Principal Electrical Engineer

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

The Global Water Engineering Innovation team is looking for a Principal Electrical Engineer to provide technical leadership for the development and support of industrial water treatment equipment. The ideal candidate combines deep electrical engineering expertise with practical manufacturing experience and a track record of mentoring others.

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 used to help 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.

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

• Partner with R&D and Product Management/Marketing on equipment innovation, translating concepts into manufacturable electrical/control designs.
• Develop and maintain electrical documentation packages (schematics, panel layouts, wiring diagrams, BOMs) using electrical CAD tools (AutoCAD Electrical or equivalent).
• 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 to prevent recurrence.
• Ensure designs and build practices meet Ecolab safety requirements and applicable global regulations/standards (e.g., OSHA, NEC, NFPA 70E, UL, CSA, IEC, CE), including appropriate guarding, labeling, and documentation.
• Develop and maintain electrical standards, design guidelines, reusable architectures, and best practices across the product portfolio to improve consistency, scalability, and manufacturability.
• Specify electrical components and instrumentation for procurement and production; support supplier selection, technical reviews, and component standardization.
• Participate in design reviews, risk assessments, DFMEA/PFMEA, and change management to ensure robust, compliant designs.
• Serve as a technical authority and escalation point for complex electrical challenges, providing guidance and driving timely resolution.
• Coach and mentor engineers through formal and informal development to build technical capability and improve team effectiveness.
• Collaborate with Manufacturing and Quality to resolve nonconformances; support investigations, containment, and corrective/preventive actions (CAPA).
• Support installation, commissioning, and validation activities as needed (factory testing and/or field support) to ensure equipment meets performance requirements.

• 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 (AutoCAD Electrical preferred) to create electrical schematics, panel layouts, and wiring diagrams.
• Experience designing industrial electrical systems and control panels, including schematics, panel layouts, wiring, and bills of material (BOMs).
• Working knowledge of applicable electrical codes and safety standards (e.g., NEC, NFPA 70E, UL, CSA, IEC, CE) and safe design/work practices.
• Experience supporting manufacturing builds and troubleshooting electrical/control issues in a production (and/or field) environment.
• Strong communication skills (both verbal and written).
• Demonstrated ability to translate process requirements into electrical/control design requirements and explain technical documentation to diverse stakeholders.
• No immigration sponsorship available for this position.

• Experience programming and troubleshooting PLC/HMI systems (e.g., Rockwell/Allen Bradley, Siemens, B&R) and industrial networks.
• Experience with motor control/VFDs, pumps and motors, and industrial instrumentation troubleshooting.
• Experience with ERP/plant systems (SAP preferred) and working within a document‑controlled manufacturing environment.

• Work is performed in an office and…