Engineering Project Manager

Alderbuck Energy is enabling the next wave of electrification and distributed energy by transforming how large loads connect to and interact with the grid. We are developing and commercializing advanced Solid State Transformer (SST) based power conversion solutions for the exponentially growing power demand for AI infrastructure, electrification, and grid modernization.

About the role

This position is located at our high power laboratory and manufacturing campus in Dearborn, MI .

We are seeking an experienced Engineering Project Manager to lead compliance planning, certification readiness, and utility test program execution for next-generation multi-megawatt solid-state transformer power conversion systems. The system converts medium-voltage AC utility input to regulated 800 VDC output for high-power data center and other energy infrastructure applications.

This role will own the development and execution of certification, standards, and utility compliance test plans from prototype validation through agency certification and customer acceptance. The ideal candidate has strong technical fluency in medium-voltage power conversion, grid interconnection, protection systems, safety certification, and high-power laboratory testing, combined with disciplined program management execution.

Your first project will be Alderbuck’s SST being tested at the San Diego Supercomputer Center. This program is a fundamental rethinking of power delivery, centered on two key technologies: solid-state transformers (SSTs) and 800-volt direct current (VDC) distribution. Alderbuck Energy's Nexus Power Unit NPU is a power-electronics-based SST that replaces conventional, hulking copper-and-steel transformers with a compact, intelligent, and highly efficient system.

What you'll do

• Lead compliance engineering activities for 15 kV/35 kV class SiC-based solid-state transformer platform supporting data center and grid modernization applications.
• Establish and maintain the product compliance roadmap, including applicable UL, IEC, IEEE, NEC, utility interconnection, customer, and certification requirements.
• Translate applicable standards and utility requirements into actionable engineering verification tasks, acceptance criteria, test procedures, evidence packages, and design closure requirements.
• Define test infrastructure requirements, including MV input sources, grid simulators, transformers, switchgear, protection equipment, regenerative loads, DC load banks, energy storage, and safety systems.
• Develop and manage detailed compliance and performance test plans, design verification plans, qualification plans, and certification readiness matrices.
• Coordinate planning for tests related to electrical safety, dielectric withstand, insulation coordination, grounding, fault response, protection coordination, harmonics, power quality, thermal performance, EMC, partial discharge, surge immunity, thermal, and abnormal operation testing with external laboratories and UL certification engineers.
• Perform creepage, clearance, insulation coordination, and pollution degree analysis for MV power converter assemblies.
• Support power module design for EMI/EMC compliance, emissions mitigation and common-mode current reduction.
• Interface with NRTLs, certification bodies, utilities, AHJs, test laboratories, and customer engineering teams to align test scope, documentation requirements, witness testing, and issue resolution.
• Coordinate test execution across internal engineering labs, external certification laboratories, utility witness tests, customer FAT/SAT events, and field pilot deployments.
• Work closely with mechanical, electrical, and firmware teams to develop test procedures, compliance matrices, risk assessments, and technical construction documentation, and resolve compliance non-conformances during certification testing.
• Support design and certification of medium voltage high-frequency transformer isolation systems and reinforced insulation structures.
• Evaluate thermal runaway, arc flash, grounding, and touch-current risks in MV converter systems at modular and system levels.
• Conduct hazard analysis, DFMEA, and fault-tree analysis for high-power converter systems.
• Identify Medium Voltage (MV) and other system components that meet UL requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, Power Systems, or a related engineering discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in medium-voltage power conversion systems, grid-connected equipment, solid-state transformers (SST), SiC-based converters, and grid-connected energy systems.
• Demonstrated experience managing compliance, validation, certification, or utility acceptance programs for complex electrical hardware.
• Experience developing test plans for high-power electrical equipment, including requirements traceability, acceptance criteria, instrumentation planning, safety controls, and test reporting.
• Experienced in UL, IEC, IEEE, and NEC compliance engineering, dielectric and EMC testing, safety analysis, and certification support for high-power converters, MV drives, EV charging, and energy infrastructure systems.
• Experience working with certification agencies, NRTLs, utilities, AHJs, or third-party test laboratories.
• Comfortable leading technical meetings with certification bodies, utilities, customers, AHJs, and executive stakeholders.
• Excellent program management skills, including schedule ownership, risk tracking, dependency management, executive communication, and cross-functional leadership.

Preferred Skills

• Medium Voltage power conversion systems design (4160/13.8 kV/34.5 kV)
• Experience with 800 VDC architectures, data center power infrastructure, battery energy storage, or DC microgrids.
• Experience with Dual Active Bridge (DAB) design and controls
• Experience with Cascaded H-Bridge design and controls
• Experience with Active Front End (AFE) and Grid Interacted PWM converters with bi-directional capabilities.
• Experience with SiC gate driver design and optimization.
• Experience with MV high power component reliability and lifetime assessment
• Experience with Planar Magnetics design
• Experience with Partial discharge detection and testing techniques

Compensation

• Annual salary between $150,000-160,000 DoE, paid in semi-monthly payroll runs.
• Health/medical insurance benefit for you and your family
• Vision insurance benefit for you and your family
• Dental insurance benefit for you and your family
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Three weeks of paid vacation per year
• Two weeks of paid sick time per year
• Monthly, optional professional, wellness chair massage