Avionics Engineer (Power Electronics)

Starpath; Carson (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Professional growth

Job summary

Starpath seeks a Power Electronics Avionics Engineer for the Starlight product to own the power converter from architecture to flight readiness. You will select topologies, design magnetic components, drive circuits, sensing, and EMI/thermal interfaces for a spaceflight solar array.

You will model, simulate, test, and iterate with systems, mechanical, and test engineers to ensure robust performance in launch and space environments. This role is on site in Carson, CA.

Qualifications

• 3+ years designing power electronics or converters.
• Experience taking a power converter from architecture to prototype, bring‑up, and testing.
• Strong grounding, EMI/EMC fundamentals and power integrity knowledge.
• Space-grade hardware experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own the design of a power converter for the Starlight solar array product from requirements through flight readiness.
• Translate system requirements into converter architecture and detailed electrical requirements.
• Design switching power stages, gate-drive circuits, magnetics, control loops, sensing, filtering, and protection circuitry.
• Perform circuit modeling, simulation, stability analysis, component derating, and worst‑case analysis.
• Own schematic capture and power‑electronics PCB layout, with high‑current paths, grounding, and thermal/EMI considerations.
• Build, bring up, characterize, and debug converter prototypes.
• Develop and execute tests for efficiency, regulation, transient response, stability, thermal performance, and fault behavior.
• Design for launch and space environments, including vibration, thermal vacuum, radiation, and EMC.
• Define electrical interfaces between solar array, converter, spacecraft power system, and avionics.
• Investigate failures, determine root causes, and implement design improvements.
• Partner with manufacturing and supply‑chain to transition the design into production.
• Maintain schematics, BOMs, analyses, and test/qualification records.

Skills

Power electronics

Circuit modeling

PCB layout

Hardware bring‑up

EMI/EMC fundamentals

Thermal management

System integration

Fault investigation

Documentation

Space hardware experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium Designer

Cadence

LTspice

PSpice

PLECS

Job description

The Mission

Starpath is building the technology to enable human expansion into the Solar System. We are developing systems that will produce the water, power, and oxygen needed for humans to live and work on the Moon and Mars. Our ultimate goal is to build and operate a self-sustaining city on Mars.

The Mission

Starpath is building the technology to enable human expansion into the Solar System. We are developing systems that will produce the water, power, and oxygen needed for humans to live and work on the Moon and Mars. Our ultimate goal is to build and operate a self-sustaining city on Mars.

Starlight is our space solar product. Our goal is to build the lowest-cost, highest-performance space solar power system—one capable of powering most new satellites around Earth and all Starpath equipment on the Moon and Mars.

Position Details

• Location: Carson, CA
• Employment Type: Full-time
• Department: Starlight
• Travel: Occasional

Power Electronics Avionics Engineer

We are looking for a Power Electronics Avionics Engineer to own the design of Starlight’s power electronics. Your immediate responsibility will be to develop a power converter from system architecture through qualification and production.

You will own the converter’s topology, component selection, magnetics, control loops, sensing, protection circuitry, PCB design, thermal performance, and electrical interfaces. This is a hands‑on role that includes circuit design, simulation, hardware bring‑up, testing, and failure investigation in close collaboration with systems, mechanical, manufacturing, and test engineers.

Responsibilities

• Own the design of a power converter for the Starlight solar array product from requirements through flight readiness
• Translate system-level requirements into converter architecture and detailed electrical requirementsSelect converter topologies and components based on efficiency, power density, reliability, mass, cost, and manufacturability
• Design switching power stages, gate-drive circuits, magnetics, control loops, sensing, filtering, and protection circuitry
• Perform circuit modeling, simulation, stability analysis, component derating, and worst‑case analysis
• Own schematic capture and power-electronics PCB layout, including high‑current paths, switching nodes, grounding, isolation, thermal management, and EMI control
• Build, bring up, characterize, and debug converter prototypes
• Develop and execute tests for efficiency, regulation, transient response, stability, thermal performance, emissions, and fault behavior
• Design for launch and space environments, including vibration, thermal vacuum, radiation, and electromagnetic compatibility
• Define electrical interfaces between the solar array, converter, spacecraft power system, and avionics
• Investigate failures, determine root causes, and implement design improvements
• Partner with manufacturing and supply‑chain teams to transition the design into reliable production
• Maintain schematics, bills of materials, analyses, interface documentation, and test and qualification records

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional experience designing power electronics or power‑conversion hardware
• Experience taking a power converter from architecture through prototype, bring‑up, and testing
• Strong understanding of switch‑mode power‑converter topologies, control‑loop design, magnetics, power semiconductors, and gate‑drive design
• Experience with current and voltage sensing, feedback networks, filtering, isolation, and hardware protection circuits
• Strong understanding of grounding, parasitics, switching behavior, power integrity, and EMI/EMC fundamentals
• Experience designing or directing the layout of multilayer power‑electronics PCBs
• Hands‑on experience using oscilloscopes, electronic loads, power supplies, network analyzers, current probes, and differential probes
• Experience with circuit simulation, tolerance analysis, hardware bring‑up, and root‑cause investigation
• Degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• A desire to make humans a multi‑planet species

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing power electronics for spacecraft, satellites, launch vehicles, aircraft, or other high‑reliability systems
• Experience with solar‑array power electronics, maximum power point tracking, battery charging, or spacecraft electrical power systems
• Experience designing high‑efficiency, high‑power‑density DC‑DC converters and custom magnetics
• Experience with digital power control, embedded control firmware, or FPGA‑based control
• Knowledge of radiation effects, electrical component derating, and worst‑case circuit analysis for space hardware
• Experience designing for thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, and spaceflight EMC environments
• Proficiency with Altium Designer, Cadence, LTspice, PSpice, PLECS, or similar tools
• Experience supporting design‑for‑manufacturing, production testing, supplier qualification, or failure analysis

EAR Requirements

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, you must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Equal Opportunity

• Starpath is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Benefits

At Starpath Robotics, base pay is just one part of your total rewards package. We also offer:

• Generous benefits including health, dental, vision, and retirement plans.
• Paid time off, holidays, and flexible policies to support balance.
• Professional growth opportunities through training and development.
• The chance to own high‑impact work that directly shapes the future of robotics & space!
• A collaborative, mission‑driven culture where craftsmanship and innovation are celebrated.