Senior Avionics Engineer - Power Electronics

ABOUT SPACE SYSTEMS AT ROCKET LAB:

Rocket Lab's Space Systems team is responsible for every satellite and satellite component made by Rocket Lab: from complete satellites destined for missions to the Moon and Mars, to the individual components and subsystems that make up a satellite like solar panels, flight software, reaction wheels and star trackers, separation systems, radios, and more. Our Space Systems team is made up of engineers and technicians who design, create, and put together our own satellites for missions across the commercial, government, and defense sectors, or who build and assemble satellite hardware and software that supports other satellite missions.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The Senior Power Electronics Engineer will lead the design, development, and verification of high-power flight electronics, focusing on ion propulsion power processing units and high-voltage distribution systems. You'll own projects from concept through production, ensuring robust, efficient, and reliable hardware for space environments. Key responsibilities include designing high-voltage DC-DC converters, precision power distribution units, and custom magnetics, while meeting strict efficiency, thermal, and EMC requirements. Your expertise will guide technical decisions and maintain the integrity of spacecraft avionics across multiple flight programs.

WHAT YOU'LL GET TO DO:

• Own the full development lifecycle of high-reliability, high-voltage power processing units for ion propulsion systems, focusing on advanced power conversion, high-voltage isolation, and precision current/voltage control.
• Architect and design high-power DC-DC converters and power distribution electronics, ensuring optimal topology selection, effective thermal management, and minimal EMI for mission-critical propulsion applications.
• Design and prototype vehicle-level high-voltage distribution units and interface modules, ensuring robust circuit protection, arc suppression, and compliance with complex system-level safety and interface requirements.
• Perform comprehensive electrical analyses, including Worst-Case Analysis (WCA), FIDES, Power Integrity (PI), thermal simulations, and high-voltage stress analysis to ensure mission reliability.
• Select space-grade high-voltage components for in-orbit applications, addressing radiation tolerance (TID/SEE), corona discharge risks, outgassing, and lead-time risks.
• Lead the design of complex power electronics, including custom magnetics (transformers, inductors), switching regulator optimization, high-voltage filtering, and high-efficiency power distribution networks.
• Develop grounding, bonding, and EMI/EMC strategies for high-power integrated avionics suites to ensure electromagnetic compatibility across spacecraft and propulsion systems.
• Oversee bring-up, "smoke testing," and diagnostic verification of first-article high-voltage flight hardware, performing precision rework and high-voltage diagnostics as needed.
• Define and lead environmental qualification and risk-reduction testing campaigns for power electronics, including Thermal Vacuum (TVAC), random vibration, high-voltage breakdown, and EMI/EMC testing.
• Mentor junior and intermediate engineers through peer reviews of power electronics schematics, high-voltage PCB layouts, and technical budgets (power, mass, efficiency).
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (Propulsion, GNC, Flight Software, Thermal) to resolve high-voltage interface challenges and ensure seamless system integration.

YOU'LL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, or a related field
• 7+ years of experience in high-reliability power electronics design, with a proven track record of delivering flight-proven or mission-critical high-power hardware
• Mastery of high-voltage power electronics design, simulation, and layout using industry-standard digital tools
• Experience with high-efficiency DC-DC converters operating below 1kV, magnetics design (transformers, inductors), and high-voltage isolation techniques, including mitigations for creepage and corona/arcing
• Hands-on expertise with advanced lab instrumentation for high-voltage hardware bring-up and characterization (e.g., high-bandwidth oscilloscopes, high-voltage probes, current sensing equipment)
• Strong understanding of Design for Manufacturing (DFM) and Design for Test (DFT) for high-reliability, production-scale high-voltage electronics

Required Tools:

• Expert-level proficiency in eCAD software (Altium Designer)
• Power electronics simulation tools (LTspice, PLECS, PSIM, or similar)
• Power Integrity and thermal analysis tools (HyperLynx, ANSYS Icepak, or similar)
• Requirement management and verification tools (JAMA)
• Product Lifecycle Management and configuration management (Teamcenter)
• Mechanical integration and harness oversight (Siemens NX)
• Production and task management software (Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet)

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Understanding of space-specific design constraints, including radiation mitigation (TID/SEE), thermal management in a vacuum, and material outgassing for high-voltage applications
• Experience with FPGA development or low-level embedded software for hardware verification and diagnostic tool development for power systems
• Background in designing ion propulsion power processing units, Hall effect thruster controllers, or gridded ion engine electronics
• Experience leading environmental qualification campaigns (TVAC, Vibration, Shock, EMI/EMC, high-voltage breakdown testing) to aerospace standards
• Experience with automated test equipment (ATE) development for production-level high-voltage PCBA verification
• Demonstrated success mentoring junior engineering staff and driving technical process improvements within an organization
• Familiarity with the unique constraints of the NewSpace industry, specifically the application of COTS components in high-reliability, high-power systems
• Knowledge of custom magnetics winding techniques and vendor management for space-qualified magnetic components