Leads architecture, design, validation, troubleshooting, and production transfer of high-power electronics for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Responsibilities include converter and motor-drive design, magnetics, controls, thermal and EMI/EMC analysis, PCB reviews, laboratory testing, simulation, root-cause analysis, supplier qualification, manufacturing support, technical standards, and mentoring engineers.
Staff Power Electronics Engineer
Location: Fremont, California
Position Overview
Pivotal Systems is seeking an experienced Staff Power Electronics Engineer to lead the design, development, validation, and production of advanced power-electronic systems used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
The Staff Power Electronics Engineer will serve as a technical leader across power-conversion architecture, circuit design, magnetics, controls, thermal management, hardware validation, and system integration. This position requires strong hands-on engineering skills as well as the ability to drive complex projects from concept through production.
The ideal candidate has deep expertise in power electronics and a proven track record of developing high-reliability power systems in a demanding industrial or semiconductor-equipment environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the architecture and development of AC/DC, DC/DC, and other power-conversion systems for semiconductor equipment.
- Design and optimize high-power switching converters, power supplies, motor drives, and associated power-distribution circuitry.
- Develop detailed electrical schematics, component selections, design calculations, and hardware specifications.
- Select and evaluate power semiconductors including MOSFETs, IGBTs, diodes, SiC, and GaN devices where appropriate.
- Design and review magnetic components including transformers, inductors, current transformers, and associated filtering networks.
- Develop gate-drive, sensing, protection, current/voltage measurement, and control circuits.
- Analyze switching losses, efficiency, thermal performance, EMI/EMC, transient behavior, and system reliability.
- Lead PCB design reviews with particular attention to high-current routing, creepage/clearance, grounding, parasitics, thermal management, and manufacturability.
- Develop and execute engineering verification and validation plans.
- Troubleshoot complex hardware issues using oscilloscopes, power analyzers, electronic loads, current probes, thermal cameras, and other laboratory equipment.
- Perform circuit simulation and modeling to validate designs before hardware implementation.
- Lead root-cause analysis of electrical, power, thermal, and reliability failures.
- Work closely with firmware, controls, mechanical, systems, manufacturing, quality, and field-service engineering teams.
- Support design-for-manufacturing and transition of new power-electronics products into production.
- Establish technical standards, design guidelines, and best practices for power-electronics development.
- Mentor junior and senior engineers and provide technical leadership across multiple projects.
- Participate in supplier and component qualification, including evaluation of alternate components and second sources.
- Support customer and field issues involving power-electronics hardware and provide technically rigorous corrective actions.
- Drive continuous improvement in system efficiency, reliability, cost, manufacturability, and serviceability.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, or a related field.
- Typically 8+ years of professional experience in power electronics or a closely related discipline.
- Strong understanding of power-conversion topologies, switching devices, magnetics, feedback/control loops, and power-system fundamentals.
- Demonstrated experience taking power-electronics hardware from concept through prototype, validation, and production.
- Strong hands-on laboratory and hardware-debugging experience.
- Experience with high-voltage and/or high-power electrical systems.
- Proficiency with schematic capture and PCB design/review tools.
- Experience with power-electronics simulation tools such as LTspice, PSpice, MATLAB/Simulink, or equivalent.
- Strong understanding of EMI/EMC, grounding, shielding, filtering, and signal integrity.
- Experience with thermal analysis and component derating.
- Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, PCB layouts, datasheets, and system-level specifications.
- Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, communication, and technical leadership skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience designing power electronics for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, industrial automation, robotics, motion systems, or other high-reliability equipment.
- Experience with three-phase power systems, motor drives, servo systems, or industrial power distribution.
- Experience with high-voltage DC buses and isolated/non-isolated DC/DC converters.
- Experience with SiC or GaN power devices.
- Knowledge of digital control of power converters and embedded control systems.
- Experience with functional safety, electrical safety, and applicable industry standards.
- Familiarity with UL, IEC, CE, SEMI, or other relevant equipment standards.
- Experience with DFM/DFT, production test development, and manufacturing transfer.
- Experience leading cross-functional engineering programs.
- Experience working directly with semiconductor equipment customers or field-service organizations.
Pivotal Systems Fremont, California, USA Office
48389 Fremont Blvd, Suite 100, Fremont, California, United States, 94538
Similar Jobs
Energy • Renewable Energy
Design, analyze, prototype, test, and validate mechanical parts and assemblies for medium-voltage power converters. Own designs from concept through high-volume production, using CAD and first-principles analysis. Collaborate with electrical, manufacturing, test, reliability, and supplier teams while supporting mass-manufacturing processes and hands-on product development.
Top Skills:
AnsysCatia V6/3DxMatlabMedium-Voltage Power ElectronicsPlmPythonSimulinkStarccm
Greentech • Energy
Ensure reliability of power electronics and battery products throughout their lifecycle. Responsibilities include setting reliability targets, providing Design for Reliability input, leading DFMEA, developing accelerated life test plans, monitoring field performance, conducting failure analysis, identifying root causes, and driving corrective actions and product improvements. The role requires expertise in power electronics failure physics, component failure modes, reliability statistics, and analytical techniques such as microscopy, SEM, CSAM, X-ray, cross-sectioning, and EDX.
Top Skills:
Accelerated Life TestingBattery Storage SystemsBuck-Boost ConvertersCsamEdxInvertersOptical MicroscopyPcbaPower ElectronicsSemX-Ray Imaging
Aerospace • Hardware • Software • Defense
Leads the architecture, design, simulation, testing, integration, qualification, and production release of power electronics for spacecraft payloads. Designs converters, inverters, motor drives, power management circuits, magnetics, and filters; performs reliability, worst-case, stress, FMEA, and power integrity analyses; develops verification plans; leads board bring-up and system testing; mentors engineers and leads project execution.
Top Skills:
AllegroAltiumAnalog ElectronicsAnsys Q3DBattery Management SystemsDc-Dc ConvertersElectrical EngineeringEmcGanHyperlynxInvertersLtspiceMathcadMatlabMotor DrivesMpptOrcadPcb LayoutPlecsPower ElectronicsPower Integrity AnalysisPower ManagementPythonSicSimetrix/SimplisSimulinkSiwaveSpiceXpedition
What you need to know about the San Francisco Tech Scene
San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area attracts more startup funding than any other region in the world. Home to Stanford University and UC Berkeley, leading VC firms and several of the world’s most valuable companies, the Bay Area is the place to go for anyone looking to make it big in the tech industry. That said, San Francisco has a lot to offer beyond technology thanks to a thriving art and music scene, excellent food and a short drive to several of the country’s most beautiful recreational areas.
Key Facts About San Francisco Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 365,500; 13.9% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Google, Apple, Salesforce, Meta
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fintech, consumer technology, software
- Funding Landscape: $50.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins
- Research Centers and Universities: Stanford University; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco; Santa Clara University; Ames Research Center; Center for AI Safety; California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
