What Does A Lead Electrical Engineer Do?

WHAT DOES A LEAD ELECTRICAL ENGINEER DO?

Published: Jan 09, 2026 - The Lead Electrical Engineer troubleshoots onsite system issues, performs equipment and battery inspections, and works with engineering, QC, operations, and vendors to ensure smooth commissioning. This position provides technical support and training to contractors while managing maintenance activities, inspections, spare parts, and site logistics throughout installation and operation. The Lead Electrical Engineer also oversees commissioning schedules, participates in project meetings, and leads all safety planning, hazard analysis, and mitigation efforts.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Lead Electrical Engineer

1. Lead Electrical Engineer Details

Technical Leadership: Technical lead for new product development programs related to lighting platforms (lighting products, control systems, and power regulators)
Product Specification: Creates product specifications based on customer and marketing requirements
Competitive Analysis: Initiate a thorough evaluation of competitive products, features, technologies, patents, production costs, and field reliability.
Global Collaboration: Collaborate with colleagues based in global design and manufacturing centers.
Design Thinking: Initiate and participate in design thinking workshops to solve customer challenges
DFMEA Planning: Develop DFMEA and test plans required for thorough product validation testing
Electrical Architecture: Lead architect of electrical designs and lead technical reviews of proposed solutions
Regulatory Compliance: Interpret regulatory requirements and develop designs to meet those standards

2. Lead Electrical Engineer Responsibilities

Safety Quality: Carry out all work ensuring effective Safety and Quality attitudes and practices.
Technical Guidance: Technical guidance on the resolution of process and equipment problems.
Process Development: Initiate, design, develop, and optimize manufacturing and supporting processes.
Project Execution: Implement projects and programs with excellence to deliver against business unit objectives.
People Management: Manage self and/or team in accordance with Ways of Working.
Capability Development: Develop expanded capability within the Personal Care Drives and Controls team in accordance with the expected behaviors of the Leadership Qualities.
Leadership Example: Provide leadership by example in managing safety, diversity, and quality attitudes and practices.
Documentation Control: Ensure work is documented and is retrievable.

3. Lead Electrical Engineer Accountabilities

Electrical Design: Development of electrical component designs from concept through implementation
Design Documentation: Creation of design documents, drawings and specs based on product and system level requirements using state-of-the-art electrical and converter technologies for GE wind turbines
Fleet Improvement: Support design opportunity identification, estimation, planning and execution for various improvements across the fleet to drive electrical productivity benefits in Wind Services
Validation Support: Support the creation and execution of validation plans for electrical and thermal system designs in the lab and at turbines in the field
QMS Compliance: Adhere to QMS and the design review process laid out by the controlled title holders
PLM P6 Support: Support the usage of PLM and P6 for design process documentation and scheduling
Problem Solving: Demonstrate independent problem-solving and root cause analysis skills
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work collaboratively across engineering fleet segments and with the CTO on advanced technology

4. Lead Electrical Engineer Functions

Manufacturing Support: Support a manufacturing/production team in the build and testing of Aeroderivative gas turbine packages, diagnosing issues, ensuring quality, and compliance of designs.
Electrical Diagrams: Read, interpret Single Line Diagrams and develop wiring, loop, instrumentation, and schematic diagrams, and apply to electrical design principles, support RCAs and FMEAs.
AC DC Systems: Fundamental understanding of AC/DC electrical system designs, LV/MV Equipment design, sizing, and interfaces, including basic operation of GSUT, step-up/down transformers, and motor control equipment utilized on a gas turbine package and/or power plant system.
Testing Schedules: Support and develop testing schedules for products/equipment systems with critical milestones and work task assignments with cross-functional teams.
Technical Documentation: Assure proper documentation of technical data is being generated for the specific tests or design programs, analyze and report conclusions based on tasks, consistent with engineering policies and procedures.
Program Leadership: Spearhead smaller, high-impact programs/projects based on engineering priorities, NCR/Quality Issue resolutions, and development of concept designs to drive PCO (Product cost out initiatives).
Stakeholder Communication: Provide timely communications on significant issues or developments to Engineering Managers and key business stakeholders.
Reliability Analysis: Perform fleet reliability analysis on assigned assets to assess performance and reliability, and quantify future risk of failure and operational expense.

