Job Description

High-Voltage / Pulsed Power Engineer

Pleasanton, CA - must be able to work onsite, relo considered

We’re hiring a hands-on engineer to design, build, and qualify high-voltage and pulsed power subsystems for advanced directed-energy and high-power microwave platforms.

This role owns the electrical path from prime power conversion through pulse generation and semiconductor switching, and spans the full development cycle: simulation, component selection, prototype fabrication, high-voltage testing, and system integration.

What you’ll do

• Design pulsed power circuits and subsystems, including PFNs, PFLs, Marx generators, inductive adders, opening-switch generators, and capacitor discharge circuits.
• Select and characterize semiconductor switching devices such as SiC MOSFETs, IGBTs, thyristors, photoconductive switches, and opening switches.
• Simulate pulse generation, energy storage, and voltage distribution using circuit and field tools.
• Build, condition, test, and characterize high-voltage prototypes in the lab.
• Integrate pulsed power hardware with RF, electronics, controls, thermal, mechanical, and systems teams.
• Own high-voltage safety procedures, lab infrastructure, and test discipline.
• Produce clear design packages, test data, and documentation that support repeatability and peer review.

What we’re looking for

• MS or PhD in EE, pulsed power, applied physics, or a related field.
• Roughly 3–10 years of experience with high-voltage pulsed power systems or components.
• Strong hands-on experience with solid-state or semiconductor pulsed power design.
• Proven ability to take a design from concept through simulation, fabrication, test, and integration.
• Solid skills in high-voltage measurement, diagnostics, and safe lab practices.
• Strong fundamentals in power electronics, energy storage, semiconductor devices, and insulation design.

Nice to have

• Experience with wide-bandgap devices, Marx generators, LTDs, or rep-rated pulsed power architectures.
• Familiarity with HPM sources, national lab or defense-industry environments, ITAR/export control, or MIL-STD testing.

What success looks like

• Prototype pulsed power subsystems delivered from simulation to bench validation.
• A robust HV test and characterization capability established.
• Successful integration into a system-level demonstration.
• Strong collaboration across RF, electronics, controls, mechanical, and systems engineering.

This is a full-time individual contributor role with growth potential. We’re looking for someone who thrives in a startup-style environment, is highly independent, and is comfortable defining the right approach as requirements evolve.

If this sounds like you, please reach out.

(Candidates must be able to obtain U.S. security clearance; this role does not qualify for employment sponsorship).