Current positions in the electrical industry

Principal Engineer, Electrical Design – Large Power Transformers – TX

Egret Consulting has been retained to identify a Principal Engineer, Electrical Design for an innovative American manufacturer developing a new approach to large power transformer engineering and production.

With demand for large power transformers accelerating across utilities, data centers, renewable energy, and grid modernization projects, the need to expand domestic manufacturing capacity has never been greater. Our client is addressing that challenge by developing an advanced manufacturing operation that combines robotics, digital engineering, design automation, and vertically integrated production to improve how large power transformers are designed, manufactured, and tested.

The organization’s first manufacturing facility will focus on large power transformers rated at 100 MVA and above, with voltage classes ranging from 34.5 kV through 500 kV. Its objective is to establish a highly automated American manufacturing platform capable of delivering the quality, consistency, and production capacity needed to support the nation’s expanding electrical infrastructure.

The Principal Engineer, Electrical Design will play a central role in establishing the technical foundation of this operation. This individual will take ownership of electrical transformer design and test validation while helping develop the engineering architecture that will support the company’s entire transformer product portfolio.

This is a hands-on engineering position with considerable technical responsibility. Rather than simply maintaining established designs, the successful candidate will help develop standardized engineering methods, validated calculation models, and configurable design systems that can be applied across multiple transformer ratings and customer requirements.

A significant aspect of this opportunity involves working alongside mechanical engineering and software development teams to build a proprietary parametric design platform. The Principal Engineer will translate electrical engineering calculations, performance requirements, and design principles into reusable software modules and design rules that connect transformer ratings and electrical characteristics directly to mechanical models, component specifications, and manufacturing requirements.

The scope of electrical design responsibility includes transformer core and winding design, insulation coordination, impedance calculations, loss optimization, dielectric performance, thermal management, and short-circuit withstand capability. This individual will also establish technical requirements for critical components, including bushings, tap changers, conductors, insulation systems, and other electrical interfaces.

Equally important will be the ability to validate engineering designs through comprehensive factory testing. The Principal Engineer will work closely with testing personnel to establish test plans, acceptance criteria, and qualification requirements while evaluating dielectric performance, partial discharge, losses, impedance, temperature rise, and other critical operating characteristics. When performance issues arise, this individual will lead technical investigations, determine root causes, and incorporate validated findings into future design improvements.

Electrical and mechanical engineering must function as an integrated process. The Principal Engineer will collaborate closely with mechanical design teams to address winding configurations, insulation clearances, lead routing, cooling arrangements, and the mechanical forces associated with short-circuit conditions. These considerations will be incorporated early in the design process to ensure electrical performance, mechanical integrity, and manufacturing practicality are properly aligned.

Design for Manufacturability will be fundamental to the position. Working directly with Manufacturing and Supply Chain, the successful candidate will help translate electrical design requirements into winding, insulation, assembly, and production processes that support automation, repeatability, and consistent product quality. This includes developing technical specifications for core steel, conductors, insulation materials, bushings, and tap changers while evaluating supplier capabilities and potential component alternatives.

The Principal Engineer will also be responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable IEEE, ANSI, IEC, and customer specifications. Maintaining accurate engineering calculations, design documentation, revision records, and testing traceability will be essential as the organization establishes its engineering standards and manufacturing processes.

The ideal candidate will bring:

• A minimum of 10 years of electrical design experience involving power transformers above 115 kV, including direct responsibility for designs successfully taken through manufacturing and factory testing.

• Extensive knowledge of transformer core and winding design, insulation coordination, impedance, dielectric performance, loss optimization, thermal characteristics, and short-circuit withstand requirements.

• Strong proficiency with transformer design and simulation software, including ANSYS Maxwell, COMSOL, Flux, or comparable proprietary engineering platforms.

• Experience developing electrical calculation models, parametric design methods, configurable engineering systems, or automated design processes.

• Hands-on involvement with transformer testing and validation, including dielectric testing, partial discharge, loss measurement, impedance verification, and temperature-rise testing.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze test results, investigate performance issues, identify root causes, and implement engineering improvements.

• A thorough understanding of applicable IEEE, ANSI, and IEC transformer standards and the technical requirements associated with utility and large power transformer applications.

• Experience collaborating with mechanical engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain teams to develop designs that can be produced efficiently and consistently.

• The ability to translate complex electrical engineering calculations and design requirements into structured specifications that can be incorporated into software-driven engineering platforms.

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related discipline.

• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, as required by the programs supported.

Beyond technical qualifications, our client is seeking an accomplished transformer engineer who enjoys solving complex engineering problems and wants to participate in building something new. This individual must be comfortable taking ownership of technical decisions, working across engineering disciplines, and developing practical solutions in an environment where many of the systems and processes are being established for the first time.

The opportunity extends well beyond designing individual transformers. The Principal Engineer will help determine how electrical designs are developed, validated, standardized, and integrated into a modern manufacturing operation. The engineering decisions made in this position will directly influence the company’s product performance, manufacturing capabilities, and long-term technical direction.

Location: Central Texas. Relocation is offered and not immediately required.

For an experienced large power transformer design engineer who wants to apply years of technical expertise to the development of a new American manufacturing platform, this position offers the opportunity to influence both the products being built and the engineering processes that will define their production for years to come.