Electrical Engineer, Power Electronics and Motor Control Firmware

Job Summary General Atomics (GA), and its affiliated companies, is one of the world’s leading resources for high-technology systems development ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely piloted aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless and laser technologies.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and manufactures first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS' expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical fleet, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and process and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.

We have an exciting opportunity for an Electrical Engineer (EE) to join our Electrical Technologies team located in Rancho Bernardo. We are looking for someone with drive, talent, and experience in Power Electronics hardware and Motor Control firmware design who also thrives in a fast-paced, Research and Development (R&D) environment. The successful candidate will report to the Power Electronics EE Design Team Manager and, alongside high-caliber staff, will be engaged in the engineering support and new development of electromagnetic systems, high-power motors & drives, high-accuracy aerospace gimbal motor controllers, power conditioning systems, cutting-edge technology ventures in domains from “DARPA-hard” undersea applications to “Newspace” satellites, and a variety of other technologies in the expanding product portfolio of GA-EMS.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Work with GA-EMS Electrical Engineering staff and chief engineers in the concept development and prototype design, integration, and test of both low- and high-power electronics, supplies, motors, and controllers.
• Demonstrate prior experience in the improvement of legacy systems and development of new systems.
• Generate electrical architecture solutions for new project needs, perform electrical engineering analyses for systems and circuits, document findings, communicate results to engineering and program management staff, give technical presentations, and manage technical effort schedules.
• Responsible for guiding the successful resolution of engineering problems, serve as a consulting resource for engineering knowledge, apply the latest technological advancements to the problem, and will often function in a project leadership role.
• May lead a cross-functional engineering team in technical efforts involving high-power motors and drives, aerospace gimbal motor controllers, or next-generation power conversion.
• Contribute to complex, electrical-mechanical-software-controls engineering efforts with hardware and personnel safety in mind while exercising business strategy, political savvy, and technical acumen.
• Grasp, understand, correlate, and apply concepts in electrical engineering to pieces in a complex system.
• With limited direction, plan and execute technical efforts quickly and strategically. Assignments will normally be outlined in terms of broad specifications, objectives, possible results anticipated, and critical reference points requiring special attention.
• May represent the organization as the prime technical contact on projects.
• Perform other duties as assigned or required.

• Typically requires a bachelors degree, masters degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience as follows; twelve or more years of experience with a bachelors degree, ten or more years of experience with a masters degree, or seven or more years with a PhD. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Security Clearance is required.
• Required Experience: Power Electronics; analog and digital circuit design; electromagnetic systems; high-power motors and drives or aerospace gimbal motor controllers; familiarity with DoD technical review process (at a minimum, SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR).
• Desirable Experience: Undersea propulsor systems; shipboard power systems; power supplies; multiphase DC-to-DC converters; embedded controls for power electronics; digital or microprocessor control of power converters, inverters, and motor drives; guiding a design through development and into production.
• Desired Skills (ranked high to low): Experience with MATLAB & Simulink, SPICE circuit simulation tools, PADS or Altium Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Design Software, C/C++, Software Development Kits.
• Demonstrate technical expertise and application of engineering principles, concepts, theory, and practice with the ability to organize, plan, schedule, conduct, and coordinate workloads to meet established deadlines or milestones with some experience in project leadership.
• Must possess the ability to understand new concepts quickly and apply them accurately throughout an evolving project environment.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills are required to enable an effective interface with other departments and/or professionals.
• Customer-focused and able to formulate plans based on the development of innovative new designs in resolving advanced technical engineering problems.
• Capable of representing the organization as a prime technical contact, as well as providing leadership and guidance to less experienced colleagues.
• Must be able to work both independently and in a team environment.
• The submission of a cover letter with resume is desired.