Senior Electrical Engineer - Motors & Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
Posted Sep 9, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about a motor or drive problem you solved that others had struggled with.
What they are checking: Whether they have the depth to serve as the subject matter expert the posting describes.
How do you mentor less experienced engineers on motors and drives?
What they are checking: Whether they share knowledge, which a senior expert is expected to do across teams.
Tell me about a product you helped take from concept through production. What was your role at each stage?
What they are checking: Whether they have seen the full development cycle and understand what changes once a design hits the factory.
What would you do
How do you work with a motor or drive supplier when their part doesn't meet your spec?
What they are checking: Whether they can push suppliers on technical issues with data while keeping the program on schedule.
Mechanical engineering wants a smaller motor to save space, but your analysis says it will run hot. How do you resolve it?
What they are checking: Whether they defend reliability with evidence and look for options instead of just saying no.
About the work
How would you select a motor and VFD combination for a variable-speed residential water pump?
What they are checking: Whether they can match motor type, drive, load curve and cost to a real pump application.
What are the tradeoffs between an induction motor and a permanent magnet motor for a pump?
What they are checking: Whether they understand efficiency, cost, control complexity and supply risk well enough to recommend one.
A VFD-driven pump is causing early motor bearing failures in the field. What could be going on?
What they are checking: Whether they know about common-mode voltage and bearing currents, and how to diagnose and prevent them.
How do you handle harmonics and EMI from a VFD in a residential product?
What they are checking: Whether they can design filtering and layout that meet emissions requirements without adding too much cost.
Walk me through how you'd validate a new motor and drive before it goes into production.
What they are checking: Whether they plan thermal, efficiency, life and abuse testing, not just a test that shows it runs.
What efficiency regulations or safety standards have you designed motor products to meet?
What they are checking: Whether they have taken products through compliance requirements that pump systems face.
Practice this interview out loud.
Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Pentair from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.
Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Pentair.