Lead Engineer – Switchgear

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.

Caterpillar’s Electrification & Energy Solutions (E&ES) 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 Lead Engineer – Switchgear is a key technical design owner within the electrical system of advanced power converter platforms
. This role is responsible for the architecture, selection, sizing, and validation of cabinet-level switch gear and auxiliary electrical components
, ensuring safe, reliable, and compliant operation across product variants.

The engineer will provide technical leadership from early concept through validation and production release, working closely with mechanical, controls, manufacturing, and systems engineering teams.

This role is critical to ensuring the safety, reliability, and scalability of power converter platforms. The Lead Engineer – Switchgear directly influences system performance, regulatory success, and long-term product robustness.

• Act as the design authority for cabinet-level switch gear within power converter systems
• Define electrical architectures and design strategies aligned with system-level requirements
• Lead component selection and sizing for:
  • Low-voltage and control power supplies
  • Circuit breakers, disconnects, fuses
  • Relays and contractors
  • Cabinet-level cooling systems (fans, heat exchangers, thermal interfaces)
• Ensure robustness of designs for electrical, thermal, and environmental operating conditions

• Develop and execute verification and validation plans for switch gear and cabinet assemblies
• Support and review:
  • Electrical, thermal, and fault analysis (short circuit, inrush, derating)
  • Environmental and reliability testing
• Ensure compliance with applicable industry standards and codes (e.g., UL, IEC, NEC, IEEE)
• Interface with certification bodies and support compliance documentation

• Collaborate closely with:
  • Power electronics and system engineering
  • Mechanical and thermal engineering
  • Controls and software teams
  • Manufacturing, sourcing, and quality teams
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship to contributing engineers and designers
• Support supplier technical reviews and component qualification discussions

• Support design transitions from development to production
• Drive design improvements related to cost, manufacturability, reliability, and serviceability
• Participate in root-cause analysis and corrective actions for field or production issues

Extensive experience and knowledge of the decision-making process and associated tools and techniques for charging systems.

• Evaluates past decisions for insights to improve decision‑making process.
• Assesses and validates decision options and points and predicts their potential impact.
• Advises others in analyzing and synthesizing relevant data and assessing alternatives.

Extensive…