Principal Engineer – Data Center BESS Applications

Generac Power Systems•Fort Collins, CO

About The Position

We are Generac, a leading energy technology company committed to powering a smarter world. Over the 60 plus years of Generac’s history, we’ve been dedicated to energy innovation. From creating the home standby generator market category, to our current evolution into an energy technology solutions company, we continue to push new boundaries. Our success is directly tied to our employees' professional growth and personal well-being, combined with strong families and communities. We believe people do their best work when they’re respected, supported, and given room to thrive — and that’s exactly the kind of workplace we’re building every day. Over the 60 plus years of Generac's history, we've been dedicated to energy innovation. From creating the home standby generator market category, to our current evolution into an energy technology solutions company, we continue to push new boundaries. As one of the leaders and largest suppliers of power generation equipment and technology, the work we do touches millions of lives. Employees at Generac are encouraged to be innovative and are valued as an integral part of our global team. Our challenging goals develop knowledgeable employees dedicated to helping continue Generac's success. Generac provides individuals the opportunity to work in a fast-paced agile work environment where their work makes a difference in people's lives and their own. Job Summary: The Principal Engineer will drive power systems engineering, modeling, testing and validation for large MW data center applications, specifically involving combination of inverters, battery energy storage systems, power plant controllers, generators etc. This role will provide technical leadership across one or more business groups within Generac’s Industrial business by exploring existing and new technologies to optimize market opportunity and fuel business growth. The role interfaces with the cross functional teams across the organization consisting of engineering, operations (industrial engineering, production, and material procurement), sourcing, quality, service, marketing and other external 3rd parties.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical or Electronics Engineering or related discipline
15 years of relevant work experience in power generation, particularly electronics/controls

Nice To Haves

Master’s or PhD Degree in Electrical or Electronics Engineering, power systems engineering or directly related discipline
7-10+ years of demonstrated success as a technical innovator in a relevant organization; power generation or related industry strongly preferred; power electronics and power systems experience strongly preferred
Broad engineering and project applications experience with a variety of electronics including power electronics/inverters, battery energy storage systems, power plant controllers, medium voltage utility paralleling switchgear etc.
Experience utilizing EMT modeling tools like PSCAD, PSSE to perform detailed simulations of complex grid tied power systems involving power electronics, battery energy storage systems, generators, turbines etc.
Special applications engineering experience related to delivering large scale power plant projects involving inverters, battery energy storage systems, MV switchgear, power plant controllers, generators/turbines, understanding of protection schemes related to grid interconnect etc.
Strong understanding of data center operational dynamics in grid tied and off grid modes and associated challenges, including utility interconnection requirements for large loads
Strong understanding of current and future data center power systems architectures and ability to drive product strategy to fit current and future market needs
Thorough understanding of NERC, FERC, and regional ISO/Utility guidelines (e.g., IEEE 1547, 2800)
In-depth experience in new product design and development
Demonstrated ability to apply engineering knowledge and experience to improve products, services and processes and mentor other engineers in design, development, risk identification, troubleshooting, issue resolution, innovation, etc.

Responsibilities

Lead power systems engineering, modeling, testing and validation for large MW data center applications, specifically involving inverters, batteries, power plant controllers, MV switchgear, generators etc.
Drive advanced power system modeling to assess performance of large loads during transient events and evaluate impact of integrating inverter based resources
Be the technical lead on complex site-specific projects, translating customer requirements into deployable designs integrating above scope of equipment that helps resolve challenges associated with large data center loads
Drive real world testing of integrated power systems (gens, batteries, inverters) in off and on grid setups to validate individual unit level performance, overall system performance and provide a critical feedback to drive better EMT modeling practices
Research new specialized technologies for potential to provide competitive advantages.
Serve as an expert resource within the organization to guide and mentor engineering staff including reviewing designs and providing feedback, proactively identifying risk and proposing mitigations/contingencies, proposing ideas/options to improve project speed/timeliness, etc.
Support the leadership team with respect to technical and product strategy
Support and represent the organization externally as an industry leader
Designs, validates, and brings new products and technologies to market
Matches new technologies to market needs and opportunities resulting in substantial business growth
Specifies precise new product and technology functional requirements; designs, tests and integrates the most complex components to produce final designs; and evaluates the design's overall effectiveness, cost (including cost/benefit analysis), reliability (risk analysis), and safety.
Collaborates with internal and external partners, designers and product specialists to optimize the most unique and complex designs and technologies
Acts as a resource to mentor and teach less experienced engineers
Other duties as assigned