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# Principal Applications Engineer

- **Company:** ESS Direct Powered by Vertical
- **Location:** Somerville, MA, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Application Notes, Software Debugging, Performance Tuning
- **Published:** October 15, 2026
- **Apply:** https://startup.jobs/principal-applications-engineer-vertical-semiconductor-10449348

## About the Role

* 5+ years in applications engineering supporting power semiconductor customers OR 5+ years developing power systems/converters.
 * 5+ years experience developing or working with power converters (e.g., inverters, PFC, isolated DC-DC). Experience delivering reference designs or complete converter hardware is a strong plus.
 * Proven bench characterization experience with high voltage and high current wide bandgap devices.
 * Strong understanding of high-frequency power converter design (switching loss mechanisms, magnetics implications, layout/parasitics, gate drive).
 * Deep familiarity applying SiC and GaN devices in real converters (including design-in pitfalls and best practices).
 * Proficiency with SPICE and/or PLECS; ability to develop models and quickly evaluate power circuits.
 * Strong technical communication skills: clear written application guidance and confident in customer-facing engagement.
 * Experience with parasitic-aware layouts and EMI-aware design practices for fast-switching power stages.
 * M.S. or Ph.D. in EE (Power Electronics) or equivalent practical experience.

Location & Travel

 * Preference for candidates who can work in-office in Somerville, MA.
 * Travel to customer sites and industry events (< 25% of the working time)

## Description

Customer technical leadership / design-in acceleration

 * Serve as senior technical interface for strategic accounts: translate customer specs into power device requirements; support design in activity including simulations, testing, troubleshooting, and performance optimization.
 * Present Vertical Semiconductor technology, products, and roadmap to customers and partners; act as a subject-matter expert for target applications.

Simulation, modeling, and system enablement

 * Develop and own SPICE and/or PLECS simulation workflows for Vertical GaN in realistic converter environments (switching behavior, parasitics, loss/thermal estimation, gate-drive tradeoffs).
 * Build reusable solution templates (topology starting points, loop inductance/parasitic models, measurement-informed parameters) to rapidly evaluate customer use cases.
 * Create system collateral: application block diagrams, design guidelines, technical notes, and simulation models as part of an enablement roadmap.

Evaluation hardware & reference design leadership

 * Lead development of evaluation boards, demo boards, and reference designs (schematic/layout, BOM, bring-up plan, test plan, characterization report).
 * Perform system-level bench testing and debug; drive design optimizations based on measured performance.

High-voltage WBG bench characterization

 * Where needed, perform hands-on characterization of fast-switching WBG devices, including switching waveform integrity, parasitic-sensitive measurements, and robustness characterization.
 * Develop and publish practical "design rules" for customers: gate drive, layout/loop inductance, protection strategies, and measurement techniques.

Technical content and technical marketing

 * Develop application notes, design guides, trainings/webinars, and other media that make Vertical GaN easy to adopt.

Cross-functional product influence

 * Provide structured customer feedback to Device Engineering and Product teams: performance requirements, feature requests, failure-mode learnings, and competitive insights., Vertical Semiconductor is seeking an engineer who is not only capable of accelerating the technical vision of the company but is also willing to get involved in the day-to-day execution of a startup. The ideal candidate is someone who enjoys tackling complex engineering challenges, is comfortable with a hands-on approach in a collaborative arena and thrives in a startup environment where they can make an immediate impact. We value integrity, initiative, problem-solving, creativity and a passion for creating transformative technology that can change industries and improve the world.