Senior Director of Power Systems Engineering

US01 Wolfspeed, Inc.; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 385,000; Full time

Job summary

Wolfspeed is seeking a senior power electronics engineer to design, implement, and validate high-efficiency AC/DC and DC/DC converters for next-generation data center architectures. You will work with a team of systems and applications engineers to deliver high-power density solutions from kilowatts to hundreds of kilowatts, blending topology design with digital control.

Responsibilities include architec­ture of front-ends, interleaved PFC, LLC, and high-voltage bus layouts, hardware

Qualifications

• Education: Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering with power electronics specialization.
• 5+ years in high-power SMPS design or grid-tied conversion.
• Hands-on experience with SiC/GaN devices and their gate drivers.
• Experience programming microcontrollers for power electronics and using simulators.

Responsibilities

• Architect and build AC/DC front-ends and DC/DC converters from kW to hundreds of kW.
• Design high-density topologies (PFC, LLC, dual active bridge, etc.) for data center power delivery.
• Select components, optimize PCB layouts, and validate with debug and simulations.
• Design and model custom magnetics; work with vendors on manufacture.
• Develop and tune digital control loops for real-time power conversion and telemetry.
• Lead EMI/EMC mitigation and ensure compliance with safety standards.

Skills

Power electronics

SMPS design

SiC/GaN devices

Digital control

PCB layout

EMI/EMC

Microcontroller programming

Education

Master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering

Tools

TI C2000

STM32

FPGA

Job description

Role Overview

This hands-on role involves the design, implementation and validation of high-efficiency AC/DC and DC/DC converters for next-generation data center architectures, working with a stellar team of systems and applications engineers. This position focuses on delivering high-power density solutions ranging from kilowatt (kW) rack-level systems to hundreds of kW cluster-level architectures. The ideal candidate will blend hardware topology design/architecture with advanced digital control implementation to power cutting‑edge AI, GPU, and CPU hardware. This is a senior role with high visibility that involves extensive interaction with management and cross-functional teams, such as Device Engineering, System Applications, and Packaging.

Core Responsibilities

• High-Power Design: Architect and build AC/DC front-ends and DC/DC converters handling kilowatt to hundreds of kW power blocks.
• Topology Innovation: Design high-efficiency, high-density topologies (e.g., interleaved PFC, LLC, dual active bridge, phase-shifted full bridge, ISoP converters) to meet the stringent and increasingly challenging specifications for next generation data center power delivery.
• Hardware Development: Component selection, thermal-conscious schematic capture, and multi-layer PCB layout optimization. Interaction with applications engineering for debug, simulation and validation of converter specs.
• Custom Magnetics Engineering: Design and model both discrete and planar in-PCB magnetics for high-frequency operation. Partner with magnetics vendors to specify, iterate, and manufacture custom magnetic components.
• Digital Control Implementation: Develop, code, and tune digital control loops for real-time power conversion and telemetry.
• Compliance & Validation: Direct EMI/EMC mitigation strategies and validate systems against grid and safety standards.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Master’s or PhD degree in Electrical Engineering with a power electronics specialization.
• Experience: 5+ years in high-power switch-mode power supply (SMPS) design or grid-tied conversion.
• Semiconductor Expertise: Deep hands-on design experience using SiC (Silicon Carbide) and GaN (Gallium Nitride) wide-bandgap devices, and their corresponding gate‑drivers, isolators and sensing circuits.
• Digital Control Platforms: Proven experience programming microcontrollers for power electronics (e.g., TI C2000, STM32, or FPGA).
• Simulation Tools: Expert utilization of PLECS, Simplis, MATLAB/Simulink or LTspice for system-level analysis of the AC/DC and DC/DC converters.
• Advanced Architecture: Knowledge of 48V and 800V/±400V DC bus distribution frameworks common in hyperscale environments.
• Standards: Familiarity with OCP (Open Compute Project) power specifications and 80 Plus Titanium efficiency requirements.
• This role may require additional duties and/or assignments as designated by management.

Compensation Range: $250,000 - $385,000

Wolfspeed is an equal opportunity employer. We recruit, employ, train, compensate and promote regardless of race, sex, religion, color, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation and other protected status as required by law.