Senior Power Electronics Performance & Application Engineer

Career Area:
Engineering

Job Description:

Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc.

When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it.

About IDES

Caterpillar’s Integrated Drivetrain Energy Solutions (IDES) Division will focus on delivering advanced electrified power train, zero-emissions products/technologies, and the solutions and services associated with these technologies. Focus areas include batteries, fuel cells, motors, inverters, micro grid controllers, charging, energy storage systems, lifecycle solutions/services and integration of components for ePowertrain solutions across industries.

We are looking for top talent to build and scale the next generation of technologies, products and services to help our customers build a better—more sustainable—world. We need self-motivated, intelligent and team-oriented individuals to make our plans a reality. Individuals with high emotional intelligence, humility and openness to discovery will thrive in the teams we are building.

The Senior Performance / Simulation / Application Engineer will provide technical leadership for the analysis, simulation, application, and electrical integration of Medium Voltage Power Electronics (MVPE) solutions across electrified machine platforms. The engineer will translate machine and system-level requirements into power electronics performance requirements, component selections, system architectures, and validated design solutions.

This position will use modeling, simulation, trade studies, and engineering analysis to optimize inverter, converter, power module, DC-link, protection, and related electrical systems for performance, efficiency, reliability, thermal capability, cost, and application requirements. The engineer will work across product development and machine application teams to ensure MVPE solutions perform as an integrated electrical system from initial concept through validation and production.

Additional Information

- This position is located in Mossville, IL.

- Domestic travel up to 25% & minimal international travel is required.

- Domestic relocation assistance is offered for this position.

- Visa sponsorship is NOT offered for this position.

- All roles at Caterpillar Inc. report on-site 5 days per week.

Key Responsibilities

- System Performance & Simulation

Develop and apply electrical and system-level models to predict power electronics performance, evaluate operating conditions, identify design limits, and guide architecture and component decisions.
- Component Selection & Optimization

Lead analytical selection and sizing of critical electrical components including power semiconductors, DC-link capacitors, bus structures, contactors, protection devices, filtering components, sensors, and supporting power conversion hardware.
- Electrical Architecture & Integration

Translate machine requirements into electrical architectures, component requirements, interface definitions, operating envelopes, and design constraints for MVPE systems. Partner with controls, electrical, mechanical, thermal, validation, and machine integration teams to optimize system-level performance.
- Application Engineering

Analyze machine duty cycles, voltage and current requirements, transient conditions, thermal loading, fault conditions, and other application requirements to ensure power electronics solutions are appropriately sized and applied.
- Design Trade Studies

Lead technical trade studies evaluating architecture, topology, component technology, performance, efficiency, thermal capability, reliability, packaging, cost, and system implications. Use analytical results to provide clear recommendations and influence design direction.
- Validation & Model Correlation

Define performance requirements and validation methods, correlate analytical models to laboratory and machine test data, investigate performance gaps, and improve simulation fidelity throughout development.
- Technical Leadership

Serve as a technical resource for power electronics analysis and application engineering, coach engineers in simulation and analytical methods, and help establish reusable models, analysis methods, design guidelines, and engineering best practices.
- Cross-Functional Development

Collaborate with global engineering teams, suppliers, manufacturing, validation teams, and machine programs throughout concept development, NPI, validation, and production implementation. The existing MVPE role definition similarly places importance on supplier collaboration, NPI, DFMEA, APQP, and production readiness.

What You Have

Degree Requirement

- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Power Electronics, Systems Engineering, or a related engineering discipline.

- Demonstrated experience in electrical system analysis, power electronics, electric drive systems, or electrified machine applications.
- Experience applying modeling and simulation to engineering design and component selection.
- Strong understanding of electrical circuits, power conversion, system interactions, and engineering fundamentals.
- Strong analytical problem-solving and technical communication skills.

Process Management: Knowledge of business process improvement tools and techniques; ability to understand, monitor, update, control, or enhance existing business or work processes.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Helps others learn the tools and techniques for process value analysis.

• Carries out process evaluation, diagnosis, and optimization.

• Demonstrates a thorough understanding of a major process flow, its components and issues.

• Synchronizes the efforts of, and resource requirements for, several teams within a process.

• Makes the business case for new processes, including their cost-benefit ratios.

• Possesses knowledge of tools and techniques for designing and implementing new processes.

Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Understanding the necessity and value of accuracy; ability to complete tasks with high levels of precision.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Evaluates and makes contributions to best practices.

• Processes large quantities of detailed information with high levels of accuracy.

• Productively balances speed and accuracy.

• Implements a variety of cross-checking approaches and mechanisms.

• Demonstrates expertise in quality assurance tools, techniques, and standards.

• Employs techniques for motivating employees to meet or exceed accuracy goals.

Analytical Thinking: Knowledge of techniques and tools that promote effective analysis; ability to determine the root cause of organizational problems and create alternative solutions that resolve these problems.

Level Extensive Experience:

• Seeks discrepancies and inconsistencies in available information; explains variances.

• Organizes and prioritizes the sequence of steps to be taken to remedy the situation.

• Identifies many possible causes for a problem based on prior experience and current research.

• Quantifies the costs, benefits, risks and chances for success before recommending a course of action.

• Approaches a complex problem by breaking it down into its component parts.

• Chooses among a diverse set of analytical tools according to the nature of the situation.