Sr Power Electronics Engineer Job at Survival Systems Staffing, San Luis Obispo County, CA

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  • Survival Systems Staffing
  • San Luis Obispo County, CA

Job Description

We are seeking a skilled and motivated Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS) Design Engineer to join our power electronics team. In this role you will own the full design lifecycle — from requirements capture through qualification — for AC/DC and DC/DC power conversion products spanning 50 W to 5 kW. You will work alongside systems, thermal, and mechanical engineers to deliver high-reliability power solutions for demanding industrial, defense, and space applications.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop switch mode power supplies (flyback, forward, LLC resonant, phase-shifted full bridge, boost, buck, SEPIC, and related topologies) from concept through production release.

• Define and own power conversion architecture across the 50 W–5 kW range, including topology selection, magnetics design, gate-drive circuitry, and control-loop compensation.

• Perform analytical calculations and simulation (SPICE, PSIM, or equivalent) to validate designs prior to prototype build.

• Design and specify custom magnetics (transformers, inductors, common-mode chokes) and work with winding vendors to achieve required performance.

• Conduct lab bring-up, characterization, and debugging — including efficiency mapping, thermal profiling, transient response, and EMI pre-compliance testing.

• Develop and execute design verification test plans; support formal qualification testing as required.

• Ensure designs meet applicable EMC standards (MIL-STD-461, CISPR 32, or equivalent) and safety standards (UL/IEC 62368, MIL-STD-1275, DO-160, etc.) where required.

• Author detailed design documentation: schematics, BOMs, design calculations, test reports, and DVT/DVP plans.

• Interface with PCB layout engineers to review power-stage and control-plane routing for signal integrity and thermal management.

• Support production transition: work with manufacturing and supply chain on DFM/DFT reviews, first-article inspection, and yield improvements.

• Stay current with emerging devices (GaN, SiC) and evaluate their applicability to next-generation designs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Electrical Engineering or closely related discipline.

• 3+ years of hands-on SMPS design experience, with demonstrable ownership of products from schematic through qualification.

• Proficiency in multiple power converter topologies (isolated and non-isolated) across the 50 W–5 kW range.

• Strong magnetics design skills — core selection, winding design, leakage/gap optimization.

• Experience with analog control loops: Type II/III compensation, current-mode vs. voltage-mode control, small-signal modeling.

• Competence with SPICE-based simulation tools (LTspice, PSIM, Simplis, or equivalent).

• Hands-on lab skills: oscilloscope, electronic load, LCR meter, power analyzer, spectrum analyzer, network analyzer (Bode 100 or equivalent).

• Solid understanding of thermal design, heat-sinking, and power derating practices.

• Familiarity with EMI/EMC fundamentals and conducted/radiated emissions mitigation techniques.

• Experience reviewing PCB layouts for high-voltage, high-current power stages.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to produce clear engineering documentation.

• U.S. citizenship required (defense program eligibility).

Preferred Qualifications (Nice to Have)

Military / Defense Standards

• Experience designing to MIL-STD-461 (EMC), MIL-STD-704 (aircraft power), MIL-STD-1275 (vehicle power), or MIL-STD-810 (environmental).

• Familiarity with DO-160 (avionics environmental conditions) and DO-254 / DO-178 design assurance frameworks.

• Experience with MIL-PRF-27 / MIL-DTL-27 magnetics specifications.

• DCAS / DCMA oversight and first-article inspection experience.

• Understanding of derating guidelines per MIL-HDBK-217 or ECSS-Q-ST-30C.

Radiation-Hardened (Rad-Hard) Design

• Experience selecting and qualifying radiation-hardened or radiation-tolerant components (MIL-PRF-38535 QML Class V/Q, ESCC, or equivalent).

• Familiarity with radiation effects — total ionizing dose (TID), single event effects (SEE), displacement damage — and mitigation techniques (RHBD, triple-modular redundancy, latch-up protection circuits).

• Knowledge of component radiation testing standards (MIL-STD-750 TM1017/1019, ASTM F1192, ESA/ESCC 22900).

• Experience with space-grade power conversion for LEO, MEO, GEO, or deep-space missions.

• Familiarity with ECSS-E-ST-20 (space power) or NASA EEE-INST-002 parts selection guidelines.

Additional Preferences

• Master's degree or PhD in Power Electronics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.

• Experience with GaN or SiC wide-bandgap devices in high-density power conversion.

• Background with digital power controllers (UCD, PMBUS, or custom FPGA/DSP control).

• Familiarity with high-voltage isolation techniques for 270 VDC or 28 VDC mil-spec bus architectures.

• Experience at a defense prime, space systems integrator, or specialized power electronics company.

• Active DoD security clearance (Secret or higher).

Work Environment

You will work in a well-equipped power electronics lab and collaborate in a small, fast-moving team environment. Travel to customer sites or test facilities may be required on an occasional basis (estimated <10%). This position may involve exposure to high voltages; adherence to electrical safety protocols is mandatory.

Job Tags

Shift work

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