Validation Technician (Power Electronics)

Job Title: Validation Technician - Power Electronics

Location: Milwaukee, WI

Employment Type: Direct employee with comprehensive benefits

Industry: Power Electronics

Compensation: Open

Shift: 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday-Friday

About the Opportunity:

We are seeking an experienced, hands-on Validation Technician to support the testing, validation, certification, and continuous improvement of advanced power conversion and industrial control products. This role executes engineering validation plans, regulatory compliance testing, environmental testing, and reliability testing on medium- and high-power electrical equipment, and builds and maintains the test fixtures those programs run on. The Validation Technician works closely with design engineering to evaluate product performance, troubleshoot issues, collect and analyze test data, and document results for certification agencies and product development programs. The ideal candidate is highly skilled in electrical testing, instrumentation, data acquisition systems, and power electronics, with experience operating safely around high-energy AC and DC systems.

Ideal Candidate

A safety-focused, detail-oriented technician who thrives in a hands-on engineering environment and can independently execute complex test programs, troubleshoot high-power electrical systems, and deliver accurate, repeatable, and well-documented results.

What You'll Do:

Product Verification & Validation

• Execute engineering validation and qualification test plans on power electronic products, motor drives, control systems, protection devices, and renewable energy products.
• Perform regulatory compliance testing and support product certification efforts.
• Configure, operate, and troubleshoot test setups for electrical, thermal, environmental, reliability, and safety testing.
• Prepare, build, and improve test stands, fixtures, instrumentation setups, and automated test procedures; ensure fixtures meet safety requirements to prevent shock.
• Analyze test data and prepare detailed technical reports documenting results and observations.
• Support root cause investigations and failure analysis activities.
• Maintain calibration status and accuracy of laboratory equipment.

Standards & Compliance Testing

Perform testing and documentation supporting compliance to applicable standards, including UL 508A, UL 61800-5-1, UL 1741, UL 1699B, UL 1077, UL 489, UL 1449, UL 60947-4-1, IEC 61800-3, IEC 62920, IEC 62109, CISPR 11, CISPR 32, and related ISO product/process requirements.

Environmental & Reliability Testing

Thermal characterization and temperature rise testing; reliability and life-cycle testing; environmental qualification testing; Ingress Protection (IP) testing; accelerated stress and endurance testing; vibration and shock testing (preferred).

Laboratory & Fixture Operations

• Work with purchasing and vendors to procure materials for test fixture design, redesign, and upgrades (wiring, terminal blocks, hardware).
• Coordinate with the in-house panel shop on fixture and panel builds.
• Participate in design reviews for new test fixture development and material specification.
• Support production and service test stands, including maintenance and updates.
• Support laboratory compliance with UL Data Acceptance Program (DAP), ISO/IEC 17025, and ISO 9001:2015; maintain laboratory documentation, procedures, records, and test reports; participate in audits and certification assessments.

What You'll Bring:

• Associate degree (2-year) in Electrical Engineering Technology, Electronics Technology, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant laboratory, test, validation, or power electronics experience that includes:
• Hands-on experience with oscilloscopes, high-voltage differential probes, current probes and transducers, and DMMs; programmable AC/DC power supplies, electronic loads, and regenerative 4-quadrant systems; power analyzers; data acquisition systems, thermocouples, RTDs, and automated switching systems; logic analyzers and communication/protocol analyzers; spectrum analyzers, dynamic signal analyzers, vector network analyzers (VNAs), and arbitrary waveform generators.
• Experience working safely with three-phase AC systems up to 690 Vac and DC bus systems up to 2000 Vdc.
• Strong electrical troubleshooting and technical documentation skills; ability to read electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, and test procedures.
• Understanding of UL wiring standards.

What Sets You Apart:

• 5-10 years of experience
• Experience with power electronics, motor drives, renewable energy systems, battery systems, EV powertrain testing, or industrial automation.
• Experience with UL certification programs, UL DAP, and ISO/IEC 17025 laboratories.
• Familiarity with EMC/EMI testing.
• Familiarity with CAD tools (SolidWorks, AutoCAD, etc.).
• Experience with LabVIEW, Python, MATLAB, or automated test systems.