Senior/Principal Electrical Engineer - Fuel Cell Systems

About this role

Principal/Senior Electrical Engineer – Fuel Cell Systems  

Status:   Exempt (Salaried)    

Department:   Fuel Cell Platforms – Electrical Engineering    

Position Summary

Plug is building the global hydrogen ecosystem.   We are   the only company delivering a complete hydrogen platform, from production and liquefaction to storage, delivery, and power generation. They are integrated, end-to-end solutions designed to make hydrogen work at   an industrial   scale across regions, industries, and applications.  

Plug is   seeking   a Principal or Senior Electrical Engineer to serve as the electrical technical authority for our hydrogen fuel cell power systems. This role sits at the intersection of high-power electronics, embedded controls, system architecture, and structured product development — spanning the full design lifecycle from concept through production release. You will lead electrical design decisions, drive verification and validation programs, partner with Supply Chain and Operations on design-for-manufacture readiness, and mentor engineers across the team. This position reports to the Manager of Electrical Engineering – Fuel Cells   Platforms.  

Core Duties and Responsibilities

Power Electronics & Converter Design  

• Architect, design, and   validate   DC/DC power converters (LLC, phase-shift full bridge, interleaved boost, buck-boost) for fuel cell stack and BOP interfaces; define electrical specifications covering voltage/current profiles, efficiency, ripple, and EMI/EMC across all operating conditions  

• Drive EMI/EMC mitigation from schematic through PCB layout and full system validation; design high-frequency magnetics for efficiency and manufacturability; own protection architecture, and   SiC / GaN   device   selection  

• Oversee schematic capture and PCB layout review (Altium   preferred ),   component   selection, and DFM; lead hardware design reviews (PDR, CDR) and resolve design issues through structured root cause and corrective action  

Controls & Embedded Systems  

• Lead architecture, design, and validation of embedded control systems on DSP/MCU/FPGA platforms  

• Define hardware-software interface requirements  

System-Level Electrical Architecture & Compliance  

• Own the top-level electrical architecture for the fuel cell power system: power distribution, harness design, sensor integration, grounding strategy, and isolation/protection schemes  

• Define balance-of-plant (BOP) electrical requirements for pumps, fans, valves, heaters, and auxiliary loads; specify thermal subsystem electrical requirements; partner with Mechanical and Thermal teams on integrated packaging and thermal management  

• Lead compliance and certification activities for UL, CE, NFPA 2, SAE, and applicable ISO hydrogen and fuel cell standards; support regulatory approvals ;   Establish   and own electrical FMEA and functional safety analyses  

Design Verification, Validation & Reliability  

• Define and own the electrical Design Verification Plan and Report (DVP&R) aligned to industrial duty cycles, customer use cases, and applicable standards; lead DV and PV test execution through structured gate reviews  

• Conduct environmental and safety qualification testing including shock, vibration, thermal cycling, freeze-thaw, and cold-start; lead accelerated stress and durability testing to   identify   failure modes and   establish   diagnostic parameters for predicting system lifespan  

• Drive structured root cause and corrective action processes (8D, DMAIC) to resolve verification failures and field reliability issues;   maintain   and update DFMEA throughout the product development lifecycle to ensure risks are mitigated before production release  

Stage-Gate Program Execution  

• Execute electrical development within Plug Power’s stage-gate product development process, owning milestones: Concept Freeze, Design Freeze, DV/PV completion, Pilot Build, and Production Release  

• Lead new product introductions (NPI) and major platform upgrades; ensure alignment of scope, schedule, technical readiness levels (TRL), and risk mitigation strategies; represent electrical engineering status and trade-off analysis in gate reviews and executive briefings  

Supply Chain, Operations & Technical Leadership  

• Partner with Supply Chain during   component   selection   and sourcing to address preferred suppliers, lead time, cost targets, and second-source availability early in design; support supplier qualification and supplier technical reviews  

• Drive DFM and design-for-test (DFT) practices; collaborate with Operations and Manufacturing Engineering to resolve assembly, test, and yield issues at pilot build and production launch; support EOL test strategy development to ensure product is tested to specification at volume  

• Close the field reliability feedback loop: review warranty and field failure data with Operations and Field Service; translate findings into design improvements and updated test coverage  

• Serve as the electrical technical authority in cross-functional program reviews, customer-facing sessions, and executive briefings; mentor junior and mid-level electrical engineers and drive continuous improvement in design and verification processes  

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s d egree in Electrical Engineering   or closely related field;   Master’s   degree preferred  

• 5+ years (Senior) or 10+ years (Principal) of experience in power electronics development in regulated or high-reliability industries (energy, industrial, automotive, or aerospace)    

• Demonstrated   expertise   in DC/DC power converter design and validation — topology selection, magnetics design, thermal analysis, and EMC  

• Hands-on embedded controls hardware experience;   proficiency   with DSP/MCU/FPGA platforms and digital control implementation  

• Strong system-level electrical architecture experience: power distribution, protection, grounding, harness, and sensor i

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