Principal Test Engineer

ON.energy • Houston, TX

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

ON.energy is setting the standard for large load interconnection. ON’s patented AI UPS™ is a medium-voltage UPS that serves as a firewall, protecting the data center from the grid, and the grid from the data center. With multiple gigawatts currently under construction, we are enabling grid-safe data centers. The Principal Test Engineer will serve as a master in electrical engineering, establishing technical direction, standards, and best practices. This individual will be the facilitator of product development, validation, and de-risking activities. They will be responsible for the end-to-end planning and execution of advanced validation cycles within On’s own and partner facilities. The primary goals are to de-risk On Energy’s current and future product line system architecture through rigorous lab-based stress testing and to bridge the gap between lab results and reality by maintaining and operating lab capabilities to support training, troubleshooting, and customer engagement.

Requirements

• 12+ years of electrical engineering experience, recognized as a domain authority of product development, test validation and de-risking activities in the scope of power systems and grid-tied technologies
• B.S./M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field.
• Familiarity: Prior experience testing and modeling grid code compliance of large inverter-based resources.
• Deep understanding of Energy Storage Systems (BESS), Power Electronics (Inverters/Rectifiers), and Grid-Forming technologies.
• Exceptional communication skills—the ability to speak "Research" to NLR scientists and "Deployment" to On Energy field technicians.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working at a National Lab or within the DOE framework is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for principal investigators and facility managers.
• Design and document detailed test procedures that utilize laboratory Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) research assets to validate On Energy’s performance under extreme conditions (e.g., rapid frequency response, grid and load transitions, or grid instability).
• Synthesize product design criteria, industry standards, and customer requests into detailed workplans.
• Ensure all On Energy hardware and test procedures comply with industry safety standards and local Site Operations protocols.
• Use laboratory controlled environment to identify edge-case failures that are impossible to test in live field environments.
• Analyze high-fidelity data streams from laboratory sensors to provide actionable feedback to the On Energy product and project teams, as well as to On Energy component vendors, for firmware/hardware iterations.
• Report on data collected relative to product requirements and performance criteria for internal and customer review.
• Use the testing phase at NLR as a live training ground for On Energy’s field commissioning staff, familiarizing them with system behavior, diagnostics, and recovery.
• Convert lab-based learnings into field-ready Commissioning SOPs and Troubleshooting Guides.
• Coordinate the rotation of On Energy field technicians through the NLR facility to ensure knowledge transfer is uniform across the commissioning department.

Benefits

• Competitive salary + annual performance-based bonus eligibility
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off and company holidays
• Christmas Bonus (Aguinaldo): 30 days
• Major medical expenses and life insurance
• Paid time off and holidays (per local policy)
• Professional development and growth opportunities
• Opportunity to grow with a mission-driven team shaping the future of clean energy

What This Job Offers

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