Principal Power Electronics Engineer - BlackRock Resources LLC

Essential Functions

• Perform as a lead design engineer for power electronics products including all essential engineering and distribution system analysis aspects from initial planning stages through study, design and test. Provide support in the areas of manufacturing, installation, and field verification of Distribution FACTS devices.
• Lead, design, develop and test advanced power electronics, such as converters and inverters, using medium to high power switching components (greater than 500kW and up) and associated protection and gating circuitry. Design equipment to employ the appropriate devices (IGBTs, GTOs, GCTs, Thyristors, etc.) depending on the application.
• Provide technical consultation and leadership in the areas of power converter topology design and development; the application of active semiconductor switching devices; and the application of passive components required for converter power circuits (capacitors, inductors, transformers, etc). Participate and coordinate efforts with groups and divisions within and outside of MEPPI, external groups/divisions (MELCO, TMEIC), and contractors and consultants.
• Lead verification testing on new designs and products, perform product cost and reliability analysis and provide assembly and test instructions for prototypes and production runs.
• Analyze switching and transient behavior of devices to determine limits, proper gating, operation and implementation for AC/DC, DC/DC, and resonant converters and perform steady state operation analysis.
• Perform power electronic circuit design and board layout using PCB design software (Orcad, Altium, Eagle PCB, etc).
• Independently use, support others in the use, expand capabilities, and enhance efficiency for software programs such as PSIM, PLECS, Simulink, PSPICE, PSLF, PSS/E, PSCAD, EMTP and others to conduct power flow, transient stability, reactive planning, power electronics design and control, and related studies, including studies on the simulation of equipment such as SVC, STATCOM, customer power, and other equipment.
• Consult on and/or review major development programs through review meetings, personal consultations, and provide input on company development program planning. Review and define the scope for new development tasks by serving as the contact person on special tasks, problems, new designs, etc.
• Provide engineering leadership by serving as the primary contact for design issues identified by other groups and divisions.
• Compile and analyze operational, test and research data to establish performance standards for newly designed or modified equipment/products and determine if design meets functional and system performance requirements.
• Lead and conduct renewable energy conversion and interconnection analysis associated with electrical distribution systems and equipment applications.
• Lead the design and proof of concept of various SMART GRID related solutions such as VVO, CVR, FLISR and DA including the integration of appropriate software communication systems.
• Lead and manage the analysis of customer specifications power systems studies and analysis, solution design and cost estimation to provide the best solution to the customer.
• Independently use, support others in the use, expand capabilities, and enhance equipment design efficiency via C, VHDL, MATLAB, Java, Perl, Python, and others to perform simulations and to code models for equipment such as SVC, STATCOM, custom power, and other distribution equipment.
• Lead technical proposals for equipment such as SVC, STATCOM, and other equipment, including engineering support, proposal works, and post-award system studies.
• Lead application engineering within the Electrical Distribution Division for equipment such as SVC, STATCOM, C-GIS, transformers, and others.
• Lead participation in industry related organizations such as IEEE, PES, CIGRE, NEMA and other such groups. Prepare and lead technical papers and articles for publication in professional society journals and trade magazines; and for presentation at professional society meetings, industry conferences, and exhibitions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree or Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering
• Minimum 10 years' experience with the design of large converters, inverters, FACTS devices and motor drives at low and medium voltage levels, or equivalent education and experience.
• Advanced knowledge of electric power systems and equipment operation and control.
• Advanced knowledge of circuit and system analysis using computer simulation tools (MATLAB, MathCAD, Simulink, PSpice, and others).
• Intermediate knowledge of embedded system design as related to power electronics including design experience with microprocessors, FPGAs and associated development environments.
• Advanced interpersonal, communication, presentation and technical writing skills.
• Ability to work in a team environment and on several projects simultaneously.
• Advanced computer skills with emphasis on MS Office products.