Senior Power Electronics Validation Engineer - Grid & SST

Heron Power; Scotts Valley (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Heron Power in Scotts Valley, CA is seeking a Senior Power Electronics Test & Validation Engineer to own testing of the solid state transformer across AI data centers, utility-scale BESS, and PV plants. You will bring up hardware in lab and pilot sites, write test scripts, and debug performance against application needs.

You will collaborate with Systems Integration, build automated test loops in Python, operate high-power test rigs, and help turn findings into product improvements.

Qualifications

• 5+ years hands-on experience in power electronics or hardware-intensive environments.
• Strong DC fundamentals: resonances, parasitics, slew rates, and inductive spikes; relate test data to simulations.
• Scripting and test-automation skills to drive instruments and log data.
• Working knowledge of power conversion and battery systems: inverters, BMS, DC pre-charge, protection.
• Comfort with lab instrumentation and comms protocols such as CAN and Modbus TCP.
• Scrappy mindset: you get things done despite obstacles.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end application testing of a novel high C-rate battery pack (SuperBBU) with Heron's SST, validating ripple mitigation, backup capability, slew rates, and power-loss profiles.
• Support SST and utility-scale BESS integration testing at pilot sites, covering EMS-to-SST communication, black start and grid-forming coordination, charge/discharge cycling, and round-trip efficiency.
• Support integration testing of the SST with commercial off-the-shelf DAS, SCADA and EMS systems.
• Own Her's first pilot deployments: review field performance, identify feature gaps, and work with SW/FW teams to turn findings into product improvements.
• Write and maintain Python-based test automation to command power converters, sequence tests, log data, and turn manual procedures into repeatable automated loops.
• Safely operate power converters, chillers, contactors, and protection hardware, and set up cabling, instrumentation, and data acquisition for high-power test runs.

Skills

Power electronics

Test automation

Scripting

Lab instrumentation

CAN/Modbus protocols

First principles mindset

Tools

Python

LTspice

Simscape

PLECS

Job description

Heron Power in Scotts Valley, CA is seeking a Senior Power Electronics Test & Validation Engineer to own testing of the solid state transformer across AI data centers, utility-scale BESS, and PV plants. You will bring up hardware in lab and pilot sites, write test scripts, and debug performance against application needs.

You will collaborate with Systems Integration, build automated test loops in Python, operate high-power test rigs, and help turn findings into product improvements.