Principal Engineer - Wind Turbine Blade Bonding & Joints

GE Vernova

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About The Position

GE Vernova is seeking a Principal Engineer to provide technical leadership in Bonding & Joints for wind turbine blades—an area critical to structural integrity, safety, quality, and long‑term performance. This Control Title Holder (CTH) role owns the technical underwriting of Bonding & Joints design concepts, specifications, practices, issue resolution approaches, and defect acceptance criteria across the full product lifecycle. Bonding & Joints represent the primary structural interfaces that integrate the wind blade into a complete system. These interfaces include adhesive and resin‑based bonded joints (co‑infused and secondary bonded), as well as mechanical joints where applicable. Examples include web‑to‑shell bond lines, leading and trailing edge bond lines, joints between prefabricated components and shells, aero add‑on bonding, repair interfaces, and select mechanical joints. In this role, you will define and enforce the technical rigor required to ensure design decisions result in safe, high‑quality products and services that meet customer and regulatory expectations. You will collaborate closely with blade design teams, cross‑functional partners, and designated technical experts across Design, Systems, Quality, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing—providing both technical oversight and hands‑on contribution as needed. You will support the Blades Chief Engineer in setting and executing strategy related to design robustness, factory and field issue resolution, and technology development within the Bonding & Joints domain. A key responsibility of this role is mentoring and developing engineering talent, building sustainable technical depth within blade structural components. This is a senior technical leadership role requiring deep domain expertise, strong systems thinking, and disciplined problem‑solving, while actively advancing organizational capability and engineering excellence.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in composite bonding and joints design, testing, or closely related technical work.
• In‑depth knowledge of composite mechanics, composite failure modes, and the building‑block approach to structural validation.
• Working knowledge of composite manufacturing processes.
• Prior experience in technical leadership roles guiding teams through structured design processes to deliver safe, high‑quality products.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s or PhD degree preferred.
• Direct experience with wind turbine blade composite structural design.
• Knowledge of APQP, TRL/MRL, and statistical process control methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary engineering teams, including globally distributed teams, through design reviews, technical assessments, and root cause investigations.
• Proven experience resolving complex technical issues through cross‑functional collaboration and structured problem‑solving tools such as FMEA and RCA / 8D.
• Knowledge of wind turbine industry standards and regulations applicable to blade structural components.
• Experience in project execution, translating high‑level objectives into clear, actionable plans and driving disciplined operational execution.
• Track record of curiosity and passion for identifying, developing, and implementing new technologies, methods, and ideas that result in differentiated product outcomes.
• Experience coaching, mentoring, and developing engineering talent to support long‑term professional growth and succession.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and guidance in Bonding & Joints for new product development, new technology introduction, factory quality issues, field issues, and repair solutions.
• Underwrite Bonding & Joints design concepts, specifications, practices, issue resolution approaches, and defect acceptance criteria across the entire product lifecycle.
• Drive manufacturable, high‑quality Bonding & Joints solutions aligned with internal design requirements, customer expectations, and applicable industry standards.
• Oversee and underwrite risk assessments, including Design FMEA (D‑FMEA), and drive effective mitigation strategies.
• Identify and drive system‑level continuous improvement opportunities in engineering design processes and design practices related to wind blade Bonding & Joints by working with design teams, other CTHs, and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Collaborate effectively across Design, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and Systems organizations to achieve technical and business objectives.
• Partner with people leaders to mentor, coach, and develop technical engineering talent.
• Own and evolve the Bonding & Joints technology roadmap, aligned with product and business strategy.
• Stay informed and participate in relevant industry standards bodies, regulatory forums, and intellectual property initiatives to influence technical direction and external requirements.

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.

What This Job Offers

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