Senior Power Electronics Engineer

About the role

Astro Mechanica is seeking a Senior Electrical Engineer focused on power electronics and power systems development to join our growing team. The ideal candidate is excited about designing cutting-edge power electronics in high reliability applications and has a proven track record of quickly bringing concepts to life. You will be responsible for the full product life cycle, from initial concept to delivery and operation. Your work at Astro Mechanica will be fast-paced in a dynamic startup environment and will have a direct impact on our mission. If necessary, we will adjust the job level to suit your experience and responsibilities. The qualifications below are just that - desired - if you feel you're highly qualified for this role but are missing a few of the below line items, we encourage you to apply anyway.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Develop high-performance, high-density, high-reliability power converters that advance our propulsion and generation capabilities.
• Own system trades, component selection, analysis, schematic capture, layout, bring-up, debugging, manufacturing, and test for critical power paths.
• Support hardware through prototyping, characterization, ground testing and flight to ensure robust performance in demanding environments.
• Work closely with other engineering disciplines to design, develop and optimize high-power propulsion and generation systems that meet stringent aerospace requirements.
• Drive the development of adaptable, high-speed systems that close aircraft performance gaps for the United States government in the near term.
• Implement advanced power conversion solutions within our integrated airframe and engine technologies, including Duality™, our proprietary dual-use propulsion system.
• Champion the creation of a new flight operations model that makes supersonic transport as efficient and economical as commercial air travel is today.
• Collaborate across the organization to democratize high-speed flight by making supersonic travel flexible, accessible, and sustainable for a global market.

Requirements

• Hold a BS, MS, or PhD with focus on power electronics or equivalent experience.
• Bring 5+ years of experience designing, building, testing, and shipping power converters in complex aerospace programs.
• Demonstrate the ability to develop component and system trade studies through high degrees of ambiguity while maintaining rigorous analytical discipline.
• Show a proven track record of bringing at least two products through full lifecycle, from concept to production and field operation.
• Exhibit expertise in high voltage (up to 1000V) and/or high power (>10kW) converter design and validation.
• Display deep expertise in various DC-DC and DC-AC power conversion topologies, with a preference for high frequency multilevel architectures.
• Possess an intimate understanding of electric machines and motor control methodologies relevant to aerospace applications.
• Skill in optimizing switching power loops to optimize converter performance and minimize EMI in regulated environments.
• Demonstrate proficiency in circuit board layout for high-density converters, with Altium being a preferred tool.
• Show proficiency with analysis tools to simulate and optimize circuit and system performance, including LTSPICE, PLECS, Simulink, and scripting.
• Exhibit proficiency in modeling time-domain dynamic circuit and system behavior to predict real-world interactions.
• Demonstrate a working understanding of structural and thermal considerations for power converters in flight conditions.
• Show experience with automating hardware test and development functions to increase throughput and reliability.

Nice to have

None specified.

Practical notes

Work is performed from our San Francisco location, where in-office presence five days a week is expected to foster collaboration and strengthen company culture. There are no specified hours, travel requirements, visa sponsorships, or application deadlines published for this role.

Additional benefits and policies are described in the perks section but do not alter the core responsibilities or qualifications. Applicants who believe they are highly qualified but do not meet every listed requirement are encouraged to apply. Astro Mechanica is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse workforce and an inclusive environment for all employees.