Lead Power Electronics Engineer - Solid-State Circuit Breakers

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories • Pullman, WA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

Design and develop power-electronic circuits and subsystems for solid-state circuit breaker products and related technologies. The role covers switching, protection, sensing, and control circuits; analyses and simulations; schematic capture and PCB design; prototype development; laboratory testing; characterization; and validation. The engineer investigates design issues, conducts root-cause analysis, and implements improvements to product performance, reliability, safety, and manufacturability.

The position collaborates with firmware, systems, mechanical, manufacturing, and test engineers throughout product development. It also contributes to technical design reviews, product certification and qualification, EMC/EMI and safety evaluations, regulatory compliance, engineering documentation, and research into emerging power-electronics solutions. The role includes environmental, health, and safety leadership and applying SEL values, Principles of Operations, and World Class Manufacturing Principles. The position is 100% onsite in Pullman, Washington, and requires U.S. citizenship.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related discipline.
• At least 5 years of experience in power-electronics design, depending on level.
• Strong knowledge of power semiconductor devices, including MOSFETs, IGBTs, SiC MOSFETs, and/or GaN devices.
• Experience designing high-power, high-voltage, or high-current electronic systems.
• Experience with circuit simulation and modeling tools such as LTspice, PLECS, MATLAB/Simulink, PSCAD, or equivalent.
• Understanding of power conversion, switching transients, protection systems, and control techniques.
• Experience with schematic capture and PCB development.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills.
• Strong writing, documentation, and communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary engineering team.
• Ability to learn new skills and assume new responsibilities.
• Satisfactory background-check results and negative drug-test result(s).
• U.S. citizenship required.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering with an emphasis in Power Electronics.
• Experience with solid-state circuit breakers, fault-current-limiting devices, or advanced protection systems.
• Experience with wide-bandgap semiconductor technologies, including SiC and GaN.
• Experience with medium-voltage or utility-scale power electronics.
• Experience with gate-drive design and high-speed switching applications.
• Experience with thermal management, magnetics design, and EMI/EMC mitigation.
• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing and real-time simulation.
• Experience with requirements-based development and MBSE methodologies.
• Familiarity with utility, industrial, aerospace, defense, transportation, or microgrid applications.

Responsibilities

• Design, analyze, and develop power-electronic circuits and subsystems for solid-state circuit breaker products and related technologies.
• Develop and optimize switching, protection, sensing, and control circuits using silicon, SiC, and GaN semiconductor devices.
• Perform electrical, thermal, magnetic, and reliability analyses to support product performance, safety, and manufacturability.
• Create schematics, select components, perform simulations, and develop PCB designs for high-power and high-voltage electronic systems.
• Develop and evaluate gate-drive circuits, fault-detection methods, current-sensing solutions, and protection algorithms.
• Conduct circuit simulation and system modeling using tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, PLECS, LTspice, and PSCAD, or equivalent software.
• Plan and execute laboratory testing, prototype development, characterization, and validation activities.
• Investigate design issues, perform root-cause analysis, and implement corrective actions to improve performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with firmware, systems, mechanical, manufacturing, and test engineers throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Participate in technical design reviews and recommend architectures and tradeoffs involving performance, cost, reliability, and compliance.
• Support product certification, environmental qualification, EMC/EMI testing, safety evaluations, and regulatory compliance.
• Document designs, analyses, test results, and engineering decisions according to company standards and development processes.
• Assist with technology research and evaluation of emerging power-electronics solutions for future product development.
• Provide environmental, health, and safety leadership and maintain safe engineering and laboratory practices.
• Model, teach, and apply SEL Values, Principles of Operations, and World Class Manufacturing Principles.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Employer-funded employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) and personal 401(k) options.
• Medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance.
• 10 paid holidays.
• Annual vacation accrual starting at 12 days.
• 9 paid sick days.
• Paid family and medical leave covering 90% of pay.
• STEM courses, apprenticeships, tuition assistance, and engineering development programs.
• Wellness, fertility, adoption, and flexible spending benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior