Staff Power Electronics Engineer, Energy Storage

Redwood Materials•San Francisco, CA

25d•Onsite

About The Position

Redwood Materials is seeking a Power Electronics Engineer, Energy Storage to design and develop power conversion systems for their next-generation Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). This role involves creating converters that interface with battery packs, battery modules, photovoltaic systems, and the grid for utility-scale and data center applications. The engineer will independently manage complex circuit- and system-level challenges, including converter topology selection, power-stage component selection, magnetics design, PCB/PCBA layout, thermal analysis, and validation. This is a fully on-site role in San Francisco. The position requires extensive collaboration with Mechanical, Firmware/Controls, Systems, Compliance, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing teams to guide designs from concept to production. Success hinges on strong engineering judgment, hands-on lab validation skills, and the ability to resolve technical trade-offs with minimal supervision.

Requirements

MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, with a focus on power electronics.
5-7 years of experience in electrical engineering, with a strong focus on power conversion or energy storage products, ideally for mass production.
Hands-on experience in high-voltage (up to 1.5kVdc and 800Vac) hardware design.
Experience with power semiconductor selection, gate drive design, and hardware protection circuits.
Deep understanding of power electronics topologies and fundamentals (AC/DC, DC/DC).
Proficiency with circuit simulation, FEA simulation, and CAD tools (e.g., Simulink, LTspice, Ansys Maxwell/Q3D, Altium Designer).
Demonstrated ability to perform detailed layout of high-power, noise-sensitive PCBs in Altium or equivalent CAD software.
Proficiency with lab equipment, including oscilloscopes, impedance analyzers, network analyzers, and signal generators.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate across diverse cross-functional teams.
Foundational knowledge of control theory and embedded systems.
Strong analytical and systematic problem-solving skills.
Proven track record of rapid prototyping and hardware iterations based on cross-functional and supplier feedback.
Strong ability to select circuit components considering both electrical performance and manufacturability (DFM).
Experience mentoring test technicians to execute design verification, interpret test data, and define component maturity criteria.

Nice To Haves

Experience in high voltage (up to 25kVdc, 34.5kVac) for SST is a plus.

Responsibilities

Design high-voltage (800V – 25kVdc, 480–800Vac) and high-power (10kW–500kW) converters tailored for utility-scale BESS and industrial infrastructure.
Conduct comprehensive topology comparison and trade-off analyses evaluating efficiency, power density, cost, and manufacturability.
Perform power-stage component sizing and Si/SiC MOSFET selection based on loss modeling and thermal management.
Design robust gate driver circuits and dedicated gate driver power supplies to ensure safe, high-frequency switching operations.
Lead the design, modeling, and specification of custom magnetic components, including transformers and inductors utilizing Litz-wire or PCB-winding architectures.
Architect the low-voltage (LV) subsystem, including auxiliary power supplies, sensing circuitry (voltage/current/temperature), and hardware-level protection.
Design and optimize EMI filters, including differential-mode and common-mode inductors, X/Y-caps, and damping elements.
Drive high-voltage, high-power PCB/PCBA layout design, ensuring clearance/creepage rules and signal integrity under high-noise environments.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Mechanical, Controls/Firmware, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, Compliance) to define requirements, test specifications, and achieve industry certifications.