Principal Engineer, Electrical Innovation

Job Type: Full Time | Location: Texas | Department: Innovation | Reporting to: Chief Innovation Officer | Work Location Type: #hybrid

IREN is a vertically integrated AI Cloud provider, delivering large-scale data centers and GPU clusters for AI training and inference. IREN’s platform is underpinned by its expansive portfolio of grid-connected land and power in renewable-rich regions across North America, Europe and APAC. 

The Principal Engineer, Electrical Innovation is IREN's subject matter expert in power engineering within the Innovation organization, reporting to the VP, Electrical Innovation. This role operates at the intersection of innovation and execution — translating the electrical engineering standards and architectural concepts developed by the Innovation team into practical designs and technical guidance that project teams can act on.
The Principal Engineer works directly with the NGDC (Next-Gen Data Center) and IMDC (Industrialized Manufacturing Data Center) project engineers to execute new designs, ensures cross-discipline alignment with mechanical, NGDC, and IMDC programs, and serves as a technical resource to IREN's broader engineering, construction, and commissioning organizations.
With 100% renewable energy, we build, own and operate our data centers and take pride in being at the forefront of sustainable solutions for the ever-evolving applications of high-performance compute. We believe that human progress is invaluable, but it should be done in the right way – responsibly, sustainably and having a positive impact on the communities we operate in. 
Job requirements

• 12+ years of progressive electrical engineering experience with deep specialization in power systems — including medium- and low-voltage distribution design, protection coordination, switchgear, generator and UPS systems, and load flow analysis — within data center, mission-critical, energy, or industrial infrastructure.
• Demonstrated experience developing power engineering design deliverables — single-line diagrams, protection studies, equipment specifications, and design basis documents — at a level of technical depth and completeness suitable for direct use in construction and procurement.
• Experience working across both innovation/development and project execution environments — able to develop standards and design concepts in a research context and apply them practically within the constraints of active construction projects.
• Strong cross-discipline collaboration skills with the ability to coordinate power engineering decisions with mechanical, structural, controls, and construction stakeholders; clear and precise technical communication, both written and verbal.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering required; PE registration preferred. Hyperscale or owner-operator data center experience highly valued. Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required (estimated 20–35%).

Job responsibilities
Power Engineering — Subject Matter Expertise

• Serve as IREN's internal subject matter expert in power engineering — providing authoritative technical guidance on medium- and low-voltage power distribution, protection coordination, switchgear and switchboard design, generator and UPS integration, and power system modeling for next-generation and industrialized data center infrastructure.
• Develop and maintain power engineering design deliverables within the Innovation program, including single-line diagrams, protection coordination studies, load flow analyses, equipment specifications, and design basis documents that establish IREN's technical standards for power systems.
• Evaluate emerging power system technologies, equipment, and methodologies — providing technically grounded recommendations to the VP, Electrical Innovation on opportunities to improve system reliability, efficiency, and deploy-ability across IREN's infrastructure portfolio.

Design Execution — NGDC & IMDC Programs

• Partner directly with the NGDC and IMDC project engineers to translate Innovation-developed electrical standards and architectural concepts into executable designs — providing hands-on technical support through design development, review, and resolution of complex power system issues.
• Review and provide technical approval of electrical designs, calculations, and specifications produced by NGDC and IMDC project teams, ensuring alignment with Innovation standards and identifying deviations that require resolution before designs are released for procurement or construction.
• Support the development of electrical systems within IREN's modular and prefabricated assemblies — including E-Houses, switchgear modules, and generator platforms — providing power engineering expertise through design, factory acceptance testing, and field commissioning.

Cross-Discipline Coordination

• Ensure electrical power system designs are coordinated with the mechanical team — resolving interdependencies between power distribution, cooling systems, and thermal management at the design stage to prevent field conflicts and ensure integrated system performance.
• Maintain active technical alignment with the NGDC and IMDC programs — participating in design reviews, interface meetings, and technical workshops to ensure that electrical decisions made within each program are consistent with Innovation standards and do not create downstream conflicts across disciplines or projects.
• Identify and escalate cross-discipline interface issues — including electrical-to-mechanical, electrical-to-structural, and electrical-to-controls conflicts — to the VP, Electrical Innovation with clear technical framing and recommended resolution paths.

Support to Engineering, Construction & Commissioning

• Serve as a technical resource to IREN's engineering, construction, and commissioning teams on power engineering matters — responding to RFIs, supporting design clarifications, reviewing submittals, and providing technical field support for complex electrical installations.
• Support commissioning activities for electrical systems — including review of commissioning plans, participation in energization and functional testing, troubleshooting of power system anomalies, and documentation of as-commissioned performance against design intent.
• Capture field learnings and construction observations, feeding technically validated lessons back into Innovation's power engineering standards to continuously improve design quality and reduce rework on future projects.

Standards & Documentation

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of IREN's electrical engineering standards library — authoring and updating design criteria, equipment specifications, and calculation templates for power systems in alignment with applicable codes (NEC, IEEE, NFPA, IEC, ANSI) and IREN-specific requirements.
• Produce clear, complete technical documentation for all power engineering deliverables — ensuring that design intent, assumptions, and interface requirements are captured in a form that enables downstream teams to execute accurately without requiring further interpretation.

Benefits

At IREN, we offer a highly competitive compensation package that includes base salary, annual performance incentives, and opportunities to build long-term wealth through equity programs. These offerings are part of our broader total rewards package, thoughtfully designed to support your health, well-being, and long-term success.