Battery Service Engineer

The work model for the role is: Onsite, Richmond, VA

Your role and responsibilities

In this role as Battery Service Engineer, you will have the opportunity to oversee the deployment, maintenance strategy, and operational readiness of our UPS battery infrastructure. In this role, you will transition from hands-on execution to program-level ownership— responsible for the entire lifecycle of critical backup power storage—including installation, commissioning, preventive maintenance, diagnostic troubleshooting, and replacement of various battery technologies (VRLA, Flooded Lead-Acid, Lithium-Ion), while ensuring absolute compliance with safety and environmental standards.

You will act as the primary interface between field operations, engineering, and client stakeholders to ensure maximum uptime, reliability, and safety for our clients' critical infrastructure, directly managing how energy storage systems interact with, support, and communicate with UPS topology.

You will be mainly accountable for:

• Develop, implement, and manage comprehensive programs for installation, startup, configuration, maintenance, and testing of UPS battery strings; Oversee internal Field Service Engineers and third-party service vendors. Define Scope of Work (SOW) documents, manage Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and audit field service reports to ensure work meets strict technical standards.

• Serve as the program-level expert on how to utilize advanced diagnostic tools (internal resistance/conductance testers, thermal imagers, and data loggers) to isolate cell failures, thermal runaway risks, and capacity degradation.

• Oversee the installation, program, and maintenance of Battery Monitoring Systems. Ensure accurate data reporting, alarm thresholds, and communication protocols (Modbus, SNMP) between the BMS and the UPS or building management systems; Analyze capacity test data, internal resistance trends, and runtime calculations to predict end-of-life cycles.

• Standardize and enforce safety protocols across all programs, ensuring strict alignment with OSHA, NFPA 70E (Arc Flash), and environmental regulations regarding EPA-certified battery disposal, recycling, and spill containment.

• Serve as the escalation point for major battery failures, thermal runaway events, or UPS integration issues. Lead root-cause analysis (RCA) investigations and implement preventative actions.

Qualifications for the role

• Bachelor degree in Engineering PLUS minimum 6 years of experience in field service specifically working with industrial UPS systems (3-phase preferred) and large-scale battery plants

• Strong foundational knowledge of 3-phase UPS systems and the distinct operating characteristics of VRLA, NiCad, and Lithium-Ion battery

• Expert-level experience with digital multimeters, battery impedance testers (e.g., Alber, Megger, Midtronics), load banks, etc.

• Experience commissioning or troubleshooting Lithium-Ion Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and their complex internal management systems, a plus

• Robust understanding of IEEE standards for battery maintenance and testing (IEEE 450, IEEE 1188, IEEE 1679); NFPA 70E Electrical Safety Certification, a plus

• Proficiency with computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS), data analytics tools (Excel, Power BI), and project management software.

• Willingness to travel to domestic customer sites (typically 50%–75% in the beginning and reducing as a team is developed)

• Candidates must already have work authorization that would permit them to work for ABB in the US.

More about us

ABB Smart Power provides energy distribution solutions for data centers, industrial and manufacturing plants, critical infrastructure and commercial buildings. The Division’s technical teams work closely with industry partners, delivering advanced solutions that support rapid growth, energy transition, and sustainability objectives. The Division’s portfolio includes industrial circuit breakers, low-voltage systems, motor starting applications, and safety devices like switches and relays. Its Power Protection unit supports the world’s largest data center companies with advanced energy-efficient UPS solutions. The Division’s ABB Ability™ Energy Manager provides a scalable, easy-to-use platform that helps organizations save energy and reduce CO2 emissions.

Why ABB?

What's in it for you

We empower you to take initiative, challenge ideas, and lead with confidence. You’ll grow through meaningful work, continuous learning, and support that’s tailored to your goals. Every idea you share and every action you take contributes to something bigger.

ABB is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer for protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities at ABB.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their- sex (gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation), marital status, citizenship, age,  race and ethnicity, inclusive of traits historically associated with race or ethnicity, including but not limited to hair texture and protective hairstyles, color, religious creed, national origin, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, genetic information, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal and state law.

For more information regarding your (EEO) rights as an applicant, please visit the following websites: https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf

As an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer for Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities, applicants may request to review the plan of a particular ABB facility between the hours of 9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. EST Monday through Friday by contacting an ABB HR Representative at 1-888-694-7762.

Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access ABB's career site as a result of your disability. You may request reasonable accommodations by calling an ABB HR Representative at 1-888-694-7762 or by sending an email to US-AskHR@abb.com. Resumes and applications will not be accepted in this manner.

ABB Benefit Summary for eligible US employees

[excludes ABB E-mobility, Athens union, Puerto Rico]

Go to MyBenefitsABB.com and click on “Candidate/Guest” to learn more

Health, Life & Disability

• Choice between two medical plan options: A PPO plan called the Copay Plan OR a High Deductible Health Plan (with a Health Savings Account) called the High Deductible Plan. 

• Choice between two dental plan options: Core and Core Plus

• Vision benefit

• Company paid life insurance (2X base pay)

• Company paid AD&D (1X base pay)

• Voluntary life and AD&D – 100% employee paid up to maximums

• Short Term Disability – up to 26 weeks – Company paid

• Long Term Disability – 60% of pay – Company paid.  Ability to “buy-up” to 66 2/3% of pay.

• Supplemental benefits – 100% employee paid (Accident insurance, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance

• Paid Parental Leave

• Employee Assistance Program

• Health Advocate support resources for mental/behavioral health, general health navigation and virtual health, and infertility/adoption

• Employee discount program

Retirement

• 401k Savings Plan with Company Contributions 

• Employee Stock Acquisition Plan (ESAP)

Time off

ABB provides 11 paid holidays. Salaried exempt positions are provided vacation under a permissive time away policy.

While base salary is determined by things such as the successful applicant’s qualifications and experience, this position is expected to pay between $83,300 and $133,280 annually.

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