Principal Field Applications Engineer

Sterling Engineering; Milpitas (CA); Hybrid; USD 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Sterling Engineering is seeking a Principal Applications Engineer in the San Jose/Milpitas area to lead advanced DC-DC converter design and applications support for high-performance systems.

The role blends hands-on lab work, post-sales design-in support, and close collaboration with internal and field teams, with hybrid on-site work and opportunities to work with major local customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering required.
• Master's degree preferred for senior level.
• 8+ years in design, applications, or verification within power electronics.
• Strong hands-on DC-DC converter design and validation.
• Ability to support mid-to-large customers in technical environments.
• Excellent communication to explain topics to customers and teams.

Responsibilities

• Act as the technical subject matter expert for DC-DC converters and buck conversion products.
• Provide post-sales technical guidance and design-in support to customer engineering teams.
• Conduct complex qualification and verification testing in local labs and at customer sites (approximately 50–75% onsite).
• Support field engineers by resolving advanced technical questions and system-level issues.
• Verify products against customer specifications and application requirements.
• Collaborate with internal design, validation, manufacturing, and business development teams to resolve issues and deliver results on schedule.
• Translate customer technical needs into product recommendations, specifications, and development feedback.
• Identify potential design or integration risks early and communicate with customers and internal teams.
• Coordinate product integration efforts between suppliers, internal teams, and customers.
• Develop and deliver technical presentations and seminars for customers and field teams.
• Define initial project scope, prepare project plans, and maintain technical documentation.
• May sit onsite with customers locally for extended periods during critical project phases.

Skills

DC-DC design

Lab testing

Customer-facing

Power electronics

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Power electronics lab equipment

Job description

Principal Applications Engineer – Power Electronics (DC-DC Converters)

Location: San Jose / Milpitas, CA (hybrid)

Compensation: $170,000 – $250,000 base + 15% or higher annual bonus (historically higher)

Relocation: Available assistance if needed, preference for local candidates

Overvie

wWe are seeking a senior-level Principal Applications Engineer with deep expertise in low-voltage DC-DC converters (Buck conversion products) to support advanced power module products used in high-performance computing, networking, storage, and other demanding applications

.This role is highly technical and customer-facing, combining hands-on lab work, post-sales design-in support, and close collaboration with internal design, validation, and field engineering teams. The position is based in the San Jose / Milpitas area and supports a major local customer

.The ideal candidate is a former design engineer or verification engineer who has worked directly on DC-DC converter designs and enjoys solving complex technical problems in lab environments while working closely with customers

Key Responsibiliti

• esAct as the technical subject matter expert for DC-DC converter and buck conversion product
• s.Provide post-sales technical guidance and design-in support to customer engineering team
• s.Conduct complex qualification and verification testing in local labs and at customer sites (approximately 50–75% onsite depending on project phase
• ).Support field engineers by resolving advanced technical questions and system-level issue
• s.Verify products against customer specifications and application requirement
• s.Collaborate closely with internal design engineering, validation, manufacturing, and business development teams to resolve issues and deliver results on schedul
• e.Translate customer technical needs into product recommendations, specifications, and development feedbac
• k.Identify potential design or integration risks early and communicate clearly with both customers and internal team
• s.Coordinate product integration efforts between component suppliers, internal teams, and customer
• s.Develop and deliver technical presentations and seminars for customers and field engineering team
• s.Define initial project scope, prepare project plans, and maintain technical documentatio
• n.May sit onsite with customers locally for extended periods during critical project phase

Required Qualificati

• onsBachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering (Master’s preferre
• d).8+ years of experience in design engineering, applications engineering, or verification engineering within power electroni
• cs.Strong hands-on experience with low-voltage DC-DC converter design, validation, and application suppo
• rt.Deep understanding of power conversion topologies, power integrity, thermal considerations, and system-level performance tradeof
• fs.Extensive comfort working in lab environments performing qualification and validation testi
• ng.Proven ability to support mid-to-large customers in complex technical environmen
• ts.Strong communication skills and the ability to explain complex technical topics clearly to customers and internal tea

Preferred Qualificat

• ionsBackground in power modules used for data centers, networking, computing, or industrial syst
• ems.Experience supporting field application engineering te
• ams.Mandarin language skills are a p
• nmentHybrid role based in the San Jose
• area.Work from home option when not performing lab or customer-site
• work.Significant hands-on lab exposure using advanced power electronics platf
• orms.Close collaboration with global engineering and manufacturing t