Job Title: Senior Staff Power Electronics Lead, Battery Systems Duration: Direct Hire Location: San Jose,CA Job Description:
Direct experience developing data center power equipment.
Hands-on experience with the full product lifecycle, from design and development through testing and production.
Strong industry knowledge with the ability to ramp up quickly.
Comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment with changing priorities.
Flexible and willing to take on responsibilities outside the traditional job scope.
Self-starter who is adaptable, hands-on, and comfortable wearing multiple hats
Description: As Senior Staff Power Electronics Lead, Battery Systems, you will own the complete power conversion architecture - from AC mains or 48V DC bus input through regulated output rails, including the bidirectional charge/discharge path for the integrated solid-state battery pack. You are the chief engineer for the power stage and the technical decision-maker whose topology choices cascade to every other discipline on the team.
Why this role matters: Your architecture decisions define the entire product. Whether the battery sits in-line or on a sidecar bus, whether you go GaN at 48V or Si at 12V, whether the hold-up transfer is sub-millisecond or requires a brief interruption - every downstream engineer builds on top of your choices. This is a rare opportunity to design a power platform from a blank sheet with a technology (solid-state batteries) that fundamentally changes what's possible at rack level.
What you'll do:
Architect the end-to-end power conversion topology (AC-DC front end, intermediate bus, DC-DC output stage, bidirectional battery converter path)
Lead topology trade-off analysis: LLC resonant, phase-shifted full bridge, hybrid approaches, in-line vs. parallel sidecar battery integration
Design magnetics (planar transformers, coupled inductors) and select power semiconductors (GaN/SiC FETs, diodes) with thermal derating analysis
Define and drive efficiency targets (97%+ titanium-class at rack load) and power density goals within a lOU or 20U shelf envelope
Collaborate closely with the firmware/embedded engineer on digital control loop implementation (voltage/current mode compensation, loop bandwidth, phase margin)
Work with the battery systems engineer to define the charge/discharge power path, voltage window, and current limits for solid-state cells
Bring up and validate prototype power stages on the bench, iterating through bringup, thermal characterization,and efficiency optimization
Interface with the PCB layout contractor to ensure EMI-conscious layout, proper creepage/clearance,and power plane integrity
Skills
10+ years designing multi-kW AC-DC or DC-DC power converters that shipped in volume
Relevant Bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of 12+ years of experience or a relevant Master’s degree and 10+ years of experience or a relevant Ph.D. and a minimum of 8+ years
Deep expertise in at least two converter topologies (LLC, PSFB, DAB, CLLC, or equivalent)
Hands-on magnetics design experience (core selection, winding strategy, loss modeling)
Experience with digital power control (working with DSP/MCU-based compensators, not just analog)
Track record in server PSU, telecom rectifier, EVonboard charger, or comparable high-density power product
Proficiency with simulation tools (PLECS, LTspice, Simplis, PSIM, or equivalent)
Comfortable leading technical direction and mentoring a small cross-functional team
Nice to have:
GaN or SiC wide-bandgap device design experience
Familiarity with 48V or high-voltage DC bus architectures
Experience with bidirectional power converters (critical for integrated battery path)
Knowledge of OCP Open Rack/ ORv3 power delivery specs
Prior exposure to battery charging systems (CC-CV profiles, temperature-dependent rate limits)
Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing (Typhoon HIL, PLECS RT Box)
Applicant Notices & Disclaimers
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At SPECTRAFORCE, we are committed to maintaining a workplace that ensures fair compensation and wage transparency in adherence with all applicable state and local laws. This position's pay range is $155300.00/Yearly - $200000.00/Yearly.
