Senior Power Electronics Engineer

Capella Space stands at the forefront of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite technology and signal intelligence. We provide customers in governments, academia, and commercial sectors with reliable information that enables unparalleled understanding of the world. Our mission is centered on delivering timely and reliable Earth imagery, supporting diverse applications in defense & intelligence, disaster response, energy, environmental monitoring and more. Utilizing cutting-edge technology, Capella Space designs, manufactures and operates an advanced constellation of SAR imaging satellites. Our market-leading SAR satellites are complemented by an unmatched data infrastructure and automated ordering and delivery platform for fast, reliable insights where and when customers need it most. 

Recognized for our technological prowess, Capella Space was honored as one of the 10 most innovative companies in Space in 2023 by FASTCOMPANY. Capella Space is an internationally trusted Earth Observation data provider, working closely with the U.S. Space Systems Command, U.S. Space Force, NASA, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, the Canadian Government and more to make unclassified, high-resolution SAR data more accessible.  

What Makes Capella Unique? 

Capella Space is a highly collaborative team environment, providing an opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in the space industry, though no prior space experience is needed.  We’re looking for people excited about tackling seemingly impossible challenges, learning new skills and concepts, and helping each other achieve success. Our mission and our products are meant to understand the whole world and help everyone in it - regardless of race, creed, or any other distinction. We encourage you to bring your unique perspective to help make us stronger, including applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. 

About the Role & Team

In this position you will be a key member of the spacecraft team at Capella. The spacecraft team is responsible for the design, build and test of everything that ultimately goes into space. On the spacecraft team, you will be collaborating cross-functionally with electrical design, RF systems design, flight software, ground software, mechanical, and spacecraft operations teams. You will have significant responsibility and autonomy to deliver product while working on all phases of design, test, and production.

Capella is looking for an energetic, power electronics engineer with experience in designing, testing, and troubleshooting power electronics systems down to the component level. This role will include work across the entire PCBA design lifecycle, from requirements definition to topology trades, simulation, schematic design, layout, design verification testing, production, manufacturing acceptance testing, debug and integration into the system.

Qualifications – not all expected

• 4+ years of experience designing, testing, and troubleshooting power electronics systems in a hardware R&D lab environment
• Familiarity with various DC/DC power supply topologies for >1 kW systems
• Experience in magnetics design
• Understanding of hardware evaluation methodologies, including development of test cases/suites, performance analysis, test automation, and data analysis
• Extensive experience with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, thermal chambers, and other test equipment
• Experience with I2C, SPI, UART, etc.
• Experience designing modern analog and digital electronics
• Experience in PCB schematic capture & layout
• Experience with Altium designer tools or other similar electronic CAD tools
• Experience designing high reliability systems
• Knowledge of the PCBA fabrication and assembly process
• Excellent design and manufacturing documentation skills with attention to detail
• Experience working with contract manufacturers to procure components, work through issues, and successfully assemble PCBAs
• Strong technical communication skills to be used in a highly collaborative environment
• Ability to work autonomously by determining and evaluating different courses of action independently
• Experience with Li-ion batteries and battery management system is a plus
• Familiarity with photovoltaics and MPPTs is a plus
• Experience in C or Python or software in general is a plus
• To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Capella Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into