Staff Application Engineer – Marine Power Management and Control Systems

Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members. Our company and its members are committed to acting with integrity, being respectful and accountable to one another, and staying humble and driven, while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards.

We are steadfastly committed to attracting the best talent across our communities creating a rewarding workplace. Together we are fulfilling our purpose to design and deliver energy control solutions our partners count on to power a clean future.

Woodward supports our members’ wellbeing and regularly benchmarks with other companies in our industry to offer an extensive Total Reward package for this position. Salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. 

• Estimated annual base pay:  $112,400 (minimum) - $140,500 (midpoint) - $168,600 (maximum)
• All members included in annual cash bonus opportunity. 
  • 401(k) match (4.5%)
  • Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%)
  • Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities for all members  
• 12 paid holidays, including floating holidays. 
• Industry leading medical, dental, and vision Insurance upon date of hire

• Vacation / Sick Time / Vacation Buy-up / Short Term Disability / Bereavement leave. 
• Paid parental leave.
• Adoption Assistance  
• Employee Assistance Program, including mental health benefits. 
• Member Life & AD&D / Long Term Disability / Member Optional Life 
• Member referral bonus 

• Spouse / Child Optional Life / Optional AD&D / Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending 
• Voluntary benefits, including:  

• Home / Auto Insurance discounts 
• Whole Life Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance / Legal Assistance / Military Leave 

Are you ready to make your mark? If you’re a Staff Application Engineer – Marine Power Management and Control Systems, we have an exciting opportunity for you.  The Staff Application Engineer – Marine Power Management and Control Systems is responsible for leading the design, modeling, and implementation of advanced power management control systems for marine platforms. This position requires expertise in generator synchronization, load sharing, load shedding, fault isolation, and grid stability for complex marine electrical systems. The engineer will play a critical role in modeling and simulating electrical power plants, developing robust control architectures, and ensuring compliance with maritime and military-grade standards.

The role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams, mentoring junior engineers, and engaging directly with customers, including shipbuilders and defense contractors, to deliver reliable, mission-critical solutions. Advanced proficiency in control code development, electrical plant simulation (e.g., Simulink), and integration of distributed energy resources is required. This position operates under minimal supervision and requires strong leadership in managing multi-disciplinary teams and delivering cutting-edge marine power systems.

What You Will Be Doing 

• Lead the design and development of integrated power management control systems for marine platforms.
• Develop control algorithms for generator synchronization, load sharing, load shedding, fault isolation, and grid stability for seamless integration of diesel generators, gas turbines, and energy storage systems into the ship's power grid. 
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including customers, project managers, and cross-functional teams, to identify, capture, and document system requirements for marine power management systems.
• Develop clear, concise, and testable requirements for power management systems, including functional, performance, and regulatory requirements.
• Use requirements management tools (e.g., IBM DOORS, HELIX, or Jira) to manage the lifecycle of requirements, from definition and validation to verification and traceability.
• Conduct dynamic modeling and simulation of marine electrical power plants in Simulink/Simscape to evaluate system performance under various operating conditions
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including customers, project managers, and cross-functional teams, to identify, capture, and document system requirements for marine power management systems.
• Develop clear, concise, and testable requirements for power management systems, including functional, performance, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure alignment of requirements with maritime and military standards, as well as customer specifications.
• Perform requirements traceability analysis to ensure that all design, development, and testing activities meet customer and regulatory expectations.

What We Are Looking For 

• Bachelor's Degree in Arts/Sciences (BA/BS) in Electrical Engineering or equivalent required.
• Master's Degree in Electrical/Systems Engineering or equivalent preferred.
• Strong knowledge of power systems, including generator control, load management and grid control, experience with marine power systems preferred.
• Advanced skills in dynamic modeling and simulation of electrical systems using tools like MATLAB/Simulink or similar platforms.
• Hardware design – Applied understanding of control wiring, power distribution architecture, grounding and shielding practices, power measurement devices is required.
• Strong knowledge and experience in controlling power systems used in grid level applications; AC and DC power generation combined with integration/interface of the controller into prime mover diesel and/or gas turbine packages. Acumen in applied power system fundamentals in grid level power production and distribution; power factor, 3phase generator synchronization, load control, breaker control, isochronous control is required.
• Comprehensive understanding of maritime and military-grade standards for power systems, including EMI/EMC compliance and system safety preferred.
• Knowledge of industrial communications protocols such as Modbus, CAN, OPC, TCP/IP & ethernet is required. Usage of serial communications and networking/switch architecture knowledge is preferred.
• Knowledge and experience in industrial signal types such used in control applications for demands and feedback; 4-20mA, voltage, actuator controls (proportional/integrating), temperature (TC/RTD) is required.
• Understanding and usage of Human Machine Interface (HMI) software and how it’s used in fielded industrial environments is preferred.
• Knowledge for planning, creating and performing Verification and Validation Testing of the software.
• Fundamental knowledge line programming and/or scripting is desired.
• Experience in writing technical documentation, proposals, and system specifications.
• Travel: Willingness to travel domestically and internationally for customer interactions, testing, and commissioning phases.
• Physical Requirements: Ability to work in shipyard environments and onboard vessels during integration and commissioning.

Application window is anticipated to close 30 days from original posting date.

This information is provided in compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act and is the company’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the compensation range and benefits offered for this position. The compensation offered to the successful applicant may vary based on factors including experience, skills, education, location, and other job-related reasons.

This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).   All applicants must be U.S. Persons within the meaning of the ITAR and EAR, or eligible to obtain all required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (i.e., 'Green Card holder'), or a protected person (e.g., asylee, or refugee).

Woodward is an Equal Opportunity Employer 

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