Electrical R&D Engineer

The role

The Electrical R&D Engineer designs, builds, commissions, and supports electrical and power supply systems for Thea Energy's technology development programs. The work moves quickly from concept to hardware and includes prototype equipment, experimental test stands, and new electrical infrastructure for high-temperature superconducting magnet test facilities.

This position requires substantial hands-on experience with commercial off-the-shelf power supplies and with custom power supply system development. The engineer is expected to build hardware, measure its performance, diagnose faults, and revise designs rapidly as test requirements evolve. Close coordination with the controls team is essential because power commands, sensor feedback, protection functions, and operating sequences must work as one system.

All jobs

Electrical R&D Engineer

Thea Energy, Kearny, NJ

Posted pay

$110K–$140K

a year

Compared with similar jobs

This base pay is below the median for hardware and robotics jobs in other US places with no level in the job title.

Median: $145K a year
Other jobs in the group: 814

We compare the middle of each posted range. This is base pay as posted. The group does not include this job.

Location: Kearny, NJ
Work type: Onsite
Level: Not given
Experience: 5+ years
Skills in the job text: Altium
PCB design
Posted: 7 days ago
Last check: 16 h ago
Job type: Hardware and robotics

Apply on the Thea Energy site Sign in to save

The Thea Energy site opens in a new tab.

Thea Energy

Open tech jobs: 15
With posted pay: 100%
Median posted base: $130K–$185K

About Thea Energy: funding, hiring and pay

Thea Energy

About Thea Energy: funding, hiring and pay

Interview questions

No one has reported an interview at Thea Energy yet. Did you interview there? Add the questions.

Check my fit

Compare your résumé with this job. See where you match, what is missing and which lines to change.

The role

What you will do

Rapid prototype delivery. Turn test objectives and preliminary requirements into working electrical hardware on short development cycles. Build proof-of-concept circuits, bench setups, temporary test equipment, and durable test stand assemblies; use measurements and test results to guide each design iteration.
Test stand electrical infrastructure. Design and build electrical distribution for new and modified test stands, including load definitions, single-line diagrams, panels and enclosures, conductors, connectors, grounding and bonding, circuit protection, emergency isolation, interlocks, and equipment interfaces. Support infrastructure for HTS magnet testing and other high-current experiments.
Commercial power supply system integration. Evaluate, select, configure, and integrate commercial laboratory and industrial power supplies. Confirm voltage, current, transient response, ripple, regulation, communications, protection behavior, cooling, duty cycle, and derating against the actual load and test sequence.
Custom power supply system development. Design, assemble, and validate bespoke power supplies and power conversion hardware when commercial equipment cannot meet program needs. Address converter topology, switching devices, magnetics, gate drives, sensing, control interfaces, protection, thermal management, packaging, and serviceability.
Current and voltage sensing. Select and apply appropriate current and voltage measurement technologies, including shunts, Hall-effect and fluxgate sensors, current transformers, Rogowski coils, voltage dividers, isolated amplifiers, and industrial transducers.
Controls integration. Work closely with controls engineers to connect commands, setpoints, status signals, current and voltage feedback, trips, permissives, and interlocks to power supply control systems. Define signal ranges, scaling, isolation, grounding, connector pinouts, failure states, timing, and acceptance tests.
Troubleshooting and root cause. Diagnose power supply trips, unstable regulation, unexpected heating, damaged components, wiring faults, control-interface problems, sensor errors, and intermittent failures. Use measurements and circuit analysis to identify root causes, implement corrective actions, and verify the repair.
EMI/EMC and noise control. Investigate conducted and radiated noise, switching transients, common-mode and differential-mode coupling, ground loops, and measurement contamination. Apply grounding, shielding, filtering, cable routing, segregation, snubbers, and layout changes appropriate to the failure mechanism.
Engineering documentation. Maintain calculations, schematics, single-line diagrams, PCB files, bills of material, wiring and cable information, assembly instructions, test procedures, configuration records, commissioning results, troubleshooting findings, and as-built documentation.
Fabrication and supplier coordination. Work directly with technicians, machine and electronics shops, component suppliers, and equipment vendors to source parts, resolve build issues, review substitutions, and keep prototype work moving.
Test campaign support. Support installation, operations, urgent troubleshooting, repairs, and hardware changes during active test campaigns. Coordinate electrical work with controls, mechanical, magnet, cryogenic, safety, facilities, and program teams.

Ideal Experience and Skillsets

Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
Five or more years of relevant experience in electrical R&D, power electronics, prototype development, test engineering, or electrical systems for research or industrial test facilities.
Extensive hands-on experience rapidly building, wiring, modifying, and testing prototypes and test stands rather than working only at the analysis or specification level.
Demonstrated experience selecting and integrating commercial power supplies and developing custom power supplies or power-conversion hardware for specialized loads.
Hands-on PCBA experience, including schematic capture, layout review, assembly support, rework, bring-up, and circuit debugging. Proficiency with Altium Designer is required.
Practical knowledge of current and voltage sensing and experience connecting sensors, commands, feedback, trips, and interlocks to power-supply control systems.
Experience commissioning and troubleshooting electrical and power-supply systems using disciplined, measurement-based methods.
Working knowledge of EMI and EMC, grounding, shielding, filtering, cable routing, and noise troubleshooting in mixed-signal and high-power environments.
Strong electrical safety judgment and experience working with high current, high voltage, stored energy, and energized test equipment.
Ability to communicate clearly, document work as it evolves, and coordinate daily execution with controls engineers, technicians, and other technical teams.

Electrical R&D Engineer

The role

Electrical R&D Engineer

The role

What you will do

Ideal Experience and Skillsets

What you need

Nice to have

Company Benefits

About Thea Energy

Similar jobs at other companies

Member of Technical Staff - R&D Engineering

Electrical Engineer

Electrical Distribution Engineer

Electrical Engineer - Power Electronics

R&D Test Engineer

Power Electronics Test Engineer

Interview questions

Thea Energy

Compared with similar jobs