5. Lead Electrical Engineer Details and Accountabilities

Document Preparation: Hold responsibility for the preparation of deliverable documents, including narratives, calculations, drawings, and specifications
Client Coordination: Attend client meetings, lead the coordination effort between external and internal project teams
Engineering Judgment: Independently evaluate and apply engineering judgment, techniques, and procedures to complete a project from concepts through construction
Project Leadership: Assemble effective project teams, project team leadership and discipline, project management
Staff Development: Provide training, guidance, and development for staff
Equipment Selection: Oversee engineering calculations and equipment selection
Site Assessment: Perform site visits and issue reports
Specification Writing: Write specifications, provide updates to master specifications and standards, and improve company processes
Power Analysis: Engineering application of distribution Load Flow, Short Circuit, and Arc Flash Energy analysis using Easy Power
Client Relations: Develop client relationships
Firm Leadership: Participate in firm leadership committees
Quality Management: Oversee the application of the project quality management plan (QMP)

6. Lead Electrical Engineer Tasks

Project Leadership: Lead design efforts and manage projects, including budget, project scope development, and ensuring that delivery goals are followed through project close-out.
Schedule Budgeting: Prepare and monitor project schedules and budgets, providing technical guidance and assistance on contracting and construction-related issues, and providing project oversight.
Design Leadership: Work closely with management to lead engineering teams on innovative design, specifically in sustainable, high-performing buildings, including healthcare and higher education facility projects.
Status Reporting: Provide project status updates and reports to clients, management, integrated project teams, and stakeholders.
Multidisciplinary Coordination: Work within multi-disciplinary project teams to develop drawing and specification documents for issuance to architects, contractors, and building owners.
Power Systems: Service utility coordination and designing power distribution systems, lighting, fire alarm, and emergency power systems, low voltage infrastructure, and UPS design.
Contract Negotiation: Lead technical aspects of contract negotiation, presentations, and meetings.
Stakeholder Engagement: Meet with various public or private entities or individuals to discuss issues relating to a variety of electrical, engineering, and construction challenges and programs.
Staff Mentoring: Mentor staff to support their growth and professional development.
Technical Currency: Remain current in the latest electrical engineering techniques and practices.
Ethical Conduct: Be responsible and ethical in decision-making regarding company funds, resources, and conduct, and adhere to WSP’s Code of Conduct and related policies and procedures.

7. Lead Electrical Engineer Roles

Issue Tracking: Track onsite system issues and work closely with the engineering and QC team to achieve resolution before commissioning
Technical Support: Provide technical support and on-site training to construction contractors for system installation
Equipment Commissioning: Work with PCS, meter, and other equipment providers on equipment commissioning
Battery Inspection: Perform battery examinations/inspections, identify issues and errors, and run final commissioning
Operations Support: Work with the system operations team to fix issues or address potential issues
System Training: Provide system training to service contractors
Maintenance Support: Complete periodic system inspection and maintenance, or assist service contractors with the same
Inventory Management: Assist with spare parts inventory management
Site Logistics: Assist with planning and managing site logistics
Schedule Management: Assist with the preparation and management of operational schedules, including detailed commissioning schedules, and ensure all milestone activities take place on or ahead of schedule
Meeting Participation: Attend and actively participate in project meetings, including contractor and subcontractor meetings
Safety Leadership: Prioritize safety, lead safety meetings, analyze job hazards, and provide prompt resolution of hazards

8. Lead Electrical Engineer Additional Details

Test Planning: Create and execute test plans to qualify components, verify performance, and document results
Obsolescence Management: Address component obsolescence issues, working with cross-functional teams
PCBA Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot and bring up PCBAs using sound engineering principles
Project Management: Manage electrical projects through design, test, and implementation phases and share technical knowledge with the group
Design Management: Manage design activities through design reviews, prototyping, and communicating the schedule, milestones, and status to project teams
Specification Development: Lead the development of electrical specifications for product development
Independent Problem Solving: Work independently to identify problems and formulate solutions
Change Management: Manage Engineering Change Orders and follow Configuration Management release processes

