Composite Material Process Principal Engineer

GE Vernova • Greenville, SC

3d

About The Position

The materials and process engineering team (MPE) is responsible for qualifying, developing, characterizing, improving, and validating the materials used to fabricate wind turbine blades. Owning the materials within wind blades requires an in depth understanding of composite materials, their behavior, and the testing needed to determine material properties. As a principal engineer within the MPE team, you will be responsible for the overall acceptance and underwriting of materials used within wind turbine blades. As a member of this team, you will be performing a critical role to ensure the structural integrity of future GE Vernova wind blades by defining requirements for materials used by ONW and OFW design teams. Team members should have a drive to find innovate new materials to improve current and future product. They will contribute to the resolution of field and plant Root Cause Analysis (RCA)’s where a materials expert is required. You will be required to collaborate with design teams, cross-functional teams, and other designated experts. You will need to represent the materials team when participating, or leading, in cross-functional activities. You should be able to process and present complex and ambiguous information to provide clear explanations and justification of material requirements. You will support Senior Principal Engineers (SPEs) and Chief Engineers (CEs) to set and execute a strategy associated with design, field issue resolution, and technology in Composite Material domain. You will mentor and develop engineering talent, creating technical depth within the Composite Materials domain. This is a leadership position and requires technical proficiency and adept problem-solving skill while developing fundamental capabilities for organizational advancement. As the Principal Engineer – Materials Processing, your curiosity, problem-solving skills, and ability to lead design teams will be crucial in ensuring we can technically underwrite that our products and services are of high quality and meet customer needs. Your passion for innovation, your capacity to solve technical challenges head-on, and your ownership to develop technical talent will drive your success in OneWind Engineering.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in materials science and/or engineering.
• Minimum 10 years working with in the field of composites possible experience may include: material development, mechanical testing, data analysis, failure analysis, and composite manufacturing (e.g., pre-preg, VARTM).
• Prior relevant technical leadership experience guiding teams through the design process to deliver safe, high-quality products.
• Ability and willingness to travel globally up to 10% of the time.

Nice To Haves

• Postgraduate degree
• Chemistry background and knowledge
• Experience introducing technology into production facilities.
• Ability and willingness to challenge status quo, without allegiance to past or current practices and technology, to get to the best GEV products.
• Understanding of RCA and Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) methodologies with hands on experience using both in real world applications.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills. Ability to intact with both senior management and hourly technicians; capable of adjusting information complexity to match the audience.
• Experience with manufacturing practices using composite materials.
• Proven record of being team oriented and results driven with experience in mentoring new technical engineering talent to guide their growth and career advancement.
• Desire to experiment and prototype new solutions.
• Able to prioritize project criticality and resolve independently but also able to recognize when leadership support is needed and escalate accordingly.
• Track record of employing quality practices such as lean, or similar strategies to ensure materials meet customer requirements while also meeting business needs and targets.
• Experience with coaching, mentoring, and developing technical engineering talent to guide their professional growth and career advancement.

Responsibilities

• Leading expert in composite materials with a working understanding of the interaction of wind turbine components and the overall turbine system.
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to the teams involved in materials and special processes within the Wind Engineering team across all stages of the project lifecycle, spanning from conceptualization and design development to product launch and ongoing fleet operations.
• Create, own and define material process requirements and specifications. Driving the testing methodology by which to validate processing parameters and special processes.
• Proactively identify and drive continuous improvement in failure analysis, development of material process characteristic requirements, and data analysis methods to better support safe, high-quality products and services.
• Lead and execute testing and validation programs of new materials with a focus on material processing parameters and defining their boundary conditions; Involving commodity and sourcing teams to engage with suppliers to ensure validated materials also meet supply chain needs.
• Perform risk assessments and assist teams in developing mitigation strategies to address technical challenges and ensure safe, high-quality products and services.
• Work closely with design and manufacturing team members to find material solutions that improve the manufacturability of GE Vernova wind blades by defining requirements to control material processing behavior.
• Work cross functionally to develop methods to incorporate material processing requirements (fabric drape and stability, Liquid rheology etc.) into the design cycle.
• Collaborate with sourcing team members to find and qualify cost effective materials, new suppliers, and new materials.
• Provide insight to SPEs and CEs to identify technology needs.
• Work with people leaders and Control Title Holders (CTHs) to mentor and develop technical talent.
• Stay informed and participate in relevant industry regulations, Intellectual Property, and standards committees to influence the outcome of regulations and standards.

Benefits

• medical
• dental
• vision
• prescription drug coverage
• access to Health Coach from GE Vernova, a 24/7 nurse-based resource
• access to the Employee Assistance Program, providing 24/7 confidential assessment, counseling and referral services
• GE Vernova Retirement Savings Plan, a tax-advantaged 401(k) savings opportunity with company matching contributions and company retirement contributions
• access to Fidelity resources and financial planning consultants
• tuition assistance
• adoption assistance
• paid parental leave
• disability benefits
• life insurance
• 12 paid holidays
• permissive time off

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level