About the Position

Rotating Machinery Senior Engineer

We are seeking a Rotating Machinery Senior Engineer to support advisory services across Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Independent Engineering (IE), and Owner’s Engineering (OE).

Locations: Austin, TX; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; San Diego, CA; Oakland, CA; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; Medford, MA

Role Type: Full-Time

Compensation: $120,000 - $195,000 USD

About the Role

Are you an experienced engineer with hands-on expertise in rotating equipment across both wind and thermal generation? Do you thrive on diagnosing complex equipment behavior, understanding failure mechanisms, and translating those insights into meaningful guidance for technical and investment decisions?

DNV Energy Systems North America is seeking a Rotating Machinery Senior Engineer Subject Matter Expert (SME) in rotating machinery to support advisory services across Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Independent Engineering (IE), and Owner’s Engineering (OE).

This role is designed for engineers with strong practical experience in both thermal rotating equipment and wind turbine drivetrain systems. Candidates bring deep understanding of equipment behavior, failure mechanisms, and maintenance strategy, and are experienced in applying root cause analysis and reliability engineering to real-world assets.

Responsibilities

Serve as DNV’s rotating machinery SME across advisory engagements involving both thermal generation (priority) and wind generation assets.
Lead technical evaluations of equipment and portfolios, including:
- Gas turbines, steam turbines, and associated generator systems
- Wind turbine generators and drivetrain systems (gearboxes, bearings, shafts)
Assess asset condition, performance, and reliability using operating data, inspection findings, maintenance history, and failure trends across both wind and thermal technologies.
Evaluate equipment behavior under different operating regimes (e.g., cycling and load-following in thermal assets, variable wind conditions and transient loads in wind turbines).
Support technical due diligence, independent engineering, and owner’s engineering scopes, including:
- Review of turbine systems, drivetrain components, and plant configurations
- Assessment of asset condition, operational performance, and reliability risk
- Evaluation of operations and maintenance practices, including major maintenance strategies (overhauls, gearbox replacements, outage planning)
- Validation of technical inputs to financial models, including availability, performance, and lifecycle costs
- Participation in site visits, inspections, and technical interviews
Perform root cause analysis (RCA) for rotating equipment failures across both wind and thermal assets, including wind turbine generators, gearboxes, bearings, and turbine-generator systems
Identify failure modes, assess recurrence risk, and recommend mitigation strategies based on reliability engineering principles
Interpret and contextualize RCA findings and failure history to inform asset-level risk, performance expectations, and investment decisions
Provide independent technical judgment, constructively challenging assumptions and conclusions to ensure alignment with observed equipment behavior
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to integrate rotating machinery insights into broader engineering, financial, and transaction evaluations. Support client interactions, including diligence discussions, workshops, and technical reviews.
Contribute to technical reports and client deliverables, synthesizing complex findings into clear, concise, and decision-oriented insights.
Mentor team members and contribute to building internal capability in rotating machinery across wind and thermal technologies.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree in engineering (mechanical preferred, or related discipline).
A minimum of Eight (8) years of experience in rotating machinery, with demonstrated expertise across both:
- A strong thermal rotating machinery foundation
- Demonstrated wind drivetrain or wind turbine generator exposure
Demonstrated experience evaluating equipment condition, performance, and reliability in operational environments.
Strong experience conducting root cause analysis (RCA) and failure investigations for rotating equipment
Familiarity with reliability engineering principles, including failure modes, degradation mechanisms, and lifecycle risk.
Experience supporting operations, maintenance, or asset management, including major maintenance events (e.g., gearbox replacements, turbine overhauls, outage planning).
Familiarity with energy project lifecycle elements and key contracts (EPC, O&M) and how equipment performance impacts project risk and value.
Ability to interpret complex technical data and translate findings into clear, structured insights for both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Strong AI and digital fluency, with the ability to evaluate AI-generated outputs, apply critical thinking, ensure quality and accuracy, and utilize AI responsibly within company governance frameworks.
Willingness and ability to travel up to approximately 20% of the time.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and strong written and verbal communication skills in English language.

Nice to Have

Experience within an OEM, major service provider, or fleet engineering organization supporting rotating equipment.
Experience supporting or interfacing with technical due diligence, project development, or engineering advisory work.
Strong technical judgment with the ability to independently assess rotating equipment across both wind and thermal systems
Practical, operations-focused mindset grounded in real-world equipment behavior and failure mechanisms
Ability to diagnose complex equipment issues and connect failure modes to operating conditions and maintenance practices
Clear communicator able to translate complex reliability and engineering concepts into actionable insights
Effective in multidisciplinary environments, integrating equipment-level expertise into broader technical and financial evaluations
Comfortable working in fast-paced and ambiguous environments, focusing effort on the issues most relevant to decision-makers
Strong ownership of technical quality, delivering high-integrity and defensible analyses
Collaborative team player who supports knowledge sharing and contributes to building team capability

We Offer

Generous paid time off (vacation, sick days, company holidays, personal days)
Multiple Medical and Dental benefit plans to choose from, Vision benefits
Spending accounts – FSA, Dependent Care, Commuter Benefits, company-seeded HSA
Employer-paid, therapist-led, virtual care services through Talkspace
401(k) with company match
Company provided life insurance, short-term, and long-term disability benefits
Education reimbursement program
Flexible work schedule with hybrid opportunities
Charitable Matched Giving and Volunteer Rewards through our Impact Program
Volunteer time off (VTO) paid by the company
Career advancement opportunities

Benefits vary based on position, tenure, location, and employee election

About the Company

We are the independent expert in assurance and risk management. Driven by our purpose, to safeguard life, property, and the environment, we empower our customers and their stakeholders with facts and reliable insights so that critical decisions can be made with confidence.

As a trusted voice for many of the world’s most successful organizations, we use our knowledge to advance safety and performance, set industry benchmarks, and inspire and invent solutions to tackle global transformations.

About Energy Systems

We help customers navigate the complex transition to a decarbonized and more sustainable energy future. We do this by assuring that energy systems work safely and effectively, using solutions that are increasingly digital. We also help industries and governments to navigate the many complex, interrelated transitions taking place globally and regionally, in the energy industry.

Application Process

You can apply directly through our careers page by submitting your CV and any other documents we require (i.e. university diplomas/transcripts; visas; previous employment reference letters*). Make sure your application is fully completed, and you tailor it to the specific job listing.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At DNV, our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is not only an ethical choice, but also a business decision.

Diversity, fairness, and a sense of belonging are a source of strength for our people, our business, and our customers, and help us to deliver on our purpose, vision, and values.

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Rotating Machinery Senior Engineer

Job description