Power Electronics Engineer (Prism)

Role

As an Electrical Engineer (Power Electronics), you will own the power conversion and distribution electronics for Prism, Northwood's 2.4 meter parabolic antenna for high-throughput satellite links. You will design the power systems that feed Prism's high power RF hardware and support electronics, taking them from architecture through prototype, testing, and production. This is a hands-on role for someone who has designed, built, and debugged power electronics that have to run reliably in the field.

Responsibilities

• Design power electronics for Prism, including AC-DC and DC-DC conversion, power distribution, and the supplies that drive high power RF amplifiers
• Define Prism's power architecture and drive system trades across efficiency, thermal load, reliability, cost, and deployment speed
• Design load switching, sequencing, and power path protection schemes, including fault detection and recovery
• Perform schematic capture, PCB layout oversight, and bring-up of power hardware
• Build circuit and system models to analyze and verify power system performance, including stability, transient response, and efficiency
• Define interfaces between the power system and Prism's RF, digital, and motion control loads
• Qualify designs through environmental and EMI/EMC testing

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering or a related engineering discipline
• 3-5+ years of power electronics hardware design experience
• Hands-on experience designing switched-mode power converters (buck, boost, flyback, LLC, or similar) at hundreds of watts or more
• Experience taking power hardware from schematic and layout through bring-up, characterization, and debug in the lab
• Proficiency with circuit simulation tools such as LTspice, PLECS, or SIMetrix
• Comfort with power electronics test equipment, including oscilloscopes with differential and current probes, electronic loads, and power analyzers

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in electrical engineering with a focus on power electronics
• Kilowatt-class AC-DC and isolated DC-DC converter design, including power factor correction
• Drain supply and bias design for GaN RF power amplifiers, including sequencing and low-ripple regulation
• Protection circuitry design, including hot-swap, inrush limiting, overcurrent, and reverse-polarity protection
• Input filter design and control loop compensation for converter stability
• Surge, lightning, and transient protection for grid-connected outdoor equipment
• Magnetics design and wide-bandgap (GaN, SiC) power stage design
• Motor drive power electronics for antenna positioners or motion control systems
• Thermal design and EMI/EMC mitigation for high-density power hardware
• Design for manufacturing, production test development, and reliability qualification

Compensation

Electrical Engineer/Level 2: $104,000-$130,000 per year

Electrical Engineer/Level 3: $122,400-$153,000 per year

Additional Information

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.