Power Electronics Engineer

Chariot Defense; San Bruno (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Early-stage equity

Company-sponsored benefit plans

Job summary

Chariot Defense is seeking an experienced Power Electronics Engineer to own the electrical architecture of their power and energy systems. The role involves designing power electronics subsystems, including DC/DC and DC/AC converters, managing both low and high voltage systems.

The ideal candidate will have 2-5 years of relevant experience, a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, and strong hands-on skills. This position offers a salary range of $130,000–$180,000 and potential equity.

Qualifications

• 2-5 years of experience in power electronics hardware design.
• Experience with low and high voltage power conversion.
• Familiarity with MIL-STD-461 requirements.
• Demonstrated end-to-end ownership of power electronics hardware.

Responsibilities

• Own the design of power electronics subsystems.
• Design next-generation inverter systems.
• Develop and oversee PCB layouts.
• Conduct environmental testing.
• Collaborate with mechanical engineers.

Skills

Engineering intuition

First-principles thinking

DC/DC and DC/AC converter design

Protection circuits

EMI/EMC design

Bench skills with test equipment

Thermal management

Education

B.S. in Electrical Engineering

M.S. in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Altium

LTspice

MATLAB/Simulink

Oscilloscopes

Power analyzers

Job description

About the Role

Power is the product. We're looking for a power electronics engineer who can own the electrical architecture of our power, conversion and energy systems, both on energy storage and vehicle/ automotive mobility from DC/DC and DC/AC conversion, protection and isolation circuits, and power distribution and management. You'll be one of the first power electronics hires and will directly shape what goes into our products across multiple platforms and sectors. This is a high-ownership, high-impact, highly interdisciplinary, prototype-to-production role at a company where the hardware actually matters.

Key Responsibilities

• Own full-cycle design of power electronics subsystems: DC/DC and DC/AC converters, protection logic, and power distribution units, managing low voltage and high voltage systems, as well as AC circuits.

• Design and incorporate: Next-generation GaN and SiC inverter systems for high-efficiency power conversion, using advanced power control schemes.

• Design for: Low electromagnetic signature by minimizing conducted and radiated emissions to meet MIL-STD-461 requirements; this is core to our product, not an afterthought.

• Develop schematics: Oversee PCB layout using Altium or equivalent, with particular attention to power density, thermal management, and EMI mitigation at the board level for DC and AC systems.

• Hardware Bring-up: Write and execute hardware bring-up, verification, and validation test plans; operate lab equipment including oscilloscopes, electronic loads, power analyzers, current probes, and thermal cameras.

• Define and execute testing: Including environmental and qualification testing (thermal cycling, vibration, shock) in coordination with the mechanical team.

• Collaborate closely with mechanical engineers: on component integration, PCB placement within enclosures, connector and harness selection, and thermal path design.

• Support firmware and software engineers: with electrical specifications for power management and control firmware.

• Travel to test sites: (military and non-military) and military exercises to see your hardware operate in real conditions, and engage closely with global suppliers.

What We’re Looking For

• Top‑notch engineering intuition and first‑principles thinking toward designing complex products that function seamlessly for your customer, taking both an engineering/technical, and product/customer approach, to strike the optimal balance.
• Able to independently identify critical information or priority gaps and apply effort toward closing those gaps.
• Undaunted by imperfect, incomplete or absent datasets or information, and capable of making sound, comprehensive, and swift first‑principled decisions to achieve a product end‑state that meets and/or exceeds the need of the hour.
• Not satisfied by superficial explanations of a problem or “band‑aid engineering”; seeks persistently to find the specific root cause through data‑driven methods, and resolve failures or recurring issues, so they can be mitigated to prevent future such instances.
• Gratified by helping your peers succeed, building a robust team culture, and propagation deep camaraderie amongst your peers; seeks to break down information silos by collaborating rigorously with others to solve problems, share knowledge, and provide input.

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering (M.S. a plus)

• 2‑5 years of experience in power electronics hardware design, with at least 2 years on low voltage and high‑voltage power conversion and management.

• Demonstrated end‑to‑end ownership: you've taken power electronics hardware from topology architecture to schematic to production.

• Hands‑on experience with protection circuits, and high‑voltage isolation.

• Working knowledge of DC/DC and DC/AC converter topologies — buck, boost, flyback, full‑bridge, inverter — and control loop theory (analog and digital compensation, stability margin analysis).

• Experience designing to EMI/EMC requirements — conducted and radiated emissions, filtering strategies, layout best practices; MIL‑STD‑461 familiarity strongly preferred.

• Proven bench skills: you're comfortable with power analyzers, oscilloscopes, thermal cameras, electronic loads, and building your own test fixtures.

• Comfort with mechanical and thermal constraints — you can read an enclosure drawing, understand a thermal budget, and make layout decisions accordingly.

Bonus Points

• Experience with wide bandgap semiconductors (GaN, SiC) for high‑efficiency, high‑density power conversion.

• Strong experience with AC power conversion (1 phase, 3 phase) systems and knowledge of transformers.

• Familiarity with battery safety standards: UN 38.3, UL 2580, IEC 62133.

• Experience with pulsed‑load power delivery for high‑power transient systems (directed energy, radar, EW).

• Background in designing to MIL‑STD‑810 and MIL‑STD‑461 (combined electrical and environmental qualification).

• Embedded firmware experience or strong collaboration with firmware teams on BMS/power management.

• Experience with LTspice, SIMPLIS, MATLAB/Simulink, or COMSOL for circuit and thermal simulation.

A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $130,000–$180,000 annually. Compensation packages also include early‑stage equity and access to company‑sponsored benefit plans.

Individual compensation packages are based on geographic location, scope of the role, relevant experience, and the ability to deal with complexity and problem‑solve within our organization, among other factors.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.