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Senior Power Electronics Engineer

Salient Motion

Salient Motion

Other Engineering
torrance, ca, usa
Posted on Jan 15, 2026

**Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Permanent Residents (Green Card holders) to meet customer and regulatory requirements**

Who We Are

We are pioneering modular motion technologies to power the next generation of innovation for Industrial, Aerospace and Defense. If you're excited about disrupting legacy industries, and passionate about building next generation technology, let's chat!

We are at the forefront of innovation, crafting exclusive motion control components that propel the industrial, aerospace, and defense sectors into the future.

A couple other things:

  • We are open to relocating you
  • We have great benefits
  • We are well funded, and generating revenue
  • We are located in beautiful Torrance, CA and just moved into a new large hangar facility

Role Summary

We are hiring a senior Power Electronics Electrical Engineer to lead the design and integration of high-power (>10 kW) power conversion hardware for aerospace motion and electrical systems. You will own key power-stage architecture decisions, drive prototype bring-up and verification, and partner with controls, firmware, mechanical, and manufacturing teams to deliver flight- and mission-ready hardware.

What you'll do:

  • Architect and design high-power converters/inverters (>10 kW) for aerospace electrical and motion control products, balancing efficiency, density, and reliability
  • Select and apply Si, SiC, and/or GaN devices (as appropriate) and design gate-drive, sensing, and protection (short-circuit, overcurrent, over/undervoltage, thermal, desaturation)
  • Design the power stage (DC bus, precharge/discharge, snubbers/clamps, current sensing, filtering) and define safe operating envelopes and derating
  • Drive thermal design with mechanical engineering (heatsinks, cold plates, airflow/liquid cooling) and validate junction-to-ambient performance
  • Own EMI/EMC strategy for aerospace environments: grounding, shielding, layout constraints, conducted/radiated mitigation, filter design, and test readiness
  • Lead schematic capture and review PCB layout for low-inductance, high-current/high-voltage design; ensure creepage/clearance, isolation, and safety best practices
  • Plan and execute prototype bring-up and high-power lab testing with safe procedures; debug failures and perform root-cause analysis
  • Define verification plans and acceptance criteria and produce clear, review-ready test reports and evidence packages; support supplier/parts selection and DFM/DFT as designs transition to manufacturing

What you need:

  • 7+ years (or equivalent depth) in power electronics design and product development, with demonstrated work on high-power systems (>10 kW)
  • Strong experience with power converter/inverter architecture, device selection, gate-drive design, protection, and high-current PCB/layout practices
  • Hands-on bring-up and debug experience with high-power hardware (safe lab practices, oscilloscopes, HV differential probes, current probes, power analyzers)
  • Ability to take designs from concept through prototype, verification, and production readiness with clear documentation

Nice to haves:

  • Aerospace experience: qualification mindset, configuration control, and familiarity with relevant test practices and EMI/EMC test workflows
  • Motor drive experience: three-phase inverters for BLDC/PMSM, sensing, DC bus design, regen handling, and protection timing considerations
  • High-voltage design experience (e.g., 200-800 VDC class) including isolation strategy and creepage/clearance design
  • EMI/EMC success in shipped products (e.g., MIL-STD-461/DO-160 concepts) and ability to design for compliance early
  • Simulation familiarity (LTspice/PLECS/Simulink or similar) for validation and trade studies

Export Control
This role supports aerospace programs and may involve export-controlled information or hardware. Candidates must be able to comply with applicable export control laws and access requirements.

What we have to offer:

We are not just building components. We are reshaping the future of the Aerospace and Defense component industry, which is a $300B+ market! Come join us and help build next generation systems that will make a massive impact at global scale.

  • We offer competitive compensation + equity
  • Exceptional healthcare benefits, Medical is 100% covered by the company
  • Flexible PTO
  • 401K
  • More to come!