Power Electronics Engineer - Flight Hardware

Who We Are

CisLunar Industries transforms power to run space by developing power infrastructure hardware and software for the space economy, specializing in power processing units (PPUs) for electric propulsion and spacecraft power distribution.

Our work supports both government and commercial missions and focuses on developing reliable hardware and systems that can operate in the harsh environment of space.

Our power electronics and avionics teams build real flight hardware on aggressive timelines. We are a hands-on engineering organization where software and hardware are developed side-by-side to rapidly design, test, and deploy new capabilities.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for a Power Electronics Engineer to help own the next generation of our power processing units and other space power systems.

This is a hands-on flight hardware role. Simulation and analysis matter here, but they are only useful if they lead to hardware that can be built, tested, debugged, improved, and integrated into a real system.

The ideal candidate is a strong individual contributor who can carry a power electronics subsystem from early concept through working integrated hardware. That includes simulation, schematic design, design reviews, mechanical and thermal constraints, PCB layout, prototype build support, bring-up, tuning, test, troubleshooting, and integration into the larger system.

You do not need to have worked specifically on plasma power electronics. Experience with electric propulsion PPUs, spacecraft power systems, high-voltage DC/DC converters, pulsed power, aerospace/defense power supplies, harsh-environment electronics, or other high-reliability power systems can all be highly relevant.

We are open to a range of experience levels, including senior engineers, but we care more about demonstrated hardware ownership than years of experience alone.

The Team

You will join a small, multidisciplinary hardware team building flight power systems across electrical, mechanical, firmware, test, and systems engineering. The electrical design team brings experience in power electronics, radiation effects, space hardware, test, and systems integration. You will also have senior technical mentorship from a principal power electronics engineer with decades of experience.

You will work closely with electrical, mechanical, firmware, and systems/test engineers to move designs from analysis and schematic through layout, build, bring-up, qualification, and integration.

This role is a good fit for someone who wants technical ownership, close collaboration, and strong mentorship while staying on an individual contributor path.

Key Responsibilities

• Own power electronics designs from requirements and architecture through integrated test.
• Design, simulate, and develop high-voltage and high-power converter hardware for space applications.
• Support and mature power processing units for electric propulsion systems, including Hall Effect Thruster PPUs.
• Improve existing designs for manufacturability, testability, reliability, thermal performance, EMI/EMC behavior, and integration.
• Perform schematic capture and PCB layout work in KiCad.
• Review and guide PCB layouts with attention to high-voltage clearance, high-current paths, switching loops, parasitics, grounding, EMI, thermal paths, and connector interfaces.
• Work through mechanical packaging constraints, flight housings, mounting approaches, connector locations, harnessing, and thermal interfaces.
• Plan and execute board bring-up, prototype testing, tuning, debugging, and design verification.
• Diagnose failures across design, layout, assembly, test setup, firmware interaction, and system integration.
• Collaborate closely with firmware engineers on controls, telemetry, fault handling, startup/shutdown behavior, and test automation.
• Work with mechanical engineers on packaging, thermal design, mounting, vibration constraints, and integration into flight assemblies.
• Support environmental and qualification testing, including thermal vacuum, vibration, EMI/EMC, and acceptance testing.
• Help transition hardware from one-off prototypes to repeatable low-volume flight builds.
• Create clear technical documentation, test plans, test reports, design review materials, and release packages.
• Work with vendors, contract manufacturers, and internal teams to close build and production issues.
• Mentor less-experienced engineers, where appropriate, while remaining primarily focused on hands-on technical execution.

Required Qualifications

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or a closely related field.
• 4+ years of hands-on experience in power electronics, electrical hardware development, or high-reliability electronics.
• Experience taking at least one significant circuit, board, converter, or subsystem from design through working hardware.
• Strong understanding of switching power supplies, DC/DC converters, power stages, gate drives, magnetics, feedback/control loops, and practical converter behavior.
• Experience with schematic capture and PCB layout including layout constraints, switching loops, creepage/clearance, current paths, grounding, EMI, thermal paths, and connector placement.
• Hands-on lab experience with oscilloscopes, power supplies, electronic loads, current probes, differential probes, function generators, and related test equipment.
• Ability to debug hardware systematically at the bench.
• Familiarity with power electronics simulation tools such as LTspice, PLECS, PSIM, MATLAB/Simulink, or similar.
• Ability to work closely with mechanical, firmware, systems, test, manufacturing, and quality functions.
• Willingness to work primarily on-site due to the hands-on nature of the hardware.
• Must be a U.S. Person, defined as a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, due to government contract requirements.

PCB Tooling

We use KiCad for schematic capture and PCB layout.

Direct KiCad experience is strongly preferred, but it is not a hard requirement. Engineers coming from Altium, Xpedition, OrCAD, PADS, or similar tools are encouraged to apply if they are willing to become productive in KiCad.

What matters most is not the specific CAD tool. What matters is whether you understand how power electronics layouts actually behave.

Preferred Experience

• Spaceflight hardware, spacecraft power systems, electric propulsion, or power processing units.
• High-voltage or high-power DC/DC converters.
• Resonant converters, dual active bridges, LLC converters, flybacks, forward converters, pulsed power supplies, or high-frequency isolated converters.
• GaN or SiC power devices, including practical switching behavior, layout sensitivity, gate-drive design, and failure modes.
• High-voltage design practices, including creepage, clearance, insulation, arcing, corona, and safe lab practices.
• EMI/EMC mitigation for high-frequency switching converters.
• Thermal design for vacuum or constrained aerospace packaging.
• Radiation-aware component selection or experience working with radiation-effects engineers.
• Low-volume production, design for manufacturability, design for test, vendor coordination, or contract manufacturing.
• Environmental test experience, including thermal vacuum, vibration, shock, burn-in, acceptance testing, or qualification testing.
• Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for test automation, data analysis, control modeling, or design calculations.
• Microcontroller, FPGA, or digital control experience for power electronics control loop application.
• Experience in a startup, R&D, aerospace, defense, automotive, energy, or other high-reliability hardware environment.

Who Thrives Here

You may be a strong fit if you:

• Like building hardware, not just designing it.
• Are comfortable owning a subsystem from concept through test.
• Can move between simulation, schematic, PCB layout, bench testing, and integration without treating those as someone else’s job.
• Have enough technical confidence to make decisions, but enough humility to take feedback.
• Willing to make decisions that remove ambiguity and accept the responsibility for the outcomes. [JH1]
• Care about making hardware work more than once.
• Prefer solving problems directly over creating process for its own sake.
• Communicate clearly during design reviews, test failures, schedule pressure, and cross-disciplinary tradeoffs.
• Want to be a high-impact individual contributor on spaceflight hardware.

Personal Traits We Value

• Ability to balance aerospace rigor with speed, cost, and scalability
• Comfortable pushing back on management, engineers, and technicians
• Hands-on, builder mindset who is willing to both define and execute
• Strong problem-solving skills and a desire to get to the root cause

What We Offer

- Opportunity to work on groundbreaking space technology

- Competitive salary and benefits package

- Professional development and growth opportunities

- Collaborative and innovative work environment

Salary Range

$120,000-$165,000 annually based on experience.

To Apply

Apply here or send your resume and LinkedIn profile to our Chief of Staff, Ubaldo Ciminieri. He will be your point of contact throughout the entire process: [email protected]