Title: Electrical Engineer 5
Location: Chillicothe, IL
Details: 24-month contract with ongoing need, opportunity for direct hire, fully onsite role
Pay Rate: $54.00 – 57.00/hr. with benefit inclusions
Job Summary
We are seeking an experienced Power Electronics Component Development Engineer to support the testing, validation, and development of subcomponents for high-power electric drivetrain inverters. This role is highly hands-on and offers the opportunity to develop deep technical expertise in power electronics through component testing, validation, analysis, design review, and issue resolution. The engineer will work daily in both office and lab environments and collaborate closely with a global, multidisciplinary engineering team.
Responsibilities
- Conduct high-current, high-voltage (up to 3 kV), and high-temperature component testing, including current sensors, large DC link capacitors, power modules, and PCB assemblies.
- Perform test planning, documentation, fixture setup, test execution, data processing, and analysis.
- Summarize and report test results, including conducting detailed failure analyses.
- Review engineering drawings, technical requirements, and specifications for component development.
- Apply quality and validation tools such as FMEA, APQP, and PPAP.
- Coordinate and execute test plans including instrumentation, resources, tools, scheduling, measurement equipment, and technical reporting.
- Collaborate with global engineering partners in electrical, mechanical, thermal, and manufacturing disciplines.
- Support supplier development activities, including limited travel to supplier locations.
- Utilize lab tools such as dataloggers, oscilloscopes, HV differential probes, current transducers, thermal chambers, high-voltage and high-current power supplies.
Years of Experience and Education
- Years of Experience: 10+ years in power electronics component development, testing, or related engineering roles.
- Education:
- Required: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering
- Preferred: Master’s degree with a focus in Power Electronics
- Additional Requirements:
- Internship experience does not count toward required years of experience.
- Two-year degrees are not accepted.
- Ph.D. candidates may be considered overqualified.
- Comparable backgrounds include roles such as Power Electronics Component Design Engineer.
Skills Required
Top Required Skills
- Hands-on test experience supporting component development for electric drive applications in high-power, high-reliability environments.
- Proven ability to coordinate, develop, and execute comprehensive test plans including fixtures, instrumentation, scheduling, data analysis, and reporting.
- Proficiency with lab equipment including oscilloscopes, HV differential probes, current transducers, dataloggers, thermal chambers, and high-voltage/high-current power supplies.
Additional Technical Skills
Required:
- Strong experience using Python, MATLAB, Excel, and JBER for test data analysis.
Desired:
- Cross-disciplinary collaboration experience (electrical, mechanical, thermal, quality, manufacturing, purchasing).
- Experience with double pulse testing of power modules.
- Ability to identify, create, or improve testing methods, tools, and processes.
- Ability to estimate time and resources needed for test plan execution.
Soft Skills
Required:
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint).
- Self-starter with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to independently identify issues, generate actions, and drive resolution.
Desired:
- Experience working with customers, suppliers, and global engineering teams (India, China, Europe).
- Strong communication and collaboration skills with the ability to lead technical discussions and drive decisions in a matrixed organization.