Senior Staff Electrical Engineer

Johnson Controls•New Freedom, PA

3d•$120,000 - $150,000

About The Position

Johnson Controls is seeking a Variable Speed Drive (VSD) Subject Matter Expert to serve as a senior technical authority for VSD technologies used in its YORK water-cooled chiller portfolio. The role provides advanced technical leadership across the product lifecycle, supporting Field Sales, Service, Product Technical Support, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and Product Management. It combines resolution of complex electrical and system-level problems with translating technical expertise into service procedures, diagnostic guidance, technical literature, training, design improvements, and long-term product reliability. The position is closely involved in new product development and product enhancement. The expert represents serviceability, reliability, field, and customer needs in the engineering process; collaborates on drive architectures and design and supplier reviews; establishes validation plans; assesses test results and technical risks; and helps prepare new products for reliable lifecycle performance. Candidates may be based near the New Freedom, Pennsylvania site or be willing to travel frequently to design engineering teams, test laboratories, manufacturing locations, suppliers, and field organizations. Domestic and international travel of up to 15% is required. The role requires a bachelor's degree in a relevant technical discipline or equivalent relevant technical experience, and at least seven years of experience with variable-speed drives, power electronics, motor-drive systems, or complex electrical equipment. The hiring salary range is $120,000–$150,000, with the final salary determined by qualifications and other stated factors. A competitive benefits package is included.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Power Electronics, Controls Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent relevant technical experience.
At least 7 years of experience with variable-speed drives, power electronics, motor-drive systems, or complex electrical equipment.
Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex electrical and system-level problems involving VSD hardware, motors, controls, communications, protection, and application interfaces.
Strong understanding of three-phase power, AC motor fundamentals, rectifier and inverter operation, DC-link systems, semiconductor switching devices, electrical protection, grounding, and safe electrical work practices.
Experience interpreting electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, control sequences, fault logs, trend data, test results, and field observations to identify root causes.
Ability to use appropriate electrical test equipment and engineering data to characterize problems, validate solutions, and support product changes.
Ability to develop technical test plans and clearly document assumptions, methods, results, conclusions, and recommended actions.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical information to engineering, service, manufacturing, sales, supplier, and customer audiences.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 15%.

Nice To Haves

Experience with commercial HVAC/R or large-tonnage applied equipment.
Extensive hands-on experience with low- and/or medium-voltage VSDs in centrifugal chillers, compressors, pumps, fans, or other large rotating-equipment applications.
Understanding of IGBT-based power conversion, multi-pulse or active-front-end rectification, harmonic mitigation, DC-bus systems, gate-drive circuits, thermal management, and medium-voltage isolation and protection concepts.
Experience with permanent-magnet and induction motors, motor insulation systems, bearing-current mitigation, cable and grounding practices, and motor-drive compatibility.
Experience troubleshooting nuisance trips, power-quality concerns, cooling problems, communication faults, component failures, parameter or firmware issues, and interactions between the VSD, motor, chiller controls, and mechanical system.
Working knowledge of water-cooled centrifugal chillers, compressor operation, refrigeration systems, and chiller control sequences.
Experience supporting complex field escalations and conducting formal root-cause investigations with Engineering, Quality, suppliers, and customers.
Experience with new-product-development processes, DFMEA, design reviews, supplier qualification, engineering validation testing, factory acceptance testing, commissioning, and product launches.
Experience authoring technical service literature, commissioning guidance, troubleshooting procedures, training materials, or technical bulletins.
Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers and service professionals and build technical capability across a global organization.

Responsibilities

Serve as the VSD Subject Matter Expert for technologies used across the YORK water-cooled chiller portfolio, providing technical leadership throughout the product lifecycle.
Provide advanced technical support to global Field Sales, Service, and Product Technical Support teams through site visits, remote troubleshooting, technical reviews, and escalations.
Lead diagnosis and resolution of complex issues involving VSD power electronics, rectifier and inverter sections, DC-link systems, switching devices, gate-drive circuits, harmonic filters, cooling systems, motors, controls, communications, protection, customer power interfaces, and chiller integration.
Investigate challenging field issues using operating data, fault histories, waveforms, electrical measurements, service history, test results, and engineering analysis to establish root causes and corrective actions.
Provide technical leadership for low- and medium-voltage drive applications, including system architecture, incoming power requirements, breaker and contactor interfaces, grounding, power quality, harmonic performance, motor compatibility, protection coordination, and safe commissioning.
Partner with Engineering, Quality, Manufacturing, Product Management, Sourcing, suppliers, and Service to improve reliability, standardization, and products continuously.
Participate in new product development, supplier technical reviews, design reviews, DFMEA and risk assessments, validation planning, prototype testing, launch readiness, and post-launch support.
Evaluate drive performance under expected conditions, including voltage variation, load transients, start and stop sequences, cooling conditions, communication loss, protective trips, fault recovery, and interactions with the compressor motor and chiller controls.
Represent field and service needs in product development, including serviceability, diagnostics, maintainability, safe work practices, replacement strategy, spare-parts support, reliability, and lifecycle considerations.
Create and maintain technical service literature, including service bulletins and letters, troubleshooting procedures, fault trees, diagnostic guidance, commissioning instructions, parameter-management guidance, training materials, and internal technical knowledge systems.
Develop and deliver technical training and knowledge transfer to Product Technical Support, Field Service, Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, and other internal organizations.
Mentor engineers and technical support personnel to build organizational expertise in VSD technology, electrical troubleshooting, and chiller-drive integration.
Support structured root-cause investigations and corrective actions for significant product quality, supplier quality, safety, and reliability issues.
Analyze field information to identify recurring issues, emerging reliability risks, supplier concerns, and opportunities for product or diagnostic improvements.
Represent the organization professionally during critical customer and field situations, using technical expertise, safe decision-making, and sound engineering judgment.