JobsGenerac

Staff Systems Engineer - Electrical

Generac · Waukesha, WI

Posted Aug 11, 2025 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

Behavioral

Tell me about a time you captured system requirements from a mix of internal engineering teams, product managers, and external customers, and those groups disagreed on what mattered most.

skill at requirements elicitation and conflict resolution across stakeholders with competing priorities

Tell me about a time a project you were leading fell behind schedule or over cost. What did you do, and what was the outcome?

ownership of schedule and cost tradeoffs and honesty about setbacks

Describe a situation where you had to influence an engineering team or a business partner without having direct authority over them.

capacity to operate and get results in a matrixed organization, a stated requirement

Tell me about a time you mentored a less experienced engineer through a technical problem they were stuck on.

whether coaching ability, explicitly listed as a duty, is backed by a concrete example

Tell me about the most difficult root cause investigation you have led on a system-level failure. What was your process and what did you find?

depth of problem-solving methodology and whether they go past symptoms to actual causes

Technical

Walk me through a medium voltage power system you designed for a data center or similar facility, something in that 500kW to 5 MW range. What were the key requirements you had to balance?

whether the candidate has genuine hands-on depth with the exact power range and application this role centers on, not just adjacent generator experience

How do you approach generator paralleling and synchronizing when multiple units feed a utility-connected site?

real technical fluency in a core skill the posting explicitly calls out, versus surface familiarity

Describe how you have used the V model, or something like it, to manage requirements flow-down from system to subsystem to component on a real project.

whether the candidate has actually practiced structured systems engineering methodology rather than just knowing the term

How do you go about defining a systems test strategy for a new product, from component level testing up through full system validation?

ability to structure verification and validation work across levels of integration

What regulatory standards have you had to design compliance into for medium or high voltage generation equipment, and how did you verify you met them?

real exposure to the compliance landscape these products must satisfy, not just awareness of the term

How do you decide what belongs in a Statement of Requirements versus what gets left to detailed design, and how do you keep it updated as a project evolves?

judgment about requirements scope and discipline in maintaining living documents

Situational

If you inherited a project where the system architecture document and the interconnect diagrams did not match what the hardware team had actually built, what would you do first?

instinct for root-cause investigation and documentation discipline when reality and paperwork diverge

Suppose a design review surfaces a disagreement between the electrical team and controls team about how a generator control scheme should be tuned. How would you drive that to resolution?

cross-functional facilitation and technical judgment in a controls-heavy dispute

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The full job description

As published by Generac.

We are Generac, a leading energy technology company committed to powering a smarter world. Over the 60 plus years of Generac’s history, we’ve been dedicated to energy innovation. From creating the home standby generator market category, to our current evolution into an energy technology solutions company, we continue to push new boundaries. The  Staff Systems Engineer  will lead the engineering integration and core engineering teams through the development process in defining system interactions and requirements. Core responsibilities include the identification of system hardware and software components and evaluating inputs/outputs for sufficient performance of design as specified by the product requirements. The Staff Systems Engineer Understands product application in the market and drives design architectures and product requirements to be compliant for the end application. Projects supported reside within Generac's Commercial and industrial Business Unit   including data center generators , medium & high voltage applications, and power management solutions based on business priorities.    Required Qualifications: • Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical or other related engineering degree.  • 10+ years related experience. Preferred Qualifications: • Master's in a STEM major (Engineering / Systems Engineering). • Experience in electrical power schemes especially for medium voltage applications and utility connected sites (1kV to 15kV) • Experience with power solutions for medium voltage power generation sites (data centers, healthcare facilities, large manufacturing operations) in range of 500kW to 5 MW including generator paralleling and synchronizing • Experience with systems engineering and/or requirements management in a product development environment (e.g. the V model).  • Demonstrated Expertise in Systems Engineering or relevant discipline and strong problem-solving skills.  • Demonstrated ability to operate and deliver in a matrixed organization.  • Ability to create system architecture documents including schematic/interconnect diagrams .  • Understanding of Cross Functional perspectives and ability to influence and deliver results.  • Proven communication, coaching and interpersonal skills, at all levels of the organization. Able to energize and inspire teams to achieve technical requirements.  • Demonstrated ability to deliver results while working on multiple projects simultaneously while balancing resources.  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.  • Demonstrated problem solving ability utilizing problem solving processes and techniques to objectively analyze a problem and drive to root cause and corrective/preventive actions. • Experience/knowledge in generator controls and tuning • Self-starter, energizing, results oriented, and able to multi-task. Essential Duties • Capture both internal and external customer needs and system level requirements by brainstorming with Core Engineering, Business Partners, Product Owners and Product Managers as required. • Execute development projects that deliver products in compliance with regulatory standards for the end applications they are deployed in. • Manage product and system requirements, specifications and flow down. Drive validation and verification activities for the overall product/system, including component, subsystem and full system testing. • Work across engineering functions in defining systems strategy and coordinating technical reviews. Engage in technical discussions; participate in technical designs and present technical ideas. • Define systems test strategy and perform hands on product integration activities. • Create and maintain Statements of Requirements (SOR), block diagrams and systems inputs/outputs. • Support product development plans (schedule, product cost, meeting design inputs). • Interface with internal company personnel and provide technical support for assigned projects. • Create, design, and develop test specifications for new systems. • Occasional travel to other Generac facilities and customer sites. • Proactively train, coach, and mentor less experienced Engineers. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: • Ability to perform detail-oriented work with a high degree of accuracy.  • Ability to translate technical information to all audiences. • Expert level understanding and knowledge of engineering principles.  • Advanced knowledge of communication protocols/hardware interface.  • This position works with minimal guidance from the engineering leader.  Physical Demands : While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear; and use hands to manipulate objects or controls. The employee is regularly required to stand and walk.  On occasion the incumbent may be required to stoop, bend or reach above the shoulders. The employee must occasionally lift up to 25 - 50 pounds. Specific conditions of this job are typical of frequent and continuous computer-based work requiring periods of sitting, close vision and ability to adjust focus. Occasional travel. “We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.”

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