Forensic Electromechanical Engineer

HKA is a global leader in risk mitigation, dispute resolution, and expert witness services. We tackle complex challenges with our multi-disciplinary expertise.

As trusted consultants and advisors, we deliver solutions in uncertain and disputed situations, ensuring the best outcomes for clients worldwide. Our experts have testified globally on major cases spanning across a wide range of industries and sectors.

As part of the HKA team you can expect:

• 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.

The Opportunity

HKA is seeking a Forensic Electrical / Mechanical Power Engineer to support high‑stakes disputes involving power generation, transmission, industrial facilities, and critical infrastructure across the United States and/or Canada. This role blends deep technical power‑system expertise with litigation consulting and expert testimony responsibilities.

You will work closely with attorneys, insurers, and asset owners to investigate complex failures, develop defensible expert opinions, and present those opinions in contested forums. This position is well suited for a senior engineer who wants to apply hands‑on power systems experience in a consulting environment where independence, credibility, and clear expert judgment are essential.

Responsibilities

Forensic & Litigation Consulting

· 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.

Technical Power Systems Expertise

· 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.

Skills and Qualifications

· 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.

What we offer:

At HKA we recognize that our people are critical to our ongoing success. Our priority is to provide an inclusive and collaborative culture aimed at providing the best opportunities for our people to thrive and develop in their chosen career path.

Our Global Recruitment team is committed to providing an authentic candidate experience for all those who take the time to apply to HKA. We are committed to providing an efficient and insightful recruitment process giving candidates a true reflection of life at HKA. 

Fairness and Equality at HKA:

HKA works hard to provide a welcoming environment for all of our employees. We are committed as a business on the continued improvement of our fairness and equality strategy. Please visit our careers page for further information or feel free to ask our recruitment team for further information.

All HKA employment decisions shall be made in accordance with controlling laws and based on merit.

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