Power Electronics Engineer, Energy Storage

About Redwood Materials

Redwood is localizing a global battery supply chain that seamlessly integrates recovery, reuse, and recycling — keeping critical minerals in circulation and driving the energy transition. Founded in 2019, we’re delivering low-cost and large-scale energy storage and producing battery materials in the U.S. for the first time, all from batteries we already have.

Power Electronics Engineer, Energy Storage

Essential Duties:

You will be an early member of a product design team, responsible for the detailed power electronics design, prototype, and launch into high-volume production of an efficient, cost effective, highly manufacturable, and technologically leading-edge power converter.

Familiar with high voltage (up to ~1,000 – 2,000VDC and 480VAC) and high power (~10 – 200kW) power converters, you can quantitatively compare and select topologies, control algorithms, semiconductors, and magnetics while respecting engineering constraints (efficiency, cost, reliability, simplicity, etc). You understand both hard- and soft-switched topologies.

Responsibilities include:

You can create highly accurate time-domain control and thermal models of your circuits to inform software and mechanical development, and while your core specialty is high-power circuitry design, you have a working understanding of microprocessor selection, electrical insulation, and thermal interface. Knowing how important circuit board layout is in high-power conversion, you’re willing to jump in and do the most critical parts of the powertrain layout yourself.

The ideal candidate is highly self-driven, adaptable to a startup environment, and eager to take on technical challenges. You’re a doer, excited about working in a dynamic, fast-paced setting, and want to shape the electrical engineering function within a new department at Redwood.

If necessary, we will adjust the job level to suit your experience and responsibilities. The qualifications below are just that – desired – if you feel you’re highly qualified for this role but are missing a few of the below line items, we encourage you to apply anyway.

Desired Qualifications:

• BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, with a focus in power electronics

• 7+ years of experience in electrical engineering, with a strong focus in power conversion or energy storage products, ideally for mass production

• Experience in high-voltage (up to 2000VDC, and 480VAC) design

• Intimately familiar with techniques for efficiency optimization

• Basic knowledge of control theory and embedded systems

• Strong analytical / problem solving skills

• Experience in rapid iterations on prototypes based on customer, supplier, and co-worker feedback

• Strong understanding of power electronics topologies and fundamentals (AC/DC, DC/DC)

• Experience with semiconductor selections, gate drive, and protection circuit design

• Skilled in mentoring test technicians to design tests, interpret test results, and define part maturity criteria

• Skilled at working with basic EE tools like oscilloscopes, network analyzers, signal Generators, etc

• Proven track record as a electrical engineer, with hands-on design, prototyping, and launch experience in medium-to-high volume production (10,000 units/yr or higher)

• Able to select circuit components for manufacturability as well as electrical function

• Able to perform detailed schematic capture in Altium or related CAD software

• Able to supervise (and occasionally perform) detailed layout of high-power electronics PCBs in Altium or related CAD software

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to perform the essential job functions consistent safely and successfully with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards, including meeting qualitative and/or quantitative productivity standards

• Ability to maintain regular, punctual attendance consistent with the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state, and local standards

Working Conditions:

• Environment, such as office or outdoors

• Ability to work in challenging working conditions which may include exposure to noise, dust, chemicals, and temperature extremes, while protected by PPE, for extended periods of time

• Essential physical requirements, such as climbing, standing, stooping, or typing

• Occasional work weekends, nights, or be on-call as a regular part of the job

• Occasional travel requirements

In accordance with California pay transparency laws, the salary range for this position is listed below. Actual compensation may vary based on a variety of factors, including experience, education, and skills.

California Pay Range:
$145,500—$196,500 USD

The position is full-time. Compensation will be commensurate with experience.

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