9. Lead Electrical Engineer Essential Functions

Electrical Design: Assist in the design and development of bespoke electrical systems and equipment integration solutions for a variety of specialist vehicle projects from concept through to manufacture.
Requirements Design: Design systems and components that meet needs and requirements
Lifecycle Development: Perform a full lifecycle product development (design, develop, test prototypes, manufacture, and implement)
Cost Reduction: Constantly review production methods with a view to reducing cost
Design Documentation: Create tailored documents to present new designs or modifications.
Procedure Documentation: Create and maintain fully documented production procedures and project files
Design Verification: Interrogate design proposal drawings to verify design, components
Budget Estimation: Estimate the budget and scope of the project
Production Feedback: Solicit observations and feedback from production departments
Design Modification: Alter and modify designs to meet requirements and to eliminate malfunctions
Product Evaluation: Evaluate the final product’s overall performance, reliability, and safety
Problem Solving: Identify, formulate, and produce effective solutions to emerging problems
Process Procedures: Produce standard operating procedures for all manufacturing processes
Process Standardization: Develop a standardised approach to production processes within the company
Engineering Support: Assist in basic day-to-day engineering department duties and procedures.
Design Presentation: Presentation of design solutions internally and to customers
Project Delivery: Deliver assigned projects on time and within budget
Electrical Calculations: Apply basic electrical calculations
Continuous Learning: Engage in lifelong learning and develop new theories or methods

10. Lead Electrical Engineer Role Purpose

Innovative Design: Developing innovative designs to meet all requirements for performance, reliability, cost, and manufacturability for assigned components and subsystems, specifically in areas of power supplies, embedded computers, networking, low-voltage power and communication, and cabling.
Prototype Development: Development and delivery of electrical prototypes, including components to be provided by external suppliers.
Performance Verification: Verification of component and subsystem performance and reliability.
Specification Writing: Writing detailed functional specifications that document newly created designs and support production introduction.
Test Development: Supporting the development of test fixtures and test execution to prove design functionality and performance, reliability, and mass production capability.
Supplier Collaboration: Working with external suppliers to ensure reliability, performance, and delivery of prototypes.
Manufacturing Transfer: Engaging in design transfer to manufacturing and service, focused on test and repair strategies.
Technical Reviews: Working independently and possessing a level of functional expertise necessary to influence and execute technical design reviews.
Engineering Collaboration: Working both independently and under the guidance of Senior Engineers, aligned with team standards and best practices.

11. Lead Electrical Engineer General Responsibilities

Electrical Leadership: Lead the electrical discipline in technical projects and activities
Design Delivery: Deliver design and documentation in technical projects
Design Guidance: Provide guidance to the project's basic design and detail design engineering work
Engineering Review: Prepare and review engineering studies, design drawings, documents, materials, and equipment specifications
Cost Estimation: Prepare and review cost estimations in investment projects
Project Management: Manage minor investment projects or projects aimed at stabilizing and optimizing plant performance
Standards Update: Review and assist with the update of internal technical guidelines and standards within electrical engineering
Process Improvement: Suggest improvements to relevant internal work processes
Technical Sourcing: Participate in technical sourcing activities with responsibility for technical evaluation

12. Lead Electrical Engineer Roles and Details

Analog Design: Design and develop sensitive, low-noise, and low-power analog front-ends
Embedded Systems: Develop hardware and firmware for battery-powered wireless embedded systems
RF Design: Design RF wireless technologies, including RF and inductive antenna design
EMC EMI Testing: Perform EMC/EMI design and testing per regulatory standards
PCB Design: Design circuits and PCB layouts using Altium design tools, including DFM and DFT
Requirements Development: Develop electrical and product requirements and specifications, design FMEAs, and V&V test protocols
Design Verification: Test, characterize, and verify electrical designs
Standards Compliance: Ensure that electrical design and test equipment meet applicable industry and medical device standards
Cross-Functional Communication: Communicate effectively and participate in cross-functional development teams
Change Control: Write and submit Engineering Change Orders into the product life cycle documentation system
Policy Compliance: Comply with all applicable Corporate and Divisional Policies

