Lead Engineer - Electric Drives Software at Wabtec

Who will you be working with? You will be part of a global engineering team specializing in Drives Control and Power Electronics for locomotives and off highway vehicles products, supporting critical traction, auxiliary, and energy conversion products. The team is distributed across the United States, India (Bengaluru), and Brazil, and works closely with systems, hardware, software, validation, and manufacturing stakeholders.   The group includes senior technical experts and emerging engineers with deep experience in control software, power electronics hardware, system architecture, simulation (HIL/Opal‑RT), and component validation. The team operates in a highly collaborative manner, with frequent cross‑location technical reviews, design discussions, and problem‑solving sessions.   You will work closely with experienced engineers and technical leaders on business‑critical programs, contributing to both new product development and sustaining/obsolescence initiatives, while adhering to strong engineering, safety, and compliance standards.   How will you make a difference? The Lead Engineer will design, develop, and validate inverter control electronics for traction and auxiliary systems used in locomotives and off‑highway vehicles. This role owns the control panel hardware from requirements through validation, working closely with firmware, software, power electronics, and systems teams to ensure reliable system performance. The position combines hands‑on hardware development with embedded software awareness to support efficient bring‑up, integration, and troubleshooting in both lab and field environments. What will your typical day look like? • Own the design and requirements for inverter control panel electronics, including I/O, sensing, power supplies, isolation, communication, and protection for high‑power traction and auxiliary systems. • Define hardware requirements for control electronics components (MCUs/FPGAs, gate drivers, ADC/DACs, sensors, connectors) and support board‑level and system‑level bring‑up in collaboration with firmware and software teams. • Apply embedded software knowledge (C/C++) to support hardware bring‑up, integration, and rapid debugging of hardware versus software issues. • Develop and maintain basic diagnostic tools and test scripts to support lab testing, automation, and validation activities. • Plan and execute hardware verification and qualification testing, including bring‑up, bench testing, characterization, and EMC/EMI and environmental compliance. • Support system integration and troubleshooting of control hardware on locomotives and off‑highway mining equipment. • Lead failure analysis and root‑cause investigations for production and field issues, driving corrective actions and design improvements. • Perform reliability and safety analyses (e.g., FMEA, derating, thermal) and ensure appropriate diagnostics and protections are implemented. • Drive design‑for‑manufacture and design‑for‑test in collaboration with suppliers and manufacturing teams. • Create and maintain technical documentation, including requirements, designs, test results, and review materials. • Coordinate across hardware, firmware, software, systems, and test teams to ensure end‑to‑end controller performance and compliance. • Provide technical leadership on assigned projects, supporting planning, risk management, and design reviews.   What do we want to know about you? • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical, Electronics, or related engineering field • 4+ years of experience with control hardware or power electronics (e.g., inverters, converters, motor drives) • Master’s degree or experience with industrial/transportation electronics is a plus • Ability to read schematics and work with analog and digital I/O • Hands-on experience with hardware bring-up, debugging, and lab testing • Working knowledge of embedded software fundamentals (C/C++) and HW/SW interaction • Experience supporting system integration, testing, and troubleshooting • Strong communication and collaboration skills; experience with industrial or transportation electronics is a plus   You may also be asked to perform other duties outside of your function or trade, for which adequate training will be provided if necessary.   More information on offered benefits, which include health, welfare, and retirement, is available at mywabtecbenefits.com.   Wabtec will only employ those who are legally authorized to work in the U.S. for this opening. Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen (as applicable) and fitness for duty test (as applicable).