Senior Power Electronics Engineer

spacekinetic; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity-based compensation

401(k) retirement plan with company3.

Highly competitive PTO

Paid company holidays + winter break

Comprehensive medical, dental, andve

Job summary

Space Kinetic in El Segundo, CA, is seeking a Senior Power Electronics Engineer to own the design, development, integration, and testing of power electronics for payloads and spacecraft.

You will lead high-performance power conversion, distribution, and control electronics, interfacing across electrical, mechanical, controls, software, and systems engineering to deliver flight-ready hardware.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or closely related STEM field.
• 7+ years of professional power electronics design experience.
• Experience with power conversion, switching electronics, and motor drives.
• Strong understanding of power semiconductors, gate drivers, high-current/high-voltage design.
• Experience with power distribution, electrical protection, energy storage systems.
• Proficiency with schematic capture, PCB design, and electrical analysis.
• Ability to independently lead technical development while working across multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture and design of power electronics for spacecraft and electromechanical systems.
• Design high-power switching electronics, DC/DC converters, motor drives, and power distribution systems.
• Develop power architectures incorporating energy storage, battery management, protection, and distribution.
• Perform electrical, thermal, efficiency, transient response, and component derating analyses.
• Select and qualify power semiconductors, gate drivers, magnetics, and other critical components.
• Develop schematics, PCB layouts, electrical interfaces, and hardware specifications.
• Lead hardware bring-up, debugging, characterization, and qualification testing.
• Collaborate with controls and embedded systems engineers on power electronics interfaces and control strategies.
• Support vehicle integration, environmental testing, and flight hardware development.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship while remaining hands‑on with design and development.

Skills

Power electronics

Electrical engineering

Leadership

Schematic capture

PCB design

Power distribution

High-current/high-voltage design

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

Job description

A New Paradigm For Space Operations.

Who We Are:

Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations - one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different - an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures - where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a 'one-to-many' system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster.

Our vision is unique, and so is the team we're building. So, if your background doesn't fully meet these qualifications, we still want your application.

This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.

What You'll Do:

As a Senior Power Electronics Engineer , you will own the design, development, integration, and testing of power electronics and electrical power systems for Space Kinetic's payload and spacecraft. You will lead the development of high-performance power conversion, distribution, and control electronics that enable demanding electromechanical systems and other flight-critical hardware.

You will work across electrical, mechanical, controls, software, and systems engineering to translate system-level requirements into robust electrical architectures and flight-ready hardware. This is a highly hands-on engineering role requiring technical leadership, sound engineering judgment, and the ability to take complex power electronics from initial concept through qualification and flight.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead the architecture and design of power electronics for spacecraft and electromechanical systems.
• Design high-power switching electronics, DC/DC converters, motor drives, and power distribution systems.
• Develop power architectures incorporating energy storage, battery management, protection, and distribution.
• Perform electrical, thermal, efficiency, transient response, and component derating analyses.
• Select and qualify power semiconductors, gate drivers, magnetics, and other critical components.
• Develop schematics, PCB layouts, electrical interfaces, and hardware specifications.
• Lead hardware bring-up, debugging, characterization, and qualification testing.
• Collaborate with controls and embedded systems engineers on power electronics interfaces and control strategies.
• Support vehicle integration, environmental testing, and flight hardware development.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship while remaining hands‑on with design and development.

What It Takes:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematic) field.
• 7+ years of professional power electronics design experience.
• Demonstrated experience with power conversion, switching electronics, and motor drives.
• Strong understanding of power semiconductors, gate drivers, and high-current/high-voltage circuit design.
• Experience with power distribution, electrical protection, and energy storage systems.
• Proficiency with schematic capture, PCB design, and electrical analysis.
• Experience troubleshooting and qualifying complex electrical hardware.
• Ability to independently lead technical development while working across multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance.

What We'd Love:

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 9+ years of professional engineering experience.
• Experience with spacecraft, launch vehicles, aerospace, robotics, or other demanding applications.
• Experience with battery systems, motor drives, and high‑power electromechanical actuators.
• Experience with SiC/GaN semiconductors and high‑efficiency power conversion.
• Knowledge of EMI/EMC, grounding, filtering, and thermal management.
• Experience with environmental qualification and flight hardware testing.

Where You'll Be:

The position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA. Domestic travel may be required (up to ~10% of the year).

What We Offer:

• Equity-Based Compensation
• 401(k) retirement plan with a 3.5% company match
• Highly Competitive PTO
• Paid company holidays + winter break
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Unique Performance-based bonus opportunities

ITAR Requirements:

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