13. Lead Electrical Engineer Responsibilities and Key Tasks

Process Improvement: Works closely with an experienced process engineer to identify improvement activities and quantify the potential improvement
Gemba Analysis: Gemba processes and communicates with operators to identify key issues
Solution Implementation: Develops and installs solutions to improve processes, resulting in reduced waste and scrap or increased productivity.
Kaizen Collaboration: Collaborates with plant Engineering and Tech Services Team to develop, design, implement, and test new technology and kaizen modifications
Kaizen Reporting: Develop and support reporting on Kaizen activities, including quantifying impact results
Operational Planning: Assists in the development of operational plans and implements for areas of assigned responsibilities
Continuous Improvement: Identifies and implements continuous improvement automation activities
Engineering Research: Determines method of research for the planning, design, development, and testing of electrical equipment, facilities, components, products, and systems for commercial, industrial, and domestic purposes
Stakeholder Communication: Supports relationships through strong communication and negotiation skills with internal and external stakeholders

14. Lead Electrical Engineer Duties and Roles

Hardware Development: Owns hardware development assignments, including system trades, setting and negotiating requirements, project planning and execution, design and analysis, build, qualification, production, and test.
Global Collaboration: Collaboration with global, multi-disciplinary team members to close out design functional test, qualification, and certification activities.
Engineering Collaboration: Effectively interact and collaborate with other engineering disciplines, with excellent attention to detail.
Problem Solving: Partners to reach effective solutions to complex electrical engineering problems on a broad, diverse portfolio of designs for the products and systems.
Design Execution: Solve complex design problems to tight schedules with minimal supervision.
Adaptive Decision Making: Adapt to constantly changing work assignments and consistently make timely decisions and balancing systematic analysis with decisiveness in an ambiguous environment.
Fast-paced Work: Work in a fast-paced, autonomously driven, and demanding start-up-like atmosphere.
Design Practices: Follow and tailor best design practices and guidelines to ensure efficiency on the given project task.

15. Lead Electrical Engineer Responsibilities

System Ownership: System-level ownership of the electrical design of the battery system
Battery Hardware: Start to finish ownership of Battery Hardware electrical design from requirements to detailed design, prototype, reliability validation, and high-volume manufacturing.
Roadmap Development: Collaboratively create and drive the battery system roadmap
Battery Design: Design and develop Battery System hardware intended to be used in Rivian energy products.
Team Leadership: Lead team in electrical design, simulation, prototyping, and validation of battery system
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with mechanical engineers, LV design engineers, cell engineering, and software controls engineering teams to successfully design, validate, and manufacture a battery system.
Battery Architecture: Architecture and modeling of new battery topologies to achieve better performance
Team Support: Support cross-functional teams.
Battery Testing: Lead test and characterize battery modules and battery systems in a laboratory environment
Issue Debugging: Lead debugging of issues and solve problems
Continuous Improvement: Implement continuous improvement and best practices within the team and the larger Battery organization

16. Lead Electrical Engineer Accountabilities

Design Guidelines: Create or update design guidelines based on experience, new and better ways of doing things, or availability of new and improved technology.
Practice Standardization: Work actively on the standardization of practice, design, or components used in the design.
Part Approval: Revise and approve the Standard Part List
Solution Catalog: Created the Conventional Train Control solution catalog
SRD Input: Create an electrical standard input for SRDs
ICD Development: Create a standard electrical ICD
Platform Concept: Create an electrical family platform concept
Library Review: Review and approve the project library
Layout Review: Review and approve the layout concept
Component Approval: Review and approve the components list
Component Validation: Validate components creation in the components database
Engineer Coaching: Support and coach less experienced electrical engineers in their day-to-day activities to reduce their learning curve and make sure they follow EWIS design best practices.

17. Lead Electrical Engineer Overview

EV Charging Design: Design and develop DC fast charging commercial power charging stations and systems for EV vehicles.
Power Simulation: Analyze and simulate (Hardware in the Loop) power electronics systems, including analog, logical, and digital electronics.
Product Development: Collaborate on new product development projects while meeting schedule, cost, and product performance goals.
Global Collaboration: Interface closely with cross-functional team members globally.
Requirements Review: Review product development requirement specifications, including product management and customer requirements.
Specification Writing: Write and maintain functional specifications of design solutions.
Design Evaluation: Evaluates alternative design solutions to meet product development requirements, factoring in performance, features, cost, and schedule.
Product Validation: Product testing and Validation with regulatory certification.
Six Sigma Design: Applies Design for Six Sigma principles as part of the development process.
Document Control: Maintains and releases design documentation in a PDM system during product development.
Product Deployment: Supports factory introduction and field deployment of new products.

18. Lead Electrical Engineer Additional Details

Manhour Estimation: Prepare discipline man-hours estimates for the new proposal and development of deliverables lists
Budget Delivery: Deliver the disciplines' design deliverables within the man-hour budget.
Resource Management: Manage discipline resources together with the Project Engineering Manager
Tool Selection: Identification of software requirements and selection of appropriate design tools.
Training Needs: Identify the training needs of discipline personnel.
Progress Reporting: Progress reporting of discipline deliverables and tasks, and updates in progress reports.
Variance Reporting: Identify and report potential variances to the Project (using PVN)
Lessons Learned: Update lessons learnt in the lessons learnt register.
Interface Management: Manage interfaces within the discipline, with other disciplines, and with third-party contractors.
Procurement Interface: Interface with procurement and construction.
Change Control: Coordinate change control and technical query process within the discipline

19. Lead Electrical Engineer General Responsibilities

Requirements Verification: Be responsible for electrical requirements and their verification at the component and bench level testing.
Electrical Support: Supporting the rest of the functional disciplines with all aspects related to electrical hardware.
Independent Problem Solving: Performing complex work assignments requiring independent problem solving and decision making, requiring strong electrical technical competency
Engineering Analysis: Performing necessary analysis and simulations such as DFMEA, power analysis, signal integrity,...
Engineering Planning: Ensuring engineering timing plans, defect issues lists, risk assessments, and lessons learned are created and maintained, and providing engineering status for project reviews (e.g., gate, design, milestones, etc.) according to program timing for all projects.
Program Reviews: Supporting all Program Management-driven reviews (e.g., Gate reviews)
KPI Management: Defining and tracking the Key Performance Indicators.
Technical Representation: Participating in customer and internal technical reviews and in industry associations or regulatory forums, to determine the influence of feature road maps and inform the rest of the organization of any regulatory and standard updates, evaluate the impact on the current business, and provide solutions to meet these standards
Technical Leadership: Leveraging excellent communication and leadership skills to advocate for the solutions, working seamlessly across teams, functions, and with customers
Engineer Mentoring: Mentoring and guiding other engineers in the team

20. Lead Electrical Engineer Responsibilities and Key Tasks

Standards Compliance: Ensuring QSGTL and statutory requirements, including DEM1 and DEM2 standards, are identified and addressed in the Electrical equipment design across all Purchase Orders and programmes.
Industry Standards: Familiar and up to date with the latest Shell and Industry standards, and ensure compliance of project designs with these latest standards.
Design Integrity: Ensure the technical integrity of the Electrical discipline’s deliverables through the implementation of checking and design review activities.
Safety Awareness: Proactively seek an understanding of the safety hazards and risks associated with the asset lifecycle of the designed product, plant, or structure.
Review Actions: Ensure the actions from the implementation of Project Reviews and VIPs are addressed promptly.
Technical Innovation: Design and develop innovative technical approaches to the broader Electrical engineering issues and contribute to continuous business improvement initiatives (fit for purpose)
Safety Communication: Communicate with the project team and document key design decisions that may have a significant safety impact.
Design Efficiency: Drive and delivery of an ever-increasing effectiveness and efficiency in producing project designs, through Elimination, Simplification, Standardisation, and Automation, balanced against the need for Top Quartile FEL in, and quality designs for the Qatar Project Delivery Hub projects.
Execution Planning: Plan of the execution of the discipline’s activities to maintain the project schedule.
Quality Management: Manage quality and consistency within the discipline.
Technical Direction: Provide technical direction, control, and supervision for engineering and design within the discipline.
Issue Resolution: Resolution of discipline technical issues.

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