Y Combinator Staff Power Electronics Engineer
Summary
Design high-voltage motor controllers and power electronics for an all-electric eVTOL aircraft, from schematics to production, using MOSFETs, SiC/GaN devices, and EMC testing.
Archer is an aerospace company based in San Jose, California building an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a mission to advance the benefits of sustainable air mobility. We are designing, manufacturing, and operating an all-electric aircraft that can carry four passengers while producing minimal noise.
Our sights are set high and our problems are hard, and we believe that diversity in the workplace is what makes us smarter, drives better insights, and will ultimately lift us all to success. We are dedicated to cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces our differences, and supports and celebrates all of our team members.
What you’ll do:
- Design and develop high voltage, high power density motor controller for eVTOL applications
- Responsible for all aspects of power electronics designs required in an all-electric aircraft, from components to circuits, modules and system integration
- Passive component design and optimization in power electronics systems
- EMC testing and analysis for various power electronics systems
- Leads new designs from conception into production while working with a multidisciplinary team
- Start to finish ownership of hardware – from specification to design, prototype, reliability validation and manufacturing
- Design MOSFET gate drive circuit, electronic power supply and sensing circuits
- Schematic, layout and PCB assembly design and review
- Design and carry out prototype verification tests for proof of concept
- Analyze test data and reports to determine if the design meets functional and performance specifications.
- Troubleshoot and help root cause any issues that occur in the prototype line.
What you need:
- Electrical Engineering Degree or equivalent experience.
- 8+ years of relevant electrical system and circuit board design experience.
- Sound knowledge and hands-on experience in traditional and modern power electronic technologies including (not limited to):
- Inverter technology for variable speed motor drive (MOSFET, rectifiers and gate driver PWM technologies).
- Passive power devices, e.g. inductors, capacitors, resistors and transformers.
- Power electronics system architecture design and hardware integration.
- Motor drive and power converters (AC-DC, DC-DC, DC-AC) control technologies.
- Motor control and commutation methods for various types of three phase motors.
- Microcontrollers
- Sensor technology and implementation
- Gate drive design for wide bandgap devices (SiC and GaN)
- Experience with 50kW-200kW inverters at 400V-1000V
- Experience in using schematic capture and circuit simulation software (e.g. Altium Designer or Xpedition).
- PCB layout experience is strongly preferred
- Experience performing circuit design analyses such as worst-case circuit analysis, fault analysis, and lifetime estimation
- Master of all types of lab instruments: oscilloscope, EMC analyzers etc.
- Excellent organizational and communication skills
Bonus Qualifications:
- Hands on experience with DO-160G testing and DO-254 development
- Ph. D. in power electronics
- Embedded firmware development experience
- Passion for aviation and eVTOL
Archer is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants with physical or mental disabilities, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants who may require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should provide their name and contact information to Archer’s People Team at [email protected]. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis. For this position we are targeting a base pay between $172,800 - $216,000. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Archer is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants with physical or mental disabilities, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants who may require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should provide their name and contact information to Archer’s People Team at [email protected]. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis.