Intern, Power Electronics Engineer, Spring 2027

Heron Power; Scotts Valley (CA); On-site; USD 34,440 - 48,216; Full time

Job summary

Heron Power, located in Scotts Valley, California, is seeking a Power Electronics Intern. This internship provides a unique chance to work with experienced engineers in developing cutting-edge power electronics systems. You'll gain hands-on experience in hardware design and validation while contributing to innovative solutions for the future of the grid.

The role is ideal for students passionate about power electronics and interested in learning through hands-on work. Join us in our mission to accelerate electrification at Heron Power.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing degree in Electrical Engineering with focus on power electronics.
• Strong understanding of power converter topologies and switching device operation.
• Experience with circuit simulation tools like SPICE or LTspice.

Responsibilities

• Support design and development of power conversion systems.
• Assist in modeling and simulation of power converter topologies.
• Contribute to component selection, circuit design, and schematic capture.

Skills

Power electronics fundamentals

MATLAB/Simulink or PLECS

Circuit simulation tools

Lab equipment usage

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Multimeters

Job description

What to Expect

Heron Power is a startup company building cutting-edge power electronics for the 21st‑century grid. We aim to debottleneck the growth of electricity generation and consumption with scalable, innovative, and less costly hardware solutions, accelerating the electrification of everything.

Our first goal is to build better converters (inverters & rectifiers) to connect large-scale renewables, storage, and loads to the grid. Heron Power’s leadership team is made up of seasoned veterans who have designed and shipped gigawatts of power conversion products over the past decade.

We understand that no one individual knows everything. We will all learn a lot together and from each other. We strive to build a collaborative, enriching environment conducive to personal, technical, and career growth. You can expect to work in a dynamic and collaborative environment, driven by first principles engineering, solving difficult problems.

Job Overview

As a Power Electronics Intern, you will work alongside a team of experienced engineers to design, develop, and validate cutting‑edge medium‑voltage power electronics systems. This role offers a unique opportunity to gain hands‑on experience with real hardware, contribute to key product development initiatives, and deepen your understanding of high‑voltage systems, power converter architectures, and control systems. You will be exposed to all stages of the hardware development lifecycle—from concept and modeling to prototyping and testing—while collaborating cross‑functionally with teams in firmware, mechanical design, validation, and manufacturing.

This internship is ideal for students passionate about power electronics and excited to build scalable, efficient, and reliable energy systems that will shape the future of the grid.

How You Will Contribute

What You Will Bring

• Support the design and development of power conversion systems.
• Assist in the modeling and simulation of power converter topologies and control strategies using tools like MATLAB/Simulink or PLECS.
• Contribute to component selection, circuit design, schematic capture, and hardware bring‑up activities.
• Work with senior engineers to characterize switching devices (IGBTs, SiC/GaN MOSFETs) and magnetic components.
• Participate in the prototyping and bench testing of converter hardware, including measurement and analysis of key electrical waveforms.
• Support lab testing activities such as thermal profiling, efficiency measurement, and EMC evaluation.
• Document test results and contribute to hardware design reviews and team discussions.

Must-Have Requirements

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering (or a related field), with a strong academic focus on power electronics.
• Solid understanding of power electronics fundamentals, including converter topologies (buck, boost, inverter, LLC, etc.) and switching device operation.
• Familiarity with circuit simulation tools such as SPICE, LTspice, or PLECS.
• Exposure to gate drivers, sensing circuits, and magnetic component behavior.
• Experience using basic lab equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies) and comfort working in a hands‑on lab environment.
• Excellent communication, problem‑solving, and organizational skills.
• Passion for learning and the ability to work independently in a fast‑paced, team‑oriented environment.

Nice-to-Haves

• Prior internship, co‑op, or research experience in power electronics design or validation.
• Experience with control systems for power converters (e.g., current‑mode control, PLL, or digital control loops).
• Familiarity with PCB design and schematic capture tools such as Altium or KiCad.
• Exposure to high‑voltage safety practices and design considerations.
• Programming experience for test automation or control (e.g., Python, MATLAB, embedded C).
• Interest in renewable energy systems, electric vehicles, datacenter power architectures and/or industrial electrification.

If you are passionate about technology and enjoy working in a fast‑paced environment, we would love to hear from you. Join us in accelerating the electrification of everything at Heron Power.