Principal Engineer - Aero Gas Turbine

Job Description Summary

The Principal Engineer - Aero Gas Turbine provides technical leadership for aeroderivative gas turbine overhaul, repair, product support, and project execution activities. This role is responsible for driving high-quality technical outcomes across the engine lifecycle, including scope definition, pre-induction planning, teardown and inspection support, hardware disposition, re-assembly support, test troubleshooting, product configuration, and final technical documentation.

This position may be based in Houston, Texas, supporting the Houston JPort Level 4 Service Shop, or in Cincinnati, Ohio, supporting global engineering projects such as test support, scope of work definition, and product configuration. In both cases, the Lead Engineer acts as a key technical focal point across cross-functional teams and helps ensure safe, compliant, efficient, and customer-focused execution.

This is a high-impact role for an experienced engineer who combines strong aero gas turbine knowledge with practical problem-solving ability, sound technical judgment, and the leadership skills needed to operate effectively in complex service and overhaul environments.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

* Provide technical leadership for assigned aeroderivative gas turbine engines, modules, and components across overhaul, repair, and engineering project activities.

* Lead technical scope definition for shop visits, repairs, and project execution based on engine history, inspection findings, operational events, and customer requirements.

* Support pre-induction planning by reviewing technical records, identifying risks, and ensuring readiness of routers, instructions, tooling, fixtures, and inspection requirements.

* Provide hands-on engineering support during teardown and incoming inspection, helping evaluate hardware condition and resolve technical questions from operations and inspection teams.

* Disposition hardware for reuse, repair, replacement, or scrap in accordance with serviceability limits, drawings, specifications, and approved technical requirements.

* Defining technically required extra work resulting from teardown findings, damage assessment, and configuration needs.

* Support re-assembly activities by resolving technical issues related to fit-up, clearances, stack-ups, alignment, torque requirements, and configuration control.

* Provide technical support for engine and module testing, including review of acceptance data and troubleshooting of performance, vibration, temperature, pressure, or controls-related anomalies.

* Support product configuration management by ensuring approved changes, repairs, service bulletins, and building standards are properly incorporated and documented.

* Prepare and review technical reports, visual inspection summaries, final engine documentation, and other controlled engineering outputs.

* Partner with quality, sourcing, repair vendors, product engineering, test teams, and customer-facing teams to resolve issues and drive execution excellence.

* Lead or support root cause investigations and corrective actions for recurring defects, technical escapes, shop issues, or test anomalies.

* Contribute to continuous improvement through procedure updates, standard work enhancement, repair capability development, and process improvement initiatives.

* The role is primarily focused on supporting global engineering projects, with emphasis on.

* test support

* scope of work definition

* product configuration

* cross-site technical coordination

* broader project and product engineering support

Required Qualifications

* Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or a related technical discipline.

* Minimum 10 years of engineering experience in gas turbines, aero engines, aeroderivative engines, rotating equipment, MRO, overhaul, repair, or product support engineering.

Desired Characteristics

* Experience with LM2500, LM6000, LM9000, or related aeroderivative gas turbine products.

* Familiarity with related aero engine platforms such as CF6 and GE90.

* Knowledge of materials and repair engineering, including high-temperature alloys, coatings, weld repair, brazing, heat treatment basics, and NDT/NDE methods.

* Strong understanding of configuration control, traceability, and technical documentation discipline.

* Experience working with repair vendors, customers, and global cross-functional teams.

* Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings, repair specifications, manuals, service bulletins, and technical instructions.

* Demonstrated problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis and structured technical issue resolution.

* Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.

* Strong ownership mindset and ability to lead through influence across functions.

* Ability to balance technical rigor, quality, and turnaround commitments.

* Passion for developing sustainable processes as they relate to shop floor ops.

GE Vernova…