Power Electronics Design Engineer

Overview

The Power Electronics Design Engineer III is responsible for architecture, modeling, simulation, hardware design, embedded control algorithms, prototyping, test, technical documentation and customer support of power converter and switching systems for the company’s Smart Grid products.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to architecture, requirements development and system engineering for new product developments of grid-connected power electronics systems.
• Take development ownership of a circuit board or subsystem, including documentation of requirements and specifications, circuit design and analysis, component selection, schematic capture, layout, firmware requirements, debugging, and leading of design reviews for all stages.
• Selection and validation testing of system-level components, such as magnetics, circuit protection, and energy storage components.
• Develop requirements for, source, and validate custom or semi-custom components, typically inductors or transformers, for power electronics systems, employing electromagnetic and/or thermal modeling tools, analysis, and hand calculations.
• Perform circuit, subsystem, or system modeling and analysis
• Plan, execute, and document results of validation testing of subsystems or circuit boards and other components.
• Lead or support subsystem and system assembly, debugging, validation testing and documentation of results.
• Maintain safe operating conditions and model safe working habits in a high-power high-voltage work environment.
• Cross-functional collaboration with mechanical and software engineers during product development.
• Mentor and provide technical leadership to more junior engineers
• Actively participate in documenting company owned Intellectual Property as needed.

Qualifications

• BSEE including electrical/electronic design projects
• Preferably MSEE with a strong power electronics focus including hands-on design projects.
• At least 5 to 10 years of experience in electrical engineering projects in the field of power electronics.
• Power electronics hardware design experience with Digital Signal Processors (DSP) and microcontrollers.
• Knowledge of buck/boost, multi-phase/interleaved, DAB, LLC, and H-bridge topologies, and working experience with some of these topologies.
• Working experience with power semiconductor devices, such as Silicon FETs, GaN FETs and SiC FETs,
• Mixed signal (digital/analog/power) hands-on PCB (printed circuit board) design experience for high-voltage and/or high-power applications, typically including safety isolation, gate drives, current sensors, magnetic components, and isolated communications.
• Experience with power electronics design verification for function and performance with hands-on testing and early simulation.
• Familiarity with electrical distribution grid, AC power distribution and power quality concepts. 
• Exposure to design for manufacturability and reliability concepts.
• Specification and design of 50/60 Hz and/or high-frequency inductors and transformers. 
• Experience working on team projects including collaboration with software and mechanical engineering functions.