Staff Electrical Engineer

Smart Wires is reimagining the grid with our modular Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) solutions and analytics that enable controllable power systems. This means more renewables, at a lower cost and with less disruption to communities and the environment. We collaborate with our customers to achieve their strategic objectives and help them face an uncertain energy future with flexible, high-impact solutions.

Position Summary

We are seeking a Staff Electrical Engineer to be a leader in developing our grid-connected electronics and electrical systems.  This role reports to the Head of Electrical Engineering and will serve as a key contributor and technical expert for the Electrical Engineering group: leading complex design of mission-critical electronics, developing innovative solutions to challenging technical problems, performing rigorous root cause analysis and design reviews, and influencing major design decisions.  We are looking for an experienced industry professional who can bring expertise and immediately make an impact by driving forward the quality and reliability of our electrical systems.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design of analog and digital circuitry – power converters, analog/digital signal processing, FPGAs and peripherals, and more
• Take ownership of multiple PCBA designs from concept to production, including: electrical design, PCB layout, design for testing and manufacturing, component selection, quality, etc.
• Lead the development of new features and technologies to further improve our product offering
• Recommend, develop, and execute a variety of tests on PCBAs, power electronic devices, and other electrical components: new design validation, troubleshooting, accelerated life and reliability testing, and more
• Perform root cause analysis on components that have failed in manufacturing and the field
• Participate in design reviews as an SME
• Mentor less experienced engineers in technical and professional development

Requirements

Required skills and experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering
• 7+ years of experience in electrical engineering with a focus on electronics and circuit design
• Significant experience in PCBA design, including: analog and digital circuit design, PCBA layout considerations, creepage and clearage considerations, and more
• Experience using an EDA tool: Altium, Eagle, OrCAD, etc
• Experience in a lab environment, including working knowledge of test and measurement tools
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and decision-making skills.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to work cross-functionally

Desired skills and experience

• More than 10 years of relevant industry experience.
• Expertise in simulation, analysis, and testing of electrical systems (e.g., SPICE, MATLAB, ANSYS).
• Experience with electrical and environmental stress testing to measure component, PCBA, and system level reliability and performance
• Knowledge of EMC/EMI design considerations and mitigation techniques.
• Experience with relevant electronics industry standards (IEEE, IPC, JESD)

Location

This role is located at the Smart Wires HQ, in (Research Triangle Park) Durham, NC

Benefits

At Smart Wires, we strive to foster an inclusive and supportive environment that focuses on our employees’ total wellbeing, and our benefit offerings reflect that commitment to our people.

We offer:

• Unlimited annual leave
• Paid volunteer time off to give back to your community.
• Eighteen weeks of paid parental leave to support you and your family.
• Competitive total compensation packages that include, salary, bonus and equity.

The Culture

We are passionate about creating a culture that empowers our team to create positive change for everyone and achieve their full potential, based on our core values:

Making an impact - We are passionate and ambitious about a better future for everyone. We are laser-focused on creating a meaningful, positive impact with real change for our customers, our industry, electricity consumers, and the planet.

Collaboration to drive success - We collaborate with each other, and our stakeholders, because we know even better outcomes come from great teamwork. We have humility because we know even better outcomes come from great teamwork. We have humility which allows us to listen, learn and improve. We value diverse perspectives and seek high impact results.

Accountability - We take responsibility for our actions and behaviors, and for t