient Enterprises provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Ambient is a national collective of HVAC firms. Our experts deliver safety, comfort, and highly efficient, sustainable solutions for spaces that matter most: healthcare, commercial, institutional, and mission-critical.