AstroTalentSpace Jobs

Senior Electrical Engineer - Power Electronics Verified today

Star Catcher · Jacksonville, FL · Electronics · first seen 2026-10-13
Apply at Star Catcher →

Power the future of Space at Star Catcher

Star Catcher is building the first energy grid in space to power the orbital economy. Today's spacecraft must generate all their own power, which limits capability and operational life. Star Catcher is building technology to wirelessly beam energy to spacecraft's existing solar panels when and where they need it.

The Role

Star Catcher Industries, Inc., located in Jacksonville, Florida, seeks a Senior Electrical Engineer - Power Electronics to support development of space-to-space power beaming spacecraft and the Star Catcher Network orbital power grid.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead and co-own power-domain architectures across projects with other senior engineering leads; drive power requirements generation and design reviews
  • Serve as subject matter expert for power electronics designs company-wide
  • Lead investigation of novel power electronics concepts and technologies
  • Architect, design, and analyze high-power DC-DC converters, regulators, and power conditioning units for multi-kilowatt continuous loads
  • Design and analyze power distribution architectures and EMI filters; use SIMPLIS, SPICE, or equivalent tools to analyze circuits for stability, efficiency, power draw, and in-rush behavior
  • Design robust interfaces between energy sources and high-power loads, addressing source impedance, inrush, transient demand, protection coordination, and operating limits
  • Design and analyze high-voltage subsystems and laser drive power for vacuum environments; mitigate corona discharge, arcing, and electrical breakdown in partial and deep vacuum
  • Write specifications and test approaches for power supply circuits; select components or modules for discrete power converter designs
  • Create schematics for analog and power circuits; support PCB layout for power electronics hardware
  • Conduct and participate in peer design reviews, design verification testing (DVT) of engineering units, and provide oversight as designs move to production
  • Perform analog and power testing in laboratory settings for development components and circuit cards
  • Work closely with digital/FPGA, RF, mechanical, and thermal engineering teams to manage extreme thermal dissipation in vacuum
  • Mentor junior and mid-level power electronics engineers; manage technical relationships with external contractors and vendors
  • Lead power-switch selection and derating with radiation-effects consultants, accounting for destructive single-event effects, application bias and transients, thermal limits, test gaps, and verification evidence

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical discipline
  • 10+ years professional experience in power electronics design, specifically high-power, high-current regulators and power conditioning systems

Technical Expertise

  • Deep understanding of switching power supply topologies (buck, boost, forward, flyback, full-bridge, LLC)
  • High-voltage design rules for space, including creepage and clearance, dielectric material selection, partial-vacuum breakdown behavior and Paschen-region effects, and vacuum-breakdown mechanisms
  • Schematic capture and PCB layout for high-power circuits using advanced EDA tools (Altium Designer or equivalent), circuit simulation, SI/PI, and thermal analysis suites (Ansys or equivalent)
  • AC/DC and DC/DC power converter design, build, and test, including control loops and stabilization analysis
  • Thermals, EMI/EMC, and grounding management in high-power systems
  • Leadership or co-ownership of power system or subsystem architecture from concept through qualification in demanding environments; spaceflight heritage preferred
  • Ability to thrive in fast-paced environments and solve unprecedented engineering problems with rigorous, analytical approach

Preferred Qualifications

  • Satellite EPS Architecture: Direct experience designing overall Electrical Power System architectures for satellites, including battery management systems, solar array regulators, and power distribution
  • Laser/Optics Power: Prior experience designing power supplies for high-power lasers, directed energy, or large-scale optical payloads
  • Vacuum/HV Experience: Direct experience testing and qualifying high-voltage systems in thermal-vacuum (TVAC) chambers; practical background preventing multipactor effects and vacuum breakdown
  • Space Flight Experience: Proven track record designing hardware that has flown in space; familiarity with radiation-hardened or radiation-tolerant design practices
  • Magnetics: Knowledge of high-frequency magnetics design, development, and manufacturing
  • Aerospace Standards: Familiarity with MIL-STD-461 (EMI/EMC), MIL-STD-810, NASA GEVS, or IPC J-STD-001 Space Addendum
  • Advanced Degrees: Master's degree or Ph.D. in Power Electronics or related field

Star Catcher offers competitive benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401(k) retirement plan, life insurance, and paid parental leave.

Background check required. Must be able to provide proof of eligibility to work in the US.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including ITAR, you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.