Description
About us:
LayerZero Power Systems, Inc. is a leader in power management products for mission and process critical applications. Our customer base is comprised of companies in the computer service provider (on-line commerce, streaming, hosting, etc.), semiconductor manufacturing and financial sectors. LayerZero provides innovative products to ensure user safety and ultimate reliability of computers, servers, communication gear, and other critical equipment. LayerZero manufactures best-in-class products representing high-end solutions. LayerZero Power Systems is on a trajectory of sustained growth, with a loyal base of existing Fortune 100 customers and an expanding portfolio of new customers.
We are seeking a Senior DC Power Electronics Verification & Validation Engineer to establish and execute the testing, validation, and troubleshooting capabilities for a new 50–150 kW, three-phase AC-to-high-voltage DC power converters. This role will be responsible for specifying and procuring test equipment, executing design verification and validation testing, and diagnosing and resolving hardware and system-level issues in prototype and production units. The engineer will work closely with power electronics design, controls, mechanical engineering, and manufacturing teams to identify failures, determine root causes, verify corrective actions, and improve product performance and reliability. The position combines hands-on electrical engineering, high-power test development, instrumentation, hardware troubleshooting, and production support. The successful candidate will be comfortable working directly with prototype hardware, electrical schematics, circuit boards, power semiconductor devices, control interfaces, and high-voltage DC systems. The engineer will help transition the product from initial prototypes through design qualification and production release, establishing repeatable verification methods and production test capabilities suitable for annual volumes exceeding 1,000 units
Key Responsibilities
Test Laboratory Development and Equipment
- Define laboratory requirements and specify test equipment, instrumentation, fixtures, and supporting infrastructure for high-power AC/DC converter development.
- Identify vendors, evaluate equipment capabilities, prepare technical specifications, and support capital equipment procurement.
- Install, commission, and validate test equipment, including programmable AC sources, regenerative or electronic DC loads, power analyzers, oscilloscopes, high-voltage differential probes, current probes, thermal instrumentation, and data acquisition systems.
- Establish safe, repeatable test setups for high-voltage DC and high-current AC/DC applications.
- Develop laboratory procedures, equipment maintenance practices, calibration requirements, and electrical safety controls.
Design Verification and Product Validation
- Develop and execute verification and validation plans based on product requirements, design specifications, operating limits, and applicable industry standards.
- Test sample performance across the specified operating envelope, including input voltage, output voltage, load, efficiency, power quality, transient response, and thermal performance.
- Characterize startup, shutdown, steady-state operation, dynamic load response, and transitions between operating conditions.
- Test protection functions and fault responses, including overcurrent, overvoltage, overtemperature, abnormal operating conditions, and controlled fault injection where appropriate.
- Evaluate electrical noise, switching behavior, transient events, and other performance characteristics using appropriate instrumentation.
- Document test configurations, procedures, measured results, deviations, and pass/fail determinations. Maintain traceability between requirements, test cases, and results.
- Identify design limitations and collaborate with engineering teams to resolve issues before product qualification and release.
- Perform initial power-up, commissioning, and functional testing of prototype converter assemblies, circuit boards, power modules, and complete systems.
- Diagnose electrical and functional failures using schematics, oscilloscope measurements, waveform analysis, circuit measurements, and other diagnostic techniques.
- Troubleshoot power conversion circuits, gate-drive circuits, power semiconductor devices, DC-link components, sensing circuits, auxiliary power supplies, protection circuits, and control interfaces.
- Isolate root causes and distinguish between hardware defects, control or firmware issues, component limitations, assembly problems, and test setup errors.
- Perform or coordinate component replacement, soldering, board rework, wiring modifications, and other prototype repairs within established safety and engineering controls.
- Re-test repaired or modified hardware to verify corrective actions and document findings for design engineering.
- Work directly with the design team to recommend design changes, reproduce intermittent failures, and improve product robustness.
Reliability, Qualification, and Compliance Testing
- Develop and execute reliability, endurance, thermal, and environmental test programs appropriate to the product and its intended operating conditions.
- Support design FMEA, failure analysis, corrective action, and reliability improvement activities.
- Coordinate testing with external laboratories for applicable electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and environmental qualification requirements.
- Support certification testing and resolve test failures in collaboration with design engineering and external test laboratories.
- Ensure that testing is conducted using documented procedures, appropriate instrumentation, and approved high-voltage/high-power safety practices.
- Develop automated test sequences, measurement routines, data logging, and reporting tools to improve test repeatability and coverage.
Production Support and Test Development
- Support manufacturing engineering and new product introduction (NPI) during pilot builds, production ramp-up, and ongoing product manufacturing.
- Develop and validate end-of-line functional and performance tests, acceptance criteria, test fixtures, and automated test equipment.
- Troubleshoot failed production units, investigate recurring defects, and perform root-cause analysis in collaboration with design and manufacturing engineering.
- Support failure analysis and corrective action for returned or field-deployed units.
- Establish test methods that balance product coverage, measurement accuracy, test cycle time, and production throughput for annual volumes exceeding 1,000 units.
- Ensure that production test procedures reliably detect relevant assembly defects, component failures, and product performance deviations.
Technical Leadership and Laboratory Safety
- Establish technical priorities for laboratory development, product verification, prototype troubleshooting, and production support.
- Coordinate test activities with power electronics, controls, mechanical engineering, firmware, and manufacturing teams.
- Maintain laboratory safety procedures for high-voltage DC, high-current circuits, stored electrical energy, energized testing, and fault testing.
- Identify test-related risks and ensure appropriate protective equipment, interlocks, barriers, emergency shutdown provisions, and safe discharge procedures are implemented.
- Communicate test results, technical risks, failure investigations, and recommendations to engineering leadership.
Requirements
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline, or equivalent practical technical experience.
- Significant hands-on experience testing, troubleshooting, or validating power electronics equipment, including inverters, AC/DC converters, DC/DC converters, industrial power supplies, or comparable systems.
- Strong understanding of three-phase AC systems, high-voltage DC systems, switching power conversion, electrical measurements, and power semiconductor devices.
- Demonstrated ability to diagnose electrical hardware failures using schematics, oscilloscopes, differential probes, current probes, power analyzers, and other laboratory instrumentation.
- Experience specifying, selecting, integrating, or commissioning electrical test equipment and instrumentation.
- Ability to develop and execute structured test procedures, analyze results, document findings, and maintain requirements traceability.
- Understanding of electrical protection, thermal behavior, transient response, and safe testing practices for high-voltage/high-current equipment.
- Strong technical communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with design engineers, controls engineers, and manufacturing personnel.
- Ability to work directly with hardware in a laboratory environment and support prototype and production troubleshooting as required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with power converters rated 50 kW or greater, particularly three-phase AC-to-high-voltage DC conversion.
- Experience with 480 VAC three-phase systems and DC buses operating in the 800 VDC range or higher.
- Experience testing power converters across efficiency, power quality, transient response, thermal performance, protection, and fault operating conditions.
- Experience with programmable AC sources, regenerative DC loads, high-power test benches, and automated measurement systems.
- Familiarity with Python, LabVIEW, MATLAB, or similar tools for test automation, data acquisition, and analysis.
- Experience with prototype PCB debugging, component-level repair, soldering, and hardware rework.
- Experience with EMC testing, electrical safety qualification, reliability testing, FMEA, and root-cause analysis.
- Experience developing manufacturing test systems and supporting NPI through production release.
- Familiarity with applicable IEC, UL, and IEEE requirements for power conversion equipment.
Success Criteria
- Establish a functional, safe, and properly equipped high-power test laboratory.
- Execute repeatable verification and validation testing against defined product requirements.
- Rapidly identify, diagnose, and document prototype hardware failures and their root causes.
- Verify that design modifications resolve identified problems.
- Establish reliable production test procedures and support manufacturing readiness.
- Improve product quality and engineering productivity through effective test methods, failure analysis, and documented corrective actions.
What We Offer:
- Competitive pay with performance incentives
- 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision
- 401(k) with company match
- 4 weeks PTO, 10 paid holidays, and 2 floating holidays
Why You Will Love Working with Us:
- Impact: Develop your skills and expertise in a rapidly growing industry, with your work directly influencing the success of mission-critical projects.
- Innovation: Immerse yourself in an environment that celebrates forward-thinking and continuous improvement.
- Collaborative spirit: Work closely with engineers, marketers, and other professionals to bring ideas to life.
- Grow with us: We are committed to your personal and professional development, offering endless opportunities to improve your skills and advance your career
At LayerZero, we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome and celebrate diversity, and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.