Staff Power Electronics Engineer

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer, an aerospace company based in San Jose, California, seeks an experienced electrical engineer to lead high‑voltage, high‑power motor controller development for all‑electric eVTOL aircraft. You will own hardware from concept through production, including MOSFET gate drive design and power-supply sensing, with extensive lab testing and data analysis.

The role requires 8+ years in electrical system and circuit-board design, strong powers electronics expertise, and hands-on use of Altium or

Qualifications

• Electrical engineering degree or equivalent hands-on experience.
• 8+ years designing electrical systems and PCBs for power electronics.
• Experience with high voltage, high power density motor controllers for aerospace.
• Knowledge of inverter tech, MOSFETs, rectifiers and gate drivers.
• Familiarity with SiC/GaN wide-bandgap devices is a plus.
• Hands-on with lab instruments like oscilloscopes and EMC analyzers.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop high voltage, high power density motor controllers for eVTOL.
• Own hardware from specification through production and validation.
• Design MOSFET gate drive circuits and power supply sensing networks.
• Create schematic/layouts and review PCB designs.
• Prototype verification tests and data analysis to meet specs.
• Troubleshoot issues in prototype and production lines.

Skills

Inverter technology

Power electronics

Motor drive control

Gate drive design

Semiconductor devices

Microcontrollers

Sensing technology

Lab instrumentation

PCB layout

Troubleshooting

Education

Electrical Engineering Degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Altium Designer

Xpedition

Job description

Archer is an aerospace company based in San Jose, California building an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a mission to advance the benefits of sustainable air mobility. We are designing, manufacturing, and operating an all-electric aircraft that can carry four passengers while producing minimal noise.

Our sights are set high and our problems are hard, and we believe that diversity in the workplace is what makes us smarter, drives better insights, and will ultimately lift us all to success. We are dedicated to cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces our differences, and supports and celebrates all of our team members.

What you’ll do:

• Design and develop high voltage, high power density motor controller for eVTOL applications
• Responsible for all aspects of power electronics designs required in an all-electric aircraft, from components to circuits, modules and system integration
• Passive component design and optimization in power electronics systems
• EMC testing and analysis for various power electronics systems
• Leads new designs from conception into production while working with a multidisciplinary team
• Start to finish ownership of hardware - from specification to design, prototype, reliability validation and manufacturing
• • Design MOSFET gate drive circuit, electronic power supply and sensing circuits
  • Schematic, layout and PCB assembly design and review
  • Design and carry out prototype verification tests for proof of concept
  • Analyze test data and reports to determine if the design meets functional and performance specifications.
  • Troubleshoot and help root cause any issues that occur in the prototype line.

What you need:

• Electrical Engineering Degree or equivalent experience.
• 8+ years of relevant electrical system and circuit board design experience.
• Sound knowledge and hands-on experience in traditional and modern power electronic technologies including (not limited to):
• Inverter technology for variable speed motor drive (MOSFET, rectifiers and gate driver PWM technologies).
• Passive power devices, e.g. inductors, capacitors, resistors and transformers.
• Power electronics system architecture design and hardware integration.
• Motor drive and power converters (AC-DC, DC-DC, DC-AC) control technologies.
• Motor control and commutation methods for various types of three phase motors.
• Microcontrollers
• Sensor technology and implementation
• Gate drive design for wide bandgap devices (SiC and GaN)
• Experience with 50kW-200kW inverters at 400V-1000V
• Experience in using schematic capture and circuit simulation software (e.g. Altium Designer or Xpedition).
• PCB layout experience is strongly preferred
• Experience performing circuit design analyses such as worst-case circuit analysis, fault analysis, and lifetime estimation
• Master of all types of lab instruments: oscilloscope, EMC analyzers etc.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills

Bonus Qualifications:

• Hands on experience with DO-160G testing and DO-254 development
• Ph. D. in power electronics
• Embedded firmware development experience
• Passion for aviation and eVTOL

Archer is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants with physical or mental disabilities, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants who may require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should provide their name and contact information to Archer’s People Team at [e-mail]. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis. For this position we are targeting a base pay between $172,800 - $216,000. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Information collected and processed as part of any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Archer's Candidate Privacy Policy.

Archer is unable to provide work visa sponsorship for this position at the present time.

Archer is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Archer Aviation does not engage with external recruiting agencies/individual recruiters with whom it does not have a prior written agreement. Archer reserves the right to make use of any unsolicited resumes that it receives and bears no responsibility for payment of any fees asserted from the use of unsolicited resumes. If you are a recruiting agency or individual recruiter wishing to do business with Archer, please reach out to [e-mail]. All employment processes are managed by the Archer People Team.