Senior Application Engineer - Low Voltage GaN Digital Power (Firmware & Hardware)

Responsibilities

• Firmware Development & Digital Control
• Design, implement, and debug embedded firmware for digital control of low-voltage power converters .
• Develop and tune control algorithms such as: Digital voltage/current control loops (PID, Type II/III digital compensators)
• Current-mode and voltage-mode control
• Motor control algorithms (e.g., trapezoidal control, FOC for low-voltage BLDC/PMSM)
• Implement real-time firmware features including: Fault protection (OCP, OVP, OTP)
• Soft-start, sequencing, and system state management
• Telemetry, sensing, and digital communication (PMBus, UART, SPI, I²C)
• Optimize firmware for fast switching, low latency, and real-time performance in GaN-based systems.
• Power Hardware Design & Hands-On Testing
• Design and develop low-voltage power converter hardware using GaN FETs , including: Non-isolated and isolated DC-DC converters
• AC-DC auxiliary or front-end supplies
• Low-voltage motor drive inverters
• Perform hands-on hardware bring-up , debugging, and validation in the lab.
• Execute measurements related to: Switching behavior, efficiency, and losses
• Gate drive performance and dead-time optimization
• Thermal performance and power density
• EMI/EMC pre-compliance testing
• Actively iterate hardware designs based on lab results and firmware interaction.
• Hardware-Firmware Integration
• Validate and optimize closed-loop system performance of digitally controlled power converters.
• Debug complex issues spanning: Control-loop instability
• Noise coupling between power stage and control electronics
• Timing interactions between firmware and power hardware
• Ensure robust interaction between GaN power stages, gate drivers, sensing circuits, and control firmware.
• Reference Design & Evaluation Platform Development
• Develop evaluation boards and reference designs highlighting low-voltage GaN solutions.
• Deliver complete solutions including: Schematics and layouts
• Embedded firmware
• Test results and performance reports
• Support internal and external design enablement using these platforms.
• Customer & Field Support
• Provide deep technical support to customers designing low-voltage GaN-based power systems.
• Assist customers with: Firmware adaptation and tuning
• Hardware debugging and system optimization
• Participate in design reviews, customer discussions, and technical workshops.
• Technical Documentation & Knowledge Sharing
• Create high-quality application notes, design guides, and firmware documentation .
• Document best practices for digital control of low-voltage GaN power converters .
• Contribute to internal knowledge sharing and training.
• Education
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in: Embedded firmware development for power electronics and
• Hands-on power converter hardware design and validation
• Proven experience personally owning firmware + hardware + lab testing .
• Technical Skills
• Strong understanding of low-voltage power electronics , including: DC-DC topologies (buck, boost, buck-boost, resonant)
• Motor drive inverters for low-voltage systems
• Solid grasp of digital control theory applied to power converters.
• Embedded C/C++ programming for real-time systems.
• Experience with microcontrollers or DSPs commonly used in digital power and motor control.
• Proficient with lab equipment: oscilloscopes, power analyzers, current probes, signal generators.
• Schematic capture and PCB design experience (Altium or equivalent).
• Additional Hardware Design Capability
• Hands-on experience creating power electronics schematics and reviewing component selection for low-voltage GaN-based converters.
• Practical experience with PCB design and layout for high‑speed, low‑voltage GaN power stages, including: Gate drive and power loop optimization
• Current sensing and feedback routing
• Noise mitigation and grounding best practices
• Comfortable performing PCB bring-up, rework, and debug , including probing fast-switching GaN nodes and resolving layout-related issues.
• Direct experience with low-voltage GaN-based power converters .
• Experience with high-frequency switching optimization and layout-sensitive designs.
• Familiarity with simulation tools (PLECS, MATLAB/Simulink) for control and power-stage modeling.

Additional Information

Job Summary We are seeking a Senior Application Engineer with strong hands-on firmware development experience for digitally controlled low-voltage power converters , combined with practical power electronics hardware design and validation skills . This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys working across firmware, hardware, and lab validation , and who can independently develop, debug, and validate low-voltage GaN-based power converter solutions such as DC-DC regulators, AC-DC front-end converters, and low-voltage motor drive inverters . Given the lean team structure, the candidate is expected to personally own firmware development, hardware bring-up, and lab testing , from concept through validated reference designs.

Your Match

How well this role fits your profile.

Company Intel

What employees say

Worked at Renesaselectronics? Share your experience