Forensic Electromechanical Engineer

Role Overview

• Lead forensic investigations involving electrical and mechanical power systems, including substations, switchgear, protective relaying, emergency power, generators, turbines, rotating equipment, and industrial power distribution.
• Perform site inspections and evidence collection following equipment failures, outages, incidents, commissioning disputes, and construction or operational claims.
• Determine cause, origin, extent, and contributing factors, including evaluation of design intent, installation practices, commissioning procedures, operations, maintenance, and lifecycle performance.
• Prepare independent, litigation-ready expert reports (and supporting exhibits) for arbitration, mediation, and court proceedings, addressing causation, standard of care, and responsibility.
• Provide expert witness testimony in depositions, arbitration, and/or court, including testimony under cross-examination.
• Collaborate with attorneys, insurers, owners, EPC/contractors, and other technical experts to develop coordinated expert opinions and respond to opposing expert positions.
• Advise clients on remediation options, risk mitigation, and dispute resolution strategy, including evaluation of alternative technical solutions and associated risks.
• Review and analyze drawings, specifications, calculations, commissioning test reports, protection settings, event logs, SCADA/controls data, O&M manuals, maintenance records, and incident history.
• Evaluate system performance and failure modes, including protection and control behavior, equipment ratings, coordination/selectivity, arc-flash considerations (as applicable), and operational constraints.
• Perform or direct technical analyses such as disturbance/event reconstruction, equipment condition assessments, commissioning/acceptance testing review, and rotating equipment diagnostics.
• Assess compliance with applicable codes, standards, and industry practices (e.g., NFPA, IEEE, ANSI, IEC where applicable) and evaluate standard-of-care expectations.
• Develop technically sound repair, replacement, and mitigation recommendations with consideration of reliability, constructability, and operational continuity.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering; advanced degree preferred.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license in at least one U.S. state required; multi-state licensure and/or NCEES record preferred.
• 10–15+ years of progressive experience in power generation, transmission, distribution, or industrial power systems.
• Technical experience with generators, substations, protection and control systems, rotating equipment, and industrial power applications.
• Demonstrated forensic engineering and litigation consulting experience involving power or industrial systems.
• Minimum 1+ year of experience serving as an Expert Witness, with formal testimony provided in depositions, arbitration, and/or court proceedings.
• Proven ability to prepare clear, defensible expert reports suitable for judicial review.
• Strong client delivery and relationship management skills, including direct engagement with attorneys, insurers, and industrial clients.
• Experience supporting or leading business development efforts, including proposal contributions, client presentations, and identification of new engagement opportunities.
• Ability to manage multiple complex assignments under litigation-driven schedules.

Tech Stack

• Flash

Benefits

• A strong collaborative culture with a mutual pursuit of your success alongside the success of our teams.
• The opportunity to solve problems creatively, contribute to our innovative direction, and be valued as an individual
• The ability to leverage HKA’s strong network and presence in various industries and reputation for exceptional expert witnesses to accelerate career development and connections.