Principal Mechanical Engineer

Ecolab is a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions and services. With annual sales of $15 billion, we operate in over 170 countries and employ more than 48,000 associates worldwide. Our mission is to protect people and the vital resources necessary for life.

The Global Water Engineering Innovation team is seeking a Principal Electrical Engineer to provide technical leadership in the development and support of industrial water treatment equipment. This role supports Nalco Water, Downstream, and Food & Beverage businesses and partners closely with R&D, Product Management/Marketing, Manufacturing, Quality, and Supply Chain to deliver new product development and continuous improvement.

• Opportunity to make an impact by advancing equipment that helps customers achieve clean water, safe food, abundant energy, and healthy environments.
• Work on a mix of new product development and lifecycle support in a highly collaborative, cross‑functional environment.
• Comprehensive benefits package starting day 1 of employment (medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), company‑paid pension, stock purchase plan, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement, and more), subject to local offerings.

• Partner with R&D and Product Management/Marketing to translate equipment concepts into manufacturable electrical and control designs.
• Develop and maintain electrical documentation packages, including schematics, panel layouts, wiring diagrams, and bills of material, using electrical CAD tools.
• Own electrical designs throughout the product lifecycle, including sustaining engineering, cost reduction, reliability improvements, and obsolescence management.
• Lead hands‑on troubleshooting during production builds, perform root cause analysis, and implement corrective actions.
• Ensure designs and build practices meet Ecolab safety requirements and applicable global regulations and standards, including OSHA, NEC, NFPA 70E, UL, CSA, IEC, and CE.
• Develop and maintain electrical standards, design guidelines, reusable architectures, and best practices across the product portfolio.
• Specify electrical components and instrumentation, supporting procurement, supplier selection, technical reviews, and component standardization.
• Participate in design reviews, risk assessments, DFMEA/PFMEA, and change management activities.
• Serve as a technical authority and escalation point for complex electrical challenges.
• Coach and mentor engineers to build technical capability and improve team effectiveness.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing and Quality to resolve nonconformances and support corrective and preventive actions.
• Support installation, commissioning, and validation activities as needed to ensure equipment meets performance requirements.

• Location:
  
  Naperville, Illinois
• Work Arrangement:
  Onsite, with periodic time in a shop/fabrication environment
• Travel:
  Up to 20%, as needed for supplier support, build and validation activities, and/or commissioning

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a related field.
• 8+ years of electrical engineering experience supporting industrial equipment and/or control panel design in a manufacturing environment.
• Proficiency with electrical CAD tools, with AutoCAD Electrical preferred.
• Experience designing industrial electrical systems and control panels, including schematics, panel layouts, wiring, and bills of material.
• Working knowledge of applicable electrical codes and safety standards, including NEC, NFPA 70E, UL, CSA, IEC, and CE.
• Experience supporting manufacturing builds and troubleshooting electrical and control issues in a production and/or field environment.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to translate process requirements into electrical and control design requirements and explain technical documentation to diverse stakeholders.
• No immigration sponsorship available for this position.

• Work is performed in an office and shop/fabrication environment with exposure to dust, fumes/odors, and noise; appropriate personal protective equipment is required as…