Lead High Voltage Test Engineer

GE Vernova • Elgin Township, IL

1d • Onsite

About The Position

As a Test Engineer – High Voltage (HV) Systems for GE Vernova Advanced Research, you will work with engineers and researchers to execute HV, electrical insulation and dielectric test programs that support advanced electrical power technologies across GE Vernova applications. You will contribute to the same broad project areas as the HV & Dielectrics researchers, including electrification, renewable energy, decarbonization, insulation systems, dielectric materials, and insulation condition monitoring. In this role, you will be responsible for the hands-on development, setup, operation, troubleshooting, and documentation of laboratory tests involving electrical insulation systems, dielectric materials, and high voltage components. You should be comfortable working with AC and DC high voltage test systems ranging from approximately 1 kV to more than 200 kV, configuring test hardware and instrumentation, supporting advanced dielectric characterization methods, and ensuring safe, high-quality experimental execution. You will also support the integration of enabling lab technologies such as data acquisition systems (DAQ), LabVIEW-based control and monitoring interfaces, sensors, instrumentation, interlocks, and automated test setups. This role requires a strong laboratory mindset, sound technical judgment, excellent documentation practices, and a safety-first approach in a high-energy test environment.

Requirements

• BS Degree with a minimum of 10 years of related experience
• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required. We will not sponsor individuals for employment visas, now or in the future, for this job opening.
• Must be willing to work out of an office located in Niskayuna, NY
• Might need to travel up to 20% for testing at other GE or customer sites
• Must be 18 years or older
• You must submit your application for employment on the careers page at https://careers.gevernova.com to be considered

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated hands-on experience setting up, commissioning, and operating high voltage AC and DC test equipment, ideally in the approximate range of 1 kV to 200 kV, including associated protection, grounding, shielding, interlocks, and test fixturing.
• Working knowledge of low, medium, and high voltage electrical distribution, high voltage safety practices, and electrical codes/standards relevant to laboratory and large-scale energy systems.
• Strong commitment to EHS compliance, with a Safety-First mindset and willingness to stop work when unsafe conditions are identified. Familiarity with Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) safety programs and compliance requirements.
• Familiarity with dielectric materials and electrical insulation systems, including polymers, ceramics, liquids, gases, and composite insulation structures as they relate to electrical performance and failure behavior.
• Work in a team to develop such methodology and materials by conducting analyses such as electrical circuit analysis, partial discharge test, dielectric spectroscopy, impedance spectroscopy, voltage endurance, polarization techniques, PEA, TSDC and other fundamental techniques
• Willingness to learn lab software tools for experiment operation, like LabView, MATLAB/Simulink
• Experience in designing electrical and electronic subsystems used within electrical systems for a wide range of applications.
• Familiarity with DC grid concepts, medium and high voltage DC systems, power electronics environments, or energy transition technologies is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support and execute laboratory activities for high voltage engineering, dielectrics, and electrical insulation system projects aligned with GE Vernova research priorities in electrification, renewable energy, and decarbonization.
• Set up, configure, commission, and operate AC and DC high voltage test systems in the approximate range of 1 kV to 200 kV, including power supplies, test fixtures, interlocks, grounding systems, current limiting/protection hardware, and associated instrumentation.
• Develop and implement test setups for electrical insulation characterization and dielectric evaluation, including but not limited to: Partial discharge (PD) testing Dielectric breakdown testing Dielectric spectroscopy Impedance spectroscopy Voltage endurance testing Polarization and depolarization techniques Other insulation and dielectric material evaluation methods as needed
• Work closely with engineers and researchers to translate test objectives into practical laboratory implementations, including selection of instrumentation, fixture sensors, shielding, grounding, and safety controls.
• Design, assemble, modify, and maintain test fixtures, wiring, electrode systems, sample holders, interface circuits, and supporting subsystems for dielectric and HV experiments.
• Configure and use data acquisition systems (DAQ), oscilloscopes, voltage/current probes, electrometers, switching hardware, environmental monitoring devices, and related lab instrumentation to capture high-quality experimental data.
• Support and maintain LabVIEW-based or similar control, automation, and monitoring interfaces for test execution, equipment coordination, and data collection.
• Assist in the design and commissioning of electrical and electronic support circuits used in HV and dielectric testing, with attention to signal integrity, noise reduction, EMI/EMC awareness, grounding, shielding, and operator.
• Determine experimental requirements by reviewing project needs, technical objectives, and customer or program requirements, then translating them into robust and repeatable test procedures.
• Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), checklists, operating instructions, and documentation for laboratory tests, record setup details, procedures, observations, results, and deviations clearly and accurately.
• Perform preliminary data processing, data quality checks, trend analysis, and results organization using standard software tools; support engineers in preparing technical summaries and reports.
• Troubleshoot electrical, instrumentation, control, and mechanical issues in laboratory setups and test systems, including root-cause identification and corrective action implementation.
• Maintain laboratory equipment and facilities, including calibration coordination, inspection of cables/connectors/fixtures, verification of protection systems, and upkeep of a safe testing environment.

Benefits

• GE Vernova offers a great work environment, professional development, challenging careers, and competitive compensation.
• Available benefits include medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage; access to Health Coach from GE Vernova, a 24/7 nurse-based resource; and access to the Employee Assistance Program, providing 24/7 confidential assessment, counseling and referral services.
• Retirement benefits include the GE Vernova Retirement Savings Plan, a tax-advantaged 401(k) savings opportunity with company matching contributions and company retirement contributions, as well as access to Fidelity resources and financial planning consultants.
• Other benefits include tuition assistance, adoption assistance, paid parental leave, disability benefits, life insurance, 12 paid holidays, and permissive time off.
• GE Vernova Inc. or its affiliates (collectively or individually, “GE Vernova”) sponsor certain employee benefit plans or programs GE Vernova reserves the right to terminate, amend, suspend, replace, or modify its benefit plans and programs at any time and for any reason, in its sole discretion. No individual has a vested right to any benefit under a GE Vernova welfare benefit plan or program.

What This Job Offers

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