Power Electronics Engineer

Commonwealth Fusion Systems•Devens, MA

23h•$107,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

Commonwealth Fusion Systems is hiring a Senior Power Electronics Engineer to join its Pulsed Electrical Distribution System (PEDS) team. The team is developing next-generation power supplies for ARC, a commercial fusion power plant, and will operate SPARC power supplies delivering more than 1 GW of pulsed power. The engineer will lead inverter development and apply power electronics experience to develop and qualify inverters and power supplies for ARC and future systems. The role includes leading testing, qualification, and commissioning of SPARC power supplies; developing high-power inverter topologies and prototype power modules; evaluating converter performance and protection behavior; and collaborating with semiconductor manufacturers and cross-functional engineering teams. The position also supports development of power distribution, energy storage, RF, and other electrical systems for fusion applications. This is a full-time, onsite role. It involves occasional travel and work at night, on weekends, or on-call. The work takes place in a facility with industrial hazards, including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead, high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics. The role requires lifting up to 50 pounds and standing, typing, or sitting for extended periods.

Requirements

At least 5 years of related experience with a bachelor's degree, or a master's degree with at least 3 years of experience, working with power electronics-based systems.
Hands-on product development experience with power electronic converter systems.
Extensive knowledge of semiconductor devices such as IGBTs and MOSFETs.
Experience with high-power semiconductor devices above 1 kA.
Experience with modeling and simulation tools such as PLECS, PSPICE, or MATLAB.
Experience with packaging design of power conversion equipment and thermal management.
Hands-on laboratory testing experience using oscilloscopes and other measurement equipment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to conduct design reviews and present results to expert and non-technical audiences.
Results-driven approach and ability to advocate for and persuade stakeholders to change design direction in pursuit of a high-quality product release.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
Ability to stand, type, or sit for extended periods.
Willingness to travel or occasionally work nights, weekends, or on-call.
Ability to work in a facility containing industrial hazards, including heat, cold, noise, fumes, strong magnets, lead, high voltage, high current, pressure systems, and cryogenics.
Compliance with U.S. Export Control Laws is required; any employment offer is contingent on the ability to comply.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in electrical engineering with a focus on power electronics.
Experience with DC power systems.
Familiarity with cascaded or interleaved systems using smaller submodules to create higher power output.
Energy storage experience.

Responsibilities

Lead testing, qualification, and commissioning of SPARC power supplies operating up to 2 kV and 50 kA.
Collaborate with power semiconductor device manufacturers to develop and qualify silicon and silicon carbide devices for high-power medium-voltage power supplies for ARC tokamaks.
Design and develop high-power four-quadrant H-bridge inverter topologies using SiC MOSFETs, IGBTs, or other high-power semiconductor devices.
Lead the build, test, and validation of prototype four-quadrant power modules, including performance and loss evaluation and validation of inverter protection, fault detection, fault response time, and safe shutdown behavior.
Model and simulate power electronic circuits and components to evaluate converter performance, efficiency, and stability.
Coordinate with mechanical, PCB, firmware, and manufacturing engineering teams to develop control circuits and packaged submodules.
Develop technical requirements, specifications, and qualification plans for power circuit components, including capacitors, magnetics, and passives, and support vendor selection.
Support cross-functional technical development of power distribution, energy storage, RF, and other systems delivering electrical power for fusion